When students determined that the dry earth materials were not sticky, they figured out we better come up with a better solution for the mortar for our walls. A mixture!
By mixing clay, soil, and sand with water, students quickly discovered that it changed the properties of the mixture. Each mixture not only changed color but also its stickiness.
Clay was by FAR the "best" choice for a mortar...students had a hard time getting their fingers unstuck. "We NEED to use this for the mortar!" a first grader shouted.