Lesson Summary Students pour equal amounts of water through equal masses of two earth materials, soil and gravel.  They measure the amount of water that drains through the earth materials and compare the resulting masses of soil and gravel, using a balance. Teacher Background Some earth materials, like soils, absorb more water than other earth materials. Water flows more easily through some earth materials than through others. Teacher Observations:  Response Sheet—Students explain how to test soils for a planting project. Set-up/Management Tips Moisten the soil ahead of time and encourage the students to evenly distribute the water over the earth materials as if the water is coming down as rain. Literacy Support Science Stories Read “A Vital Resource.” Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: soaks drains earth material