Soil

Science Term 3 2011

Brainstorm words about soil

Collect an A3 piece of paper and with the people on your table you need to brainstorm all the words that we will be using in relation to soil this term. Make your work as nice as possible as they will be displayed in the classroom so we can learn them. You will be tested on these words as the term progresses!

Some words that you may not have thought about

Soil Nutrients Organic Earth Water Air Plants Combination Material Ingredients Chemical

Processes Garden Rock Particles Heavy Light Sandy Clay Loam Scientists Texture

Rough Edges Silt

Words that you should be able to recognise but necessarily spell (yet!)
Photosynthesis Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium Chlorophyll Peat Perlite Vermiculite

How much soil is there?

Pretend that this apple is the planet Earth, round, beautiful, and full of good things. Notice its skin, hugging and protecting the surface. Water covers approximately 75% of the surface.

How much soil is there?

The three quarters (75%) you just removed represents how much of the earth is covered with water - oceans, lakes, rivers, streams. What is left (25%) represents the dry land.

How much soil is there?

50% of that dry land is desert, polar, or mountainous regions where it is too hot, too cold or too high to be productive. When 50% is removed, this is what is left. (12.5% of the original)

How much soil is there?

Of that 12.5%, 40% is severely limited by terrain, fertility or excessive rainfall. It is too rocky, steep, shallow, poor or too wet to support food production.

How much soil is there?

You are left with approximately 10% of the apple. Peel the skin away

This is how much soil there is!

The remaining 10% (approximately*)- this small fragment of the land area - represents the soil we depend on for the world's food supply. This fragment competes with all other needs - housing, cities, schools, hospitals, shopping centres, land fills, etc., etc. And, sometimes, it doesn't win.

What is soil? The boring stuff!

Soil is a thin layer of material on the Earth's surface in which plants have their roots. It is made up of many things, such as weathered rock and decayed plant and animal matter. Soil is formed over a long period of time. Soil Formation takes place when many things interact, such as air, water, plant life, animal life, rocks, and chemicals. The formation of soil happens over a very long period of time. It can take 1000 years or more. Soil is formed from the weathering of rocks and minerals. The surface rocks break down into smaller pieces through a process of weathering and is then mixed with moss and organic matter. Over time this creates a thin layer of soil. Plants help the development of the soil. How? The plants attract animals, and when the animals die, their bodies decay. Decaying matter makes the soil thick and rich. This continues until the soil is fully formed. The soil then supports many different plants.