Heavy Metals
Heavy metals are dense metal elements like lead, copper, and zinc that can poison soil and living things.
Think of it this way
A jar on the kitchen counter holds light wooden beads and heavy steel balls. The steel balls drop to the bottom, press down on the beads, and stay put. Heavy metals act this way in soil. They settle in and harm the roots and life near them.
Explaining heavy metals by grade level
Some metals can hurt plants if they get into the dirt. Copper is one of these metals. You can grow plants in soil that has copper in it to see what happens. Some plants can pull the copper right out of the ground.