Hello everyone, this is Mr. James, and I am ready to do some learning with you, and we are going to be learning some, some science.

So let's hope that you are feeling curious.

Here it goes.

Our lesson today is from the unit Rocks and soils, and we're going to be learning about different types of soil.

Here's our learning outcome.

By the end of the lesson, we hope that you will be able to identify similarities and differences between different types of soil.

I'm confident that if you concentrate and work hard, you'll be able to do that.

So let's go.

We need some keywords.

Our first word is on the screen already.

I'll say it, you repeat it after me, and then I'll read the others.

Properties.

Your turn.

Particles.

Your turn.

Texture.

Your turn.

Digital microscope.

Your turn.

Loam.

Your turn.

Let's think about what these words mean.

The describing words we use for a material are called its properties.

The properties of a material.

Particles are very minute, very tiny parts of a material or a substance.

The texture of an object or material is the way it feels to the touch.

A digital microscope, well, that shows magnified images of objects on a screen.

Loam, that's a high-quality soil.

There's a mixture of clay, sand, silt, and decaying plant material.

So our lesson today, we're going to start off by thinking about why soils are different, and then we'll talk about the uses for different types of soil.

So why soils are different.

What do you observe about these soils from different places in the countryside? Here's our first one.

Next one.

Next one.

Next one.

Take a look at them.

Pause the video for just a moment.

I wonder what you noticed.

Not all soils are the same.

They've got different properties.

This means they have different features that we can observe or measure.

Soils can be different depending on where they're formed and what they're made from.

Are all soils the same colour? What do you think? I'll just pause for a moment or you can pause the video to talk about that.

As you can see from the picture, soils can be different colours, ranging from dark brown to orange and pale yellow.

The colour of soil often changes in different parts of the country.

This map, this map of the United Kingdom shows different types of soils in different places.

If you use the key, you might be able to find the type of soil that you will find where you live.

So the key shows sandy and light soils, peaty soils, medium soils, heavy soils, and chalk and limestone soils.

Take a look at the map, find where you are, and decide what soil type you have.

Pause the video for a moment.

So Jun says, "Soils can be different depending on where they come from and what they're made from.

If soils can be different colours, I wonder what other properties can be different about soils." Do you have any ideas? Pause the video now and talk about that.

Who do you agree with and why? Sofia.

"All soils are the same.

Bags of soil from shops are just the same as soil from my garden." Jacob.

"I think that soils from different places have different properties." Jun.

"All soils come from the ground, and so soils have the same properties wherever they come from." Take a moment to think about this.

You can pause the video now.

Yes, Jacob.

I think that soils from different places have different properties.

Soils are made from small pieces of different things, including weathered rock such as sand, silt, and clay.

These are known as the particles of soil.

Soils made from smaller particles tend to stick together and create larger lumps.

This soil is made from smaller particles such as clay.

Soils made from larger particles tend to look more grainy and they flow through your fingers.

This soil is made from larger particles such as silt or sand.

Because of the different particle sizes, soils can have different textures.

What do you think these soils would feel like? Take a moment to think about that.

Perhaps talk to your partner.

Pause the video now.

Some soils can feel smooth, solid, heavy, and damp.

Some soils can feel rough, grainy, light, and dry.

When you touch soils, you need to wear gloves to protect you from germs, and you certainly need to wash your hands, especially if you are about to eat.

True or false then? Where soils are formed will affect their properties.

Hands up true.

Hands up false.

Yeah, it's true.

I'd like you to think why it's true.

Which of these do you think is the best reason to explain why it's true that where soils are formed will affect their properties? Do you think A, soils are made in different factories and sold in different shops, which is why they have different properties, or B, soils are formed from different types of weathered rock, depending on the ground it comes from, which affects its properties.

Now take a moment to think about that.

Is it A or is it B? Hands up A.

Hands up B.

The best explanation is B.

Soils are formed from different types of weathered rock depending on the ground they come from, which affect the properties of the soil.

Soils can be compared using observations.

Jun says, "I would like to observe my soil samples more closely so I can compare their properties.

What could I use to help me?" Do you have any ideas? Pause the video now.

Well, Jun could use a hand lens to look at the samples more closely.

Did you think of that? Or he could look at the samples even more closely using a digital microscope.

Digital microscopes are useful to look at objects really closely.

You can use them to see an image of the object displayed on a screen, perhaps a large screen like your classroom smart board.

These are photos of soils Jun has taken using his digital microscope.

They're closeup images.

Take a look at them.

Jun can compare the different properties of colour, texture, and particle size more easily using closeup images like this.

So let's have a look.

Jun observed that this soil was very lumpy with no smaller grains.

He could not see any spaces between the particles.

When he felt the texture of this soil between his fingers, it was smooth and wet.

And now the next sample.

Jun observed that this soil had tiny grains, which were translucent or yellow.

In between the smaller particles were lots of spaces.

When he felt the texture of this soil between his fingers, it was rough and dry.

Which equipment would you use to observe and compare soil samples close up? I'll say them.

You give me a double hands wave for the ones that you would use.

Would you use A, a digital microscope; B, binoculars; or C, a hand lens? Let's have a look.

Definitely a digital microscope or a hand lens.

Binoculars are very useful, but they're best for seeing things that are far away.

Now we come to task A.

Collect two to three different types of soil from different places.

Compare these different soils using a hand lens or digital microscope.

Make and record some observations about the different properties your soil samples have, such as the colour, the texture, the particle size, or anything else you can think of.

Remember, wear gloves when handling soils and wash your hands with soap afterwards.

When you are ready to get started on this, pause the video.

Comparing these different soils using a hand lens or a digital microscope.

Well, here's an example with soil A and soil B.

I compared these two samples of soil.

For colour, soil A was grey and white compared to soil B, which was orangey yellow.

For particle size, soil A had large lumps, but soil B had fine grains.

And for texture, soil A felt quite smooth, sticky, and damp compared to soil B, which felt rough and dry.

Time for us to move on.

Now we'll think about the uses of different soils.

Jacob and his friends want to know which type of soil is best to use in the school garden to grow plants.

"My auntie is a scientist who works for the Soil Society," says Jacob.

"Perhaps I could ask her to tell me more about the properties of different soils and their names." Do you know any names of different soils? Pause the video and have a chat to your partner about this before we begin.

Jacob's auntie showed him different soils to help him to learn more about their properties.

Clay soil.

Clay soil is a dark brown colour.

It has quite small particles which stick together in large, solid lumps with a smooth texture.

There's not much air in clay soil as the particles are close together and they're small.

Because of this, water does not flow through clay soil easily.

It often feels wet, and it's hard to dig.

Jacob's looking at sandy soil next.

Well, sandy soil has a lighter colour and a rougher texture than clay soil.

It'll run through your fingers more easily than clay soil as it has larger particles with more air in between them.

This allows water to flow through sandy soil more easily, so it often feels quite dry.

Sandy soil can be easier to dig than clay soil.

Finally, Jacob looked at silty soil.

Silty soil can have a light grey colour and a rough, dusty texture when dry.

The particles are larger than clay, but smaller than sand particles.

When silty soil is wet, it's slippery and it can settle at the bottom of river beds or on the banks of rivers or estuary.

Silt is able to hold water and can feel sticky.

However, it breaks apart more easily than clay soil.

True or false? All soils are the same, so they all have the same name.

True or false? What do you think? Hands up for true.

Hands up for false.

Well, the answer is false.

Now, I'd like you to look at these reasons and choose the one which you think explains best why it's false to say that all soils are the same.

A, soils have different names depending on what shop you buy them from.

B, soils have different names depending on their properties and how they're formed.

Hands up for A.

Hands up for B.

Yes, the answer is B.

Soils have different names depending on their properties and how they are formed.

Which of these then are names for common types of soil? This time, let's do a wavy hand.

So if you think it's a common type of soil, give me a wavy hand.

I'll read them out for you now.

Sandy.

Gritty.

Clay.

Silty.

I wonder how much waving you did, because look, three of those were correct.

The only one that wasn't a common type of soil is gritty.

Jacob says, "Now I know more about soils, I wonder which would be the best to use to grow plants in the school garden." Sofia says, "I wonder if different plants need soils with different properties." Different plants do need different types of soil to grow well and stay healthy.

Some plants, like a cactus, need soil that drains well, like a sandy soil.

Other plants, like this crocus, need soil that holds some water, like a clay soil.

Knowing soil type can help you choose the right plants for your garden and keep them healthy.

Labels on plants often help you know which soil they need.

Loam soil is another type of soil.

It's made from a mixture of clay, sand, and silt soils.

Farmers and gardeners often use loam soil as its properties can suit many types of plants and crops that they want to grow.

Loam soil provides plants with medium-sized particles, which let the roots of a plant spread out and take in water and nutrients to help it grow well.

Loam soil sounds perfect, thinks Jacob, for growing plants.

How can I find out what type of soil we have in our school garden? His auntie is very helpful.

This is what she says.

"Add a little water to a handful of soil.

If you can't mould it into a sausage shape, your soil is sandy.

If you can bend it into a circle, you have clay soil.

If you can easily bend it into a sausage, but it doesn't stretch to form a circle, lucky you, you have loam soil." Who do you agree with and why? Sofia says, "As long as a plant has soil, it will grow and be healthy." Jacob says, "I will need to choose the right type of plants to put in my garden to suit the type of soil I have." And Laura, she says, "I can grow any plant in my garden as my soil is sandy." Have a think.

Pause the video now.

Yes, Jacob's correct.

Knowing what type of soil you have will help you choose the right type of plants.

Task B now.

Use different samples of soil from task A or one type of soil from near your school or home.

Use the information in the table below.

I'll put it up in a moment.

Use the information in that table and on the next slide to identify the soil type.

You may need to add a little water.

So here's the table.

It gives you some information.

The texture of the soil, can it be shaped, and then the type of soil that it must be.

Take a look at the table.

Pause the video now.

There's another way.

This is called an identification key, and now we have some questions with yes or no answers.

Does the soil feel sticky? No.

Can you roll it into a ball? Yes.

Then it's a loam soil.

Can you roll it into a ball? No.

Then it must be a sandy soil.

Does the soil feel sticky? Yes.

Roll it into a ball.

Does it break easily? Yes, that's a silt soil.

No, that's a clay soil.

You can use this identification key to help you identify the soil type.

Soil A, this is a loam soil because it's not sticky, but you can roll it into a ball.

Soil B, this is a sandy soil because it's not sticky and you cannot bend it into a shape.

Soil C, this is a clay soil because it's smooth and can be made into a ball or ring shape.

And soil D, this is a silty soil because it's a bit sticky.

It can be rolled, but it breaks easily.

Well, you've been doing really well to learn all this information about different types of soil, so time to think about all the different things that we've learned in our lesson.

Different types of soils have different properties depending on how and where they were formed.

Soils can be compared using a hand lens or a microscope.

Common types of soils, based on their texture, are sandy, silt, clay, and loam.

And knowing soil type can help you choose the right plants for your garden.

I hope you've enjoyed all the learning today.

Well done and see you next time.