Soil

THE SOIL BASE  Climate creates wet-and dry-climate soils.True soil consists of four main parts. If one of these parts is missing, the material cannot be considered soil.

 Here's a vid created by another teacher...a little goofy maybe but it's just the information that you need...it won't show up at school...as you might imagine...  media type="custom" key="4930533" Soil Video

 media type="file" key="Soil Note and Questions.mp3" width="240" height="20"

 1. Minerals  The minerals in soil come from rock, known as the parent material. The minerals become part of the Soil when the rock is broken down by weathering into smaller particles called sand, silt, or clay. Many of these minerals, such as calcium, phosphorous, and potassium, are nutrients needed by plants for growth.

 2. Bacteria and Organic Materials  When plants and animals die, they are decomposed by bacteria in the soil. As bacteria break down the organic matter, nutrients are released. Decaying organic materials form humus which provides nutrients and moisture for plants. Humus gives the Soil its dark colour.

 3. Air Plants need air around their roots. A high humus level helps produce air in the soil because the loose, decaying materials allow for many air pockets. Air spaces are also created by worms, insects, and small animals which tunnel through the soil.

 4. Moisture  Water dissolves nutrients in the soil and is then taken up by plants through their roots. Water is also necessary in the chemical and physical processes that weather rock and decay organic materials.  New mineral materials are added at the bottom of the soil by the weathering of the parent material. At the same time, organic materials are added at the top. This top layer of soil containing humus is called topsoil. Topsoil formation is a very slow process. Over the last 6000 to 10 000 years, only 15 to 25 cm of topsoil have formed under the forests of Canada. Under the grasslands of the prairies, between 40 and 100 cm of topsoil have developed.  A well-balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay, plus humus is called loam. It is the best soil for growing plants because it encourages root growth and holds moisture, and allows water to pass through it at a rate moderate enough to allow plants to take up nutrients.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Answer the following.
<span style="background-color: #d4e8e8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">1. What is sand made out of? <span style="background-color: #d4e8e8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> 2. What is humus and what is it made out of? <span style="background-color: #d4e8e8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> 3. Using Google Satellite, pick out a region in Canada that you would think would have the richest soil? Why do you think that? (Do not need to do if you're using a screenreader) <span style="background-color: #d4e8e8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> 4. What two things do you think might be missing from desert sand that would otherwise make it soil? <span style="background-color: #d4e8e8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> 5. What things do you think people add to gardens in order to make the soil better for growing?