Hello, my name is Mrs. Mehrin, and I'm looking forward to learning with you today.

Today, we are going to be learning all about healthy soil.

Let's begin.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit Rocks and Soils.

Your lesson outcome today is I can describe that soil contains water and nutrients for plants and that the climate can affect these.

Now, I know that learning can sometimes be a little bit challenging, but that's okay because we are going to work really hard together, and we are going to do brilliantly.

Here are your keywords for today's lesson.

Now, you don't need to pause the video here and drop them down because I'm going to be referring to these throughout today's lesson.

However, if you feel that this does help you, you may pause the video now and jot them down.

Fantastic, well done.

And here are all of the definitions for those keywords.

Again, I'm going to refer to these definitions throughout the lesson, so you don't need to pause the video and jot these down.

However, if you feel that it does help you, you can pause video now and make a note of these.

Off you go.

Fantastic.

Well done.

Now, today's lesson is split into two parts.

Let's begin with the first one, weather and climate.

Now I want you to think really carefully, what's the weather been like today? Has it been sunny, overcast, cloudy, rainy? Has there been some snow or thunderstorms? Oh, and can you think of any other weather conditions that you might have experienced? So being in Britain, being in the United Kingdom, I find that the weather is always changing.

So for me, the weather today has been a bit overcast and I've had a little bit of rain as well.

So I'll give you some time now to think about how it's been like for you and where you are.

I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, and then we will continue with the lesson.

Off you go.

Fantastic, now I hope that the weather's been really nice for you today.

So can you think of any other weather conditions that you might have experienced? You might have said things like sleet or even hail.

Now, weather is rain, wind, sun, or other conditions you might have experienced at a particular time or a place.

And in the UK, the weather is very changeable.

So in the space of one day, we might experience wind, rain, and bright sunshine, and that was very much what the weather was like for me today and where I live.

And the weather is often linked to where in the world the country's located.

So let's find out a little bit more about that.

Now, continents near the equator, so the equator is like this imaginary line that runs right down the middle of the earth.

And they have continents such as Africa that are close to the equator and even Asia.

And now these continents, they often have drier or warmer weather.

So where you can see that pink stripe running through the centre of the earth, that is the equator.

So any countries and continents that are near there often have that drier, warmer weather.

Now, continents that are further away from the equator like Antarctica or the United Kingdom, on the opposite side there, have much colder temperatures and snowy weather.

Now let's do a quick check-in of your learning.

So true or false.

The weather describes outside conditions over a few weeks.

Is that true or is that false? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is true.

Now let's justify your answer.

Is it because A, weather is rain, wind, sun, other conditions that you get at a particular time or place? Or is weather the rain, wind, sun, or the most usual weather a place has over many years? So again, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer and when when you are ready, we'll come back to our learning.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is A.

Weather is rain, wind, sun, or other conditions you get at a particular time or place.

Now the climate of a place is the kind of weather a place usually has over many years.

And so we would describe the UK's climate as being a temperate climate.

So in general, this means that the UK gets cold, wet winters and warm summers, so we often find, although it feels very cold to us in winter actually, in comparison to places like Antarctica, our winters are cold, they're not freezing, freezing cold, and we get warm summers.

So generally speaking, our summer isn't very, very hot.

It's generally quite warm.

And the UK rarely features the extremes that are coming in other climates.

So let's talk a little bit about what that means.

So we have got Africa here.

So we know that in Africa, it can be very dry and extremely hot.

And in the UK, we don't find that we have that kind of weather.

It's very, very rare for us to have summer where it's dry, where it's very, very dry and very, very hot.

We just don't really get weather like that.

And then we have, for example, the Arctic and the Arctic is very cold.

It's well below freezing.

It's the snow all the time, snow and ice all the time.

Again, we don't get that in the UK.

And in the Caribbean, sometimes you might have monsoon weather.

That's when you have lots and lots of rain.

And again, we don't really have those, that kind of weather.

We might even get hurricanes for example, which we don't get in the UK.

And now, an area's climate affects what kinds of plants can grow and what kinds of animals can survive there as well.

So let's do a quick check-in of your learning.

So climate describes the most usual weather we have over what length of time? Is it over an hour, a day, a month, or is it over many years? So I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here and you can come back once you are ready.

Okay, off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is D, over many years.

Now, the Earth's climate is continually and gradually changing.

So gradually means that it's happening slowly.

So it's not all happening all in one go.

Now the climate is getting warmer more quickly now than it was a hundred years ago.

So if we have a look at this picture, it shows us the melting glacier between 1989 to 2015.

And in 1989, that area within that purple square there, that was fully covered by a glacier.

Now by 2005, we can see that some of that area has melted away.

However, by 2015, we can see that actually there's been so much ice that's melted because the climate has warmed up.

And the rise in temperature has melted this glacier over time.

Now let's have a look at these three statements by Sofia, Laura, and Jacob.

And I want you to think about who you agree with and why.

So Sofia says, "Throughout time, Earth's climate has stayed the same." Laura says, "The climate changes daily depending on the weather." And Jacob says, "Earth's climate is getting warmer more quickly now than a hundred years ago." So think back to what we've just learned about.

I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So it's Jacob who is correct.

Now the weather and the climate doesn't just affect us.

It can affect the soil as well.

Now, healthy soil needs the right amount of water, the right amount of nutrients, and air.

So when soil is healthy, plants grow well.

And animals that live in the soil, they thrive.

So they do really well and they're very healthy as long as the soil is healthy too.

Now over time, the climate has been warming up, which changes the amount of air, nutrients, and water in the soil.

And this can change how well the plants grow.

So this has a direct link with how well the plants will grow in that soil.

And the climate affects how healthy that soil is going to be.

So if the climate gets too hot, so remember the climate is describing that change in weather over many years.

If it gets too hot, if the soil dries out because there's not enough water or air in it, then plants can't grow.

And animals that live in that soil might die as well 'cause they're not getting the right amount of nutrients and they're not in the correct habitat in order to be able to survive.

And if the climate gets too wet, so it's the opposite, then soil becomes flooded with too much moisture and the nutrients in turn they get washed away.

That means that the plants start to rot and there's nothing left there for the animals to eat.

And so therefore, the animals may die in that situation too.

So let's have a look at this question and do a quick checking of your learning.

True or false, changes in climate can affect how well plants grow.

Is that true or is that false? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is true.

Now let's see if you can justify your answer.

So A, gardeners might not want to go outside to look after their plants if it's too hot or it's too cold.

Or is it because B, soil may be too dry or it may be too wet in order to grow plants? Again, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is B.

Soil may be too dry or too wet to grow plants.

Now here is your first task for today.

Weather and climate are linked, but they are not the same.

So sort each centres into a table to explain if it describes weather or if it's describing the climate.

So number one, it's overcast today.

Number two, it's warmer in summer, wetter in autumn and spring, and colder in winter.

Number three, it's warmer at certain times of the year.

Four, it has been raining for over a week.

Number five, we had three days of snow last year.

And number six, every year the local field floods.

So think about whether or not that is describing the weather or the climate.

So I'd like you to pause the video here and have a go at that activity.

Come back once you are ready.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So the weather it would be is overcast today.

It's been raining for over a week and we had three days of snow last year.

Climate would be number two.

It's warmer in summer, wetter in autumn and spring, and colder in winter.

Number three, it's warmer at certain times of the year.

And number six, every year the local field floods.

Now the weather describes that conditions over a few weeks and the climate describes conditions over many years.

Well done.

You have done so well.

Now we are on to the second part of our learning today, which is impact of weather and climate on soil.

Now different crops are grown in different countries due to the climate.

So farmers can only grow certain foods in certain climates.

Now rice is grown in flooded paddy fields in wetter climates like in China.

And melons are grown in fields in drier hotter climates, such as in Spain.

Now scientists tell us that earth's climate has been getting warm up for over the last 30 years.

And a warmer climate can produce more wet weather in some places, and in some places, it causes drier, hotter weather.

Now, too much rain in wet weather, or not enough rain and dry weather affects how much water is in that soil.

And this can affect how well the crops grow.

So some places are now too dry and crops shrivel up in the heat as the soil does not have enough water in it.

So you might be thinking of places like Africa, for example, where some areas of Africa, they are experiencing something called drought, which is where there's just not enough rain.

And there's some places which are now too wet and the crops rot in the flooded soil.

So this might be sometimes in areas like Bangladesh, for example, where they experience a flood every single year.

Sometimes, their crops begin to rot because during the monsoon weather, there is just too much rain for the country to handle, and therefore, the fields get flooded.

Now in flooded soil, the nutrients the plants need to grow can be washed away and the soil becomes waterlogged and pushes out the air that the plants need.

Now without any plant roots to hold the soil together, the soil is weathered and eroded away more quickly.

And here we've got a picture of muddy eroded soil.

Now with climates changing around the world, farmers and soil scientists are working hard to keep soil healthy by reducing flooding and making sure soil in dry places gets enough water so plants can grow.

Now let's do a quick checking of your learning.

It says, "How does flooding or not enough rain affect how well crops grow?" Is it A, brown shrivelled leaves? B, healthy crop of ripe tomatoes? C, rotting roots? Or D, trees with lots of apples on them? So how does flooding or not enough rain affect how well crops grow? So what would happen to those crops? I will give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic.

Well done.

So if you have flooding or not enough rain, you're gonna end up with brown shrivelled leaves and rotting roots.

So as earthworms move through the soil, they help to break down organic matter that plants can use, and they make burrows that help to turn the soil and create air and water buckets.

And this will increase the amount of nutrients in the soil for plants.

Now, if the soil's too dry, worms tend to dig down deeper in order to find that damper soil.

But if the soil is flooded, then they have to come to the surface to breathe.

Now, you might have noticed when it's been raining really heavily in the UK, you might start to notice some of those worms up at the top of the soil.

And that's because maybe the soil has just got a bit too wet of them.

Now, without earthworms, some soil would be more solid and contain less air and nutrients, which makes it difficult for plants to grow.

Now, springtails are tiny creatures the size of a pinhead that live in soil, and this is what they look like under a microscope.

Animals like springtails and mites move around to help make soil and break down organic matter to add nutrients.

And these animals need healthy soil to be able to survive.

So true or false? Animals in the soil are affected by climate and weather.

Is that true or is that false? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is true.

Now let's see if you can justify your answer.

Is it because A, animals in the soil are too hot or cold when the climate and weather changes? Or B, flooding or not enough rain affects how well animals in the soil can make nutrients? So again, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is B.

Now here is your final task for today.

It says, describe how the climate can affect the amount of water and nutrients in soil.

So I want you want you to explain how either too much water, so flooding, or not enough water, drought, makes it difficult for plants to grow.

And I want you to try and use these keywords in your explanation.

So, climate, flood, drought, nutrients, healthy soil, animals, roots, leaves, and crops.

So I'd like you to pause the video here and have a go at doing that activity.

Off you go.

Fantastic.

Well done.

So you may have got something like this.

So drought, a warmer climate can cause droughts, which means the soil dries up.

There is not enough water, air, or nutrients in the soil for plant roots to grow.

And the soil temperature is too high for animals living in soil like springtails to survive.

Crops will die if the soil is not healthy.

And flood, a wetter climate can cause floods, meaning soil becomes waterlogged.

There are no pockets of air in the soil.

Nutrients wash away and plant roots rot.

Animals like earthworms must dig deeper or come to the surface to survive.

So the soil is not being filled up with nutrients.

Now let's do the summary of your learning.

The weather describes outside conditions over a few weeks, and the climate describes conditions over many years.

Earth's climate is gradually changing.

The climate is getting warmer more quickly now than a hundred years ago.

Changes in the climate can affect how water, nutrients, and air are in soil, and how well plants grow.

Well done.

You have done so fantastically today.

I am so proud of you.

You have worked really hard and you really used your critical thinking.

Well done.