Tom’s Throwback Thursday — Soil

It might seem weird to talk about going outdoors while we are all trying to stay in as much as possible but the lock down is making me really treasure my once-per-day walk and appreciate how much I usually take all of Bristol’s beautiful green spaces for granted. I’ve never wanted so badly to go outside and just lie down on some grass. (Rolling around on my green bathmat just really isn’t the same)

Here’s why I’ve picked this video for today’s Throwback Thursday:

• All the talk of soil and growing is giving me amazing sunny spring vibes
• I am terrible at looking after plants. Honestly, I thought they just didn’t like me but what if I’ve just got the wrong soil? #excuses
• If you can get hold of some soil it’s a really simple little experiment you can do at home. Either test your own garden/window plants or grab some from a park during your daily exercise.
• Even if you’re not going out at all, you can still enjoy Robbie’s spot-on seagull impression. It. Is. Delightful.

Anyway. Enjoy!

Looking to incorporate this into a home lesson? Our Education Manager Mark has shared the top curriculum links and some ideas for this activity! 👇

Key Stage 1:

• Observing closely, using simple equipment.
• Identifying and classifying.
• Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

❓Can you test some soil from a park, a plant in your house or a garden?

❓Can you draw your results and label the different stuff in your soil?

❓Can you answer the question, what is my soil made of?

Key Stage 2:

• Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.
• Explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant.
• Use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating.

❓If you have a mixture of water, soil, rocks and paperclips can you think of ways to separate those things back out?

❓Can you find out how rocks turn into soil?

❓Soil is important to plants, can you find our why and what else plants need to survive?

Key Stage 3:

• Apply sampling techniques
• Interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions
• The composition of the Earth

❓Find out about sampling techniques you could use in order to collect a valid set of results for testing the soil composition in a garden.

❓Make something that represent the composition of your soil sample and of the composition of the Earth.

Key Stage 4:

• Recognising when to apply a knowledge of sampling techniques to ensure any samples collected are representative.
• The role of microorganisms (decomposers) in the cycling of materials through an ecosystem.

❓If you wanted to scientifically investigate the soil composition of a particular area, how would you approach this? What would you need? What sampling techniques could you employ and why?

❓In whatever way you like explain what ‘Decomposers’ are and their importance.