Fieldwork: Planning a soil enquiry and collecting data
I can collect soil texture data on my school site.
Fieldwork: Planning a soil enquiry and collecting data
I can collect soil texture data on my school site.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Soil texture can potentially affect the rate of water infiltration.
- A fieldwork enquiry can be used to find the extent to which soil texture effects infiltration.
- Geographers can use a combination of data collection techniques to investigate the characteristics of soil.
Keywords
Soil texture - characteristics of soil, such as how large the soil particles are, or how large the pores (spaces) between the particles are
Porosity - how porous soil structure is (i.e. the size and quantity of spaces between soil particles)
Infiltration - the movement of water from the surface to the lower soil layers
Common misconception
Large soil particles means there are smaller pores between them.
Soil that is made-up of small particles has a structure where the particles can fit together more easily reducing the pore size between them.
To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: Fieldwork: Planning a soil enquiry and collecting data, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: Fieldwork: Planning a soil enquiry and collecting data, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Rocks, weathering and soil: Why is geology important? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Infiltrometer; 500ml water container; soil auger; clear sided (ideally glass) 100ml measuring cylinder; rubber mallet; stopwatch; clipboard
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
- Risk assessment required - outdoor learning
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Formed by cooling magma or lava
Made from layers of broken rock and remains
Changed by heat and pressure