In this activity, students use an interactive or paper-based graphic organiser to explore their ideas about the components of soil.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• recognise that inorganic mineral particles are components of soil

• recognise that organic matter (including living organisms) is a component of soil

• recognise that water and air are components of soil

• justify their choices about what makes up soil.

What makes up soil? – graphic organiser

Air

Clay

Concrete

Dead insects

Dead leaves

Diamond

Earthworms

Microbes

Pebbles

Sand

Sun

Toy turtle

Volcano

Water

Is part of the soil

Is not part of the soil

Not sure

Unused items

• Air
• Clay
• Concrete
• Dead insects
• Dead leaves
• Diamond
• Earthworms
• Microbes
• Pebbles
• Sand
• Sun
• Toy turtle
• Volcano
• Water

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What makes up soil? – graphic organiser

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Use this interactive graphic organiser with your students to explore their ideas about the components of soil. Place each image where you think it belongs. This activity can be done individually, in pairs or as a whole class.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

• introduction/background notes

• what you need

• what to do

• extension ideas

• student worksheet.

Image card acknowledgements: Pebbles by Joanbanjo. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Drops Impact by Marlon Felippe. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Clay-ss-2005 by Siim. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Leaf litter by Mokkie. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Concrete Casting Defect Blowhole by Elgewen – own work. Licensed under Creative Commons 1.0 Two diamonds by Washington Diamonds Corporation/Inbal-Tania Studio. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Turtle plushie by Anil Öztas. Licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0-de Microbes, earthworms and dead insects, © University of Waikato