Soil Layer Dirt Cups - Study Soil and Have a Sweet Snack!
Provided by: Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition|Published on: April 22, 2026|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition
Location: Earth, North America > United States > Illinois
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity, students will create dirt cup treats to represent the soil layers.
- This resource also includes soil discussion questions and a diagram of the soil horizons.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will love having a sweet treat in class!
- The diagram in this resource is a helpful reference that students can use throughout their soil learning journey.
Prerequisites
- To make the dirt cups, teachers will need sandwich cookies, chocolate chips or other toppings, chocolate pudding, green sprinkles or coconut, gummy worms, graham crackers, and a glass jar or plastic cup.
- Teachers will want to refer to any allergy concerns before preparing this treat. Teachers should also note that students with tree nut allergies may not be able to have coconut.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use this as a hook for a lesson about soil health, or students can eat these treats as they watch this video about healthy soil.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can discuss soil as a carbon sink and also how compost can help make the soil healthy.
- Teachers can use the discussion questions as possible avenues for student research projects. Students can select one of the questions to research and write a report on.
In this activity, students will learn about the layers of dirt/soil and why they are important. This activity doesn't mention climate specifically, but it does cover essential information for any further lessons about dirt or soil. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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