SOIL

06/03/2022
 LESSON OBJECTIVES
We are going to :
• Find out that there are different types of soil and that they can be
classified based on their clay, sand and organic content.
• Find out that the composition of soil can change , making it better or
worse for plant to grow in.
 KEY TERMS
• Soil : a mixture of broken up rocks , organic matter , water and air .
• Texture : the feel of a material, e.g. . Rough or smooth.
• Organic matter: living things or things which were alive, such as dead leaves , bits of root and
twigs.
• Loam: a soil with a balance of sand , clay and organic matter
• Waterlogged: full of water that will not drain through.
• Nutrients : food in the form of organic matter and minerals such as iron and phosphates.
• Compost : a natural fertilizer made of dead organic matter such as dead leaves and insects.
• Artificial fertilizer : as fertilizer is a mixture of organic matter and minerals that help plants to
grow.
• pesticide : a factory made product that kills the organic matter in the soil.
• Composition: what something is made or consists of.
 GETTING STARTED
The woman in the photograph is
working in a vegetable garden in
Vietnam.
• What do the vegetables grow in?
• What do you think is below this
layer
• What is weathering ?
 what does soil consist of ?
• Soil is the thin layer of material
covering the earth's surface and
is formed from the weathering
of rocks.
• It is made up mainly of mineral
particles, organic materials, air,
water and living organisms
 TYPES OF SOIL
• Different types of rock make
different soils. For example , sand
stone and different quartzite
weather into sandy soil. Shale
weathers into clay soil. Igneous
and metamorphic rocks weather
in to a sandy, clay soil.
• The amount of organic matter in
the soil contains lots of organic
matter. This types of soil is called
LOAM
 SANDY SOIL
• Sandy soils have large particles.
The texture is rough and
crumbly. Look at the diagram of
sandy soil. There are large spaces
between the particles. There is
air and water in the spaces
between the particles. There is
air and water in the spaces . This
means that sandy soils contain a
lot of water and air. The water
can drain through the sand easily
 CLAY SOIL
• Clay soils have very small particles
which are tightly packed together.
The texture is smooth and sticky.
Look at the diagram of clay soil. The
space between the soil particles are
very small. Because of this, there is
not much air in clay soils. Clay soils
dry out and crack in hot, dry weather.
• Clay soils absorb and hold water
easily. The water does not drain
through , so clay soils can become
water logged.
 LOAM SOIL
• Loam soils consist of a mixture of
sand and clay, so they are made of
particles of different sizes. Look at the
diagram of loam soil. The particles
are not very tightly or loosely packed
together . There is air in the spaces
between the soil particles. The
organic matter in loam soils gives
the dark brown color and helps the
soil hold water and gives the soil lots
of nutrients. This is why loam soils
have the best composition for
growing plant.
 Changing the composition
of a soil
• People choose to grow certain plants in
different types of soil. Loam is the best type of
soil for growing most plants because of its
composition. But if a plant needs a very well-
drained soil, the farmer or gardener might add
sand to it to make a sandy loam soil.
• Some plants need a lot of time in the soil to
grow well. Then the farmer or gardener can
add lime to the soil.
• Soil needs air in it to keep the composition the
same . This is one of the reasons why farmers
and gardeners dig or plough the soil. Theses
actions mix air in to the soil.
• Soil needs water. If it doesn’t rain, a farmer or
gardener must water it.
 COMPOST
• All plants need organic matter to grow well. But
plants use up the nutrients in the organic matter.
This is why it is important that farmers and
gardeners regularly add compost or artificial
fertilizers to the soil.
• Compost is made from dead organic matter. It is
good for the soil because it provides nutrients
and improves the texture of the soil.
• You can make your own compost with food
scraps, such as vegetable peel, egg shells, over-
ripe fruits and bones. Keep the mixture moist
and in a warm place. In a few weeks you would
have compost.
• Artificial fertilizers provide the same nutrients as
organic matter. But they do not improve the
texture of the soil like compost does
 Damaging soil
For plants to grow well, it is important to look after
the soil by maintaining the composition of the soil.
Sometimes farmers or gardeners do not look after
the soil and the composition changes. Here are some
examples:
• Farmers plant the same crop year after year. The
crop uses up the nutrients in the soil. The soil dries
out easily and is no longer good for growing plants.
• Farmers use pesticides to kill weeds and insects.
The chemicals in pesticides can also kill the organic
matter in the soil.
• Farmers use artificial fertilizers. These can damage
the soil texture and dry out the soil.
• Farmers do not dig and turn the soil over often
enough. This means that air and organic matter are
not mixed in with the soil.
 ACTIVITIES
• LB PAGE 93, ACTIVITY 2