SCI

EN QUAR
TER 4 –

CE MODU
LE 2:

4 COMP
ARING
THE
DIFFE
RENT
TYPES
OF
SOIL
 COMPARING THE
LESSO DIFFERENT TYPES OF
N 1: SOIL
Soil is a very broad term and refers to the loose layer of earth that covers the
surface of the planet. The soil is the part of the earth’s surface which includes
disintegrated rock, humus, inorganic and organic materials. For soil to form from
rocks, it takes an average of 500 years or more. The soil is usually formed when
rocks break up into their constituent parts. When a range of different forces acts on
the rocks, they break into smaller parts to form the soil. These forces also include
the impact of wind, water and the reaction from salts.
There are various types of soil that undergo diverse environmental pressures.
Soil is mainly classified by its texture, proportions and different forms of organic
and mineral compositions. Which we have already learned in our previous lesson.
Let us take a look at the
pictures . Below are pictures of
soil. Observe. How does the two
types of soil differ from each
other based on their physical
appearances? (color, texture, particles , ability to absorb water, etc.) Sandy soil
consists of small particles of weathered rock. It is one of the poorest types of soil
for growing plants because it has very low nutrients and poor in holding water,
which makes it hard for the plant’s roots to absorb water. This type of soil is very
good for the drainage system. Sandy soil is usually formed by the breakdown or
fragmentation of rocks like granite, limestone, and quartz.
The other is clay soil, which are tightly packed together with each other with
very little or no airspace. This soil
1 has very good water storage qualities
and making hard for moisture and air
to penetrate into it. It is very sticky to
the touch when wet, but smooth
when dried. Clay is the densest and heaviest type of soil which do not drain well or
provide space for plant roots to flourish. Here is another sets of picture. Observe
and tell how each type of soil differ from each other. The picture shows loam and
peat soil. Loam soil has the ability to retain moisture and nutrients, hence, it is more
suitable for farming. This soil is also referred to as an agricultural soil as it includes
an equilibrium of all three types of soil materials being sandy, clay, and silt and it
also happens to have humus. Apart from these, it also has higher calcium and pH
levels because of its inorganic origins.
While peat soil is high in
organic matter and retains a large
amount of moisture.This type of
soil is very rarely found in a
garden and often imported into a garden to provide an optimum soil base for
planting.
Let’s have another type of soil. Look at the pictures below. What can you say
about these types of soil? Do you think they have the same characteristics?
As you can see in the pictures the given types of soil have different
characteristics. It is because silt, which is known to have much smaller particles
compared to the sandy soil and is made up of rock and other mineral particles which
are smaller than sand and larger than clay. It is the smooth and quite fine quality of
the soil that holds water better than sand. Silt is easily transported by moving
currents and it is mainly found near the river, lake, and other water bodies.
While chalk soil is can be either light or heavy but always highly alkaline due
to the calcium carbonate or lime within its structure.
Study the table below. What can you say with the information given? Are soil really
have different characteristics? 2
 As you can see on the table the different types of soil has their own
characteristics meaning they have their own ability to sustain the life of living
things. They have different characteristics in terms of color, sizes, textures, particles
and water absorbability.

ACTIVITY 1 “DO YOU KNOW ME?”

Direction: Identify the types of soil being compared from each other in the
paragraph below. Do it by simply filling the blanks with the correct answer. Choose
your answer in the oblong.

______________soil has the ability to retain moisture and nutrients, hence, it is

more suitable for farming. While _____________is a type of soil which is very
3
rarely found in a garden and often imported into a garden to provide an optimum
soil base for planting. ______________ is known to have much smaller particles
compared to the sandy soil and is made up of rock and other mineral particles which
are smaller than sand and larger than clay. While, ________________are tightly
packed together with each other with very little or no airspace and ___________is
one of the poorest types of soil for growing plants because it has very low nutrients
and poor in holding water, which makes it hard for the plant’s roots to absorb water.
Let’s have another activity. Look at the pictures below. Those are image of the
different types of soil.

ACTIVITY 2 “CORRECT ME”

Direction: Write True if the statement is correct and False if it is wrong. Write the
correct statement if your answer is false.
______1. Each type of soil does not have difference from each other.
______2. Loam soil is better for planting than clay soil.
______3. Chalk soil is can be either light or heavy while clay soil is really heavy
______4. Clay soil is brown in color while sandy soil is light gray.
______5. Loam soil particles is mostly sand while silt is mostly bedrock.

WRAP UP

To summarize what you have learned, do the activity below. Complete the
sentences below by filling the blanks with the correct word. Choose your answer in
the parentheses.

4
(peat, loam, clay, sandy, types, soil, chalk)
5

There are various of soil that undergo diverse

environmental pressures. is mainly classified by its
texture, proportions and different forms of organic and mineral compositions.
The different types of soil are , , ,
, and silt soil.

VALUING

We all know that soil plays an important role to living things. In the picture
below how does soil shows its importance to living things?
 The picture shows the importance of soil to plants. Soil are essential for life,
in the sense that they provide the medium for plant growth, habitat for many insects
and other organisms, act as a filtration system for surface water, carbon store and
maintenance. As been mentioned above and shown in the picture, soil is important
as medium for plant growth because it support roots and keep them upright for
growth, provide plants with essential mineral and nutrients and soil holds water and
protect plants from erosion.
5
POST TEST
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

1.Which of the following is not one of the types of the soil?

A. clay C. mud
B. loam D. Sandy

2. Ellen grab a soil sample on her hand. She rolls it into a

ball. What type of soil did she used?
A. clay soil
B. chalk soil
C. peat soil
D. silt soil
3. Which type of soil can hold the greatest amount of water?
A. chalk soil C. loam soil
B. clay soil D. peat soil
4. What property of soil could be tested by rubbing soil
between fingers?
A. color C. weathering
B. texture D. ability to retain water
5. This is can be either light or heavy but always highly
alkaline due to the calcium carbonate or lime within its
structure.A. Some materials are hard.
A. chalk soil C. loam soil
B. clay soil 6 D. Sand soil

REFERENCES:

https://www.boughton.co.uk>products>topsoils
>soil-types https://www.byjus.com>
Biology>Biology Article Accessed 16 July
2020
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/sandy-soil-1.jpg
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/clay-soil-1.jpg
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/loam-soil-1.jpg
Accessed 16 July 2020
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/peat-soil-1.jpg
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/chalk-soil-1.jpg
https://www.boughton.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2019/07/silt-soil-1.jpg
data:image/jpeg;base64,9j…
5I+eRWV1AECJA7+dZWV1Aqp/20==
Accessed 16 July 2020
https://www.quizziz.com>admin>properties-of-soil. Accessed 17
July 2020