Soil Basics
What is soil?
A mixture of tiny rock pieces, minerals, organic matter, water, and air.
Which soil layer is at the very top?
Topsoil.
What is organic matter?
Material that comes from living things or things that were once alive.
What is one small animal that lives in soil?
A worm.
Which can you find in soil: air, water, or both?
Both air and water can be found in soil.
Name one thing you might find in soil.
Answers may include rocks, roots, worms, insects, water, air, or decaying leaves.
Which layer is made of solid rock beneath the soil?
Bedrock.
Is a dead leaf organic matter?
Yes. It came from a living plant.
What do earthworms do as they move through soil?
They make spaces and tunnels that help air and water move through soil.
What tool could you use to dig a small hole in soil?
A shovel.
What do plant roots get from soil?
Support, water, and nutrients.
Which layer is usually below topsoil and has less organic matter?
Subsoil.
What happens to dead leaves as they break down?
They decompose and can become part of the soil.
What is one job of plant roots?
They take in water and nutrients and help hold the plant in place.
What does it mean if soil feels gritty?
It has larger particles, such as sand.
Why is soil important to people and animals?
It helps plants grow and provides a home for many living things.
What is parent material?
Weathered rock and other material from which soil develops.
Name two examples of organic matter.
Examples: dead leaves, dead plants, food scraps, or animal waste.
Why do many living things depend on healthy soil?
Soil provides food, water, nutrients, shelter, or a place to grow.
Why is bedrock harder to dig through than topsoil?
Bedrock is solid rock, while topsoil is loose material.
True or false: All soil is exactly the same.
False. Soil can have different colours, textures, and ingredients.
Put these in order from TOP to BOTTOM: bedrock, topsoil, subsoil, parent material.
Topsoil, subsoil, parent material, bedrock.
How can organic matter help soil?
It adds nutrients and helps make soil healthier for plants.
What might happen to a plant if its soil had very little water?
It may wilt, stop growing, or die.
A student finds roots, tiny rocks, and a worm in a soil sample. What does this tell us about soil?
Soil contains different materials and can be a habitat for living things.