Different types of soils (non-statutory) | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Soil comes from the ______.
- 'Earth's crust' ✓
Soil is formed ...
- in a factory.
- when mud gets flattened.
- through weathering and erosion. ✓
- by plant roots in the ground.
Soil is made from which of these things?
- rocks ✓
- organic matter ✓
- glue
- plastic
- air ✓
Look at the image of soil and water in a jar. Order the layers from what would settle at the top of jar to the bottom.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  clay
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  silt
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  sand
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  pebbles
How long does it take new soil to be made in the ground?
- one month
- one year
- many years ✓
- one week
- one day
Why is soil so important?
- it is nice to dig
- it provides a place for plants to grow ✓
- it makes a good mud pie
- it provides a home for many animals to live ✓

Exit quiz

Different types of soil have different sized particles, textures and colours which we call their ______.
- 'properties' ✓
Tick the statements that explain why different soils have different properties.
- it depends where they are formed ✓
- it depends how much they cost
- it depends which factory makes them
- it depends how they are dug up
- it depends how they were formed ✓
Which of these pieces of equipment would help you compare the properties of different soil samples more closely?
- forcemeter
- hand lens ✓
- binoculars
- digital microscope ✓
- trundle wheel
Which of these describe properties of soil?
- the colour of the soil ✓
- the cost of the soil
- the size of the soil particles ✓
- the texture of the soil ✓
- the way the soil is formed
Knowing ______ type can help you choose the right plants for your garden and keep them healthy.
- 'soil' ✓
Match the name of the soil to its correct description to complete the sentences.
- Sandy soil
  
  ⇔
  
  is not sticky and cannot be rolled into a ball. ✓
- Clay soil
  
  ⇔
  
  is sticky and can be rolled into a ball. ✓
- Silt soil
  
  ⇔
  
  is sticky but breaks apart easily when rolled into a ball. ✓
- Loam soil
  
  ⇔
  
  is not sticky but it can be rolled into a ball. ✓

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Different types of soils have different properties.
How and where soils are formed will affect their properties, such as colour and size of particles.
Soils can be compared using observation skills, with a hand lens or a microscope.
Common types of soils, based on their texture, are sandy, silt, clay and loam.
Knowing soil type can help you choose the right plants for your garden and keep them healthy.

Common misconception

All soils are the same, they are just earth.

Through exploring different soil types and their properties with the digital microscope, children will realise that soils differ depending on where and how they are formed.

Keywords

Properties - The describing words we use for a material are called its properties.
Particles - Particles are very minute parts of a material or substance.
Texture - The texture of an object or material is the way it feels to the touch.
Digital microscope - A digital microscope shows magnified images of objects on a screen.
Loam - Loam is high-quality soil that is a mixture of clay, sand, silt and decaying plant material.