Questions to ask about soil

We continue this series with 'Questions for any rock face 3: soil; what questions about soil might be asked at any soil exposure?'

Soil is the mixture of material at the Earth’s surface that can support the growth of plants. It has four key components: rock fragments (from the rock beneath or brought into the area), decaying plant material, water and air. It often has a vertical sequence of layers, called a soil profile.
Show your pupils the soil at the top of the rock face, if a good profile can be seen in cross section, and ask them these questions:
- How many different soil layers can you see?
- How does rock become changed into topsoil?
- Is this a rich or poor soil? (Generally, the greater the number of growing species there are, the richer the soil)
Many more activities about soils can be found on our website.