Take a Closer Look: What Is Soil? You might think that soil is just dirt . . . but it is much more than that! Help Bud and Sprout discover all the things that make up the different kinds of soil. Print this page and look closely at a handful of soil. What color is it? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? Try separating the soil into different parts. Put like things in piles such as all sticks with sticks, and all roots with roots. Make a pie chart like Bud's of what you found. What else can you tell about the soil? When you're finished, go on to learn why soil is so important...