Soil and Sky Guide
Soil and Sky Guide
The Nitrogen Cycle Story • Part 1
Student Name
Date
Nitrogen is an invisible superpower! All plants and animals need it to grow big, green, and strong. Let's read how it moves from the sky to the soil.
Sky Air
1. Nitrogen Gas (In the Air)
Most of the air around us is Nitrogen Gas. It floats in the sky like a giant balloon. But plants cannot drink it from the air! It is locked tight.
Where is most Nitrogen Gas found?
Up in the Air
Deep in the Ocean
Zap!
2. Lightning (Sky Power)
CRACK! Lightning zaps through the clouds. This huge electric shock splits the locked sky air. Rain drops carry it down to the garden soil.
What splits the locked sky air?
A Lightning Zap
A Cold Snowflake
Fixer
3. Nitrogen Fixation (Soil Helpers)
Tiny soil bugs and root helpers are the mechanics! They perform Nitrogen Fixation. They pull gas from the sky and "fix" it into tasty food plants can drink.
Who "fixes" nitrogen so plants can drink it?
Tiny Soil Bugs
Flying Blue Birds
Page 1 of 2 • Continue reading on next page
Soil and Sky Guide
The Nitrogen Cycle Story • Part 2
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Date
Drink
4. Assimilation (Drinking Food)
When a plant drinks up this fixed soil food through its roots to build strong green leaves, it is called Assimilation. It acts like a green straw drinking garden milk!
What part of a plant drinks up the nitrogen food?
Roots in the Ground
Petals in the Breeze
Recycle
5. Decomposition (Compost Magic)
When leaves fall or things die, soil recyclers break them down. This is Decomposition. It puts the plant's nitrogen back into the soil so other plants can grow.
What does decomposition do with nitrogen?
Recycles it into soil
Throws it away forever
Fly Away
6. Denitrification (Back to Sky)
To finish the circle, special escape-bugs do Denitrification. They turn extra soil food back into tiny bubbles of gas that float back up to the big sky air.
Where does the nitrogen go during denitrification?
Up into the Sky Air
Down to Earth's Center
Page 2 of 2 • Great Job reading!
Soil and Sky Chart
Soil and Sky Chart
Visual Map of the Nitrogen Cycle
Reference Tool
Follow the numbers below to see how Nitrogen travels from the sky, down to the ground, and back up again!
1
Nitrogen Gas
Where: Up in the high sky air.
Real World: Like a giant locked balloon that plants cannot open yet.
2
Lightning
Where: Clouds to the ground.
Real World: A super powerful sky-zap that breaks open the locked air.
3
Nitrogen Fixation
Where: Down in the dirt and roots.
Real World: Little soil-helper bugs fixing the food so plants can drink it.
4
Assimilation
Where: Inside the living plant roots.
Real World: Using a straw to drink up healthy soil milk to grow tall.
5
Decomposition
Where: Inside compost and dead leaves.
Real World: Recycling old leaves back into the dirt to feed new seeds.
6
Denitrification
Where: Bottom soil back up to the air.
Real World: Extra food bubbles flying away from soil back to sky.
Connect the Helpers! Draw a line from the icon to its real-world job:
Lightning Bolt
Compost Pile
Root Straw
Recycles dead leaves back to soil
Zaps sky to split locked air
Drinks up nutritious soil food
Soil and Sky Reference Chart • Learn together, grow together
