Unit Vi: Materials and Matter SC MA VIGRROC KS) et + Know how soil is formed + Understand what soil contains + Learn about the types of soll Warm- Up, & 1. joer emai re etre plants to grow. Help him recall the same. a.Plants need certain things to grow and live—sunlight, air, water and soil. Haye you ever wondered if the soil is the same everywhere~in the desert, near the rivers or in hilly regions? Is the soil in our flower pots at home different from that in which crops grow on a farm? Let us take a closer look at soil in this chapter SOIL The topmost layer of the earth’s surface where plants grow is called soil. Scoop out a fistful of soil from the garden and feel it, Do you feel some grains and sticky mud? Soil is a mixture of minerals, water, air and other substances. It is also home to many small organisms, such as earthworms. How is Soil Formed? Soil is formed from rocks. Exposure of rocks to rain, sun’s heat, wind and ice for a long time causes them to crack and break up into smaller pieces. The smaller pieces keep breaking down till a powdery mass is formed. This powdery mass has pieces of rock, air and water trapped inside, and other living and non-living, things. Thi soil. ‘The process of soil formation takes place over hundreds of years. Besides rock pieces, soil also has humus. When plants and animals die, they decompose or break down and get mixed with the soil forming humus. Plants grow well when there ‘Soil formation is a lot of humus in the soil. What does Soil Contain? Soil contains many things. Take a glass jar with a wide mouth. Dig out some soil from the garden and put it in the jar. Pour some water into the jar and stir it. Put it aside for a while.After sometime, you will see several layers in the jar. The bottom layer is made up of small stones called gravel. Above this is the layer of sand. The sand particles are much smaller than gravel. Next isa layer of very small, fine particles. This is clay. The clay particles are so small that you cannot see them separately. On top you see the humus. Humus Muddy water Clay Sand Gravel Soil also contains air and water. Let us perform these activities to find out. This activity shows that soil contains air. Water a plant in a pot. Do you see bubbles coming out from the soil? How are these bubbles formed? Reason: This is because air is trapped between the soil particles. When water enters the space between these particles, trapped air comes out in the form of bubbles. This activity shows that soil contains water. Dig some soil from the garden. Put it ina metal container. Cover it with a plate and heat for sometime. What do you see when you remove the plate? You will see drops of water on the inner side of the plate. Reason: This is because soil contains water, which evaporates on heating. The vapours cool down when they touch the inner surface of the plate.————— Types of Soil Soil in different places may be a mixture of different things. So, it will have different colour and texture. The soil that contains the smallest particles is called clayey soil, The soil particles are tightly packed, Clayey soil holds lots of water, but does not drain well, There is very little air for roots to breathe. Plants do not Peete ctinncley obec: grow well in this soil. The soil becomes sticky when wet but is smooth when dry. Clayey -comes hard when it is baked. It is used by potters to make earthen pots, soil toys, idols and other things. The earthen pots used for cooling water during summer are made Infogits fi 5 soil. ponuthisieou Marshes are found at i that contains a lot of sand particles is called the edge of a lake or "stream. Their soil is sandy soil. It is rough to touch. It is found on y soil. It is rough to touch. It i Bee citns the seashore and also in deserts. Sandy soil holds very little water. That is why, plants do not grow well in it. Loamy soil contains a mixture of clay and sand. It provides enough water and air for plants. It also contains humus. Plants grow well in loamy soil. Y Differences Between Sandy, Loamy and Clayey Soils Cea ea ee i . Sand particles are large in | Loamy soil contai Oa uf of clay and sand, Loamy soil has enough air for the plants to breathe. Plants do not grow wal in Sandy soil.Importance of Soil Soil is very important for the growth of plants. It gives them water and minerals ieee ike infopits food for plants. Soil that is capable of producing Earthworms are very healthy crops is called fertile soil. It can be made good for the soil. They more fertile by adding manure. Manure is a increase the soll’ fertility. mixture of animal dung and decaying leaves of plants and trees, which contains nutrients. Soil takes hundreds of years to form. Hence, it is our duty to protect the soil. Soil can be protected by planting more trees. ‘Animals such as worms, mites, bacteria and moles live under the soil. In their own ways, they all improve the nature of soil. ROCKS Allrocks are useful but some are very precious to us. Rocks are of different ; types. Granite is a very hard rock. Itis aes bi used in buildings—kitchen counters, soi NES floor tiles, etc. Diamond is the hardest rock on earth. It is very precious and is used to make jewellery. Marble is used to make statues, buildings and monuments. The ‘Taj Mahal is made entirely of white marble. Is there any part of your classroom or any object that is made up of a type of rock? Name it. A Diamond WORD BYTES soil that is a mixture of clay Soil: the topmost layer of the earth's crust Loamy soil: Humus: the top layer of the soil that is and sand formed by the decomposition of dead plants Fertile: cil that is capable of producing and animals healthy crops Clayey soil: soil that has fine clay particles Manure: mixture of animal dung and Sandy soil: soil that has sand particles in decaying leaves of plants and trees large quantityRECAP ZONE. Review Zone... Tick (V) the correct answer, 1, Which of the following forms the topmost layer of the earth’s crust? a. Rocks c.Bothaandb —_d. None of these 2. Which of the following is a layer of soil? a. Humus b. Sand Gravel ello these 3. Gay HbsJesoil is used by potters. a. Loamy b. Sandy cS d. Both band c 4. Which of the following types of soil can hola lot of water? a. Sandy . Clayey c. Loamy d. None of these 5. Whi we followingis the hardest rock on the earth? b. Granite c. Marble d. Both a and b By Fin inthe blanks using the words given in the box.§j State TRUE or FALS 1. Only rain and wind cause ayia rocks to crack and break up into 2. Plants grow well in the absence of humus in the soil 3. The bottom layer of the soil is made up of sand particles 4, Plants can grow well in clayey soil 5, Granite is used in buildings. in Decode the hidden words below usi 1 i J using the codes. Then arrange the words in the correct order to know the hidden fact. Some of the letters have been decoded for you. Secret Code: Alpic|p ini 1[2\3f4l[slel7[slo a A olPlolRis|tulvw]x[y1Z] 10|11|12]13]14|15|16]17|18|19|20}21 '22|23|24|25|26 ae | \aals 19) 19 | ‘Answer the following questions. _ Explain the process of soil formation. What are the different layers of soil? Explain. How can you show that soil contains water? Why plants do not grow well in sandy soil? How is soil important? How are rocks useful for us? Explain with the help of examples. By 3, 4, Differentiate between clayey soil and loamy soil. es 6. Te HOTS .. 4. Why do farmers add cow dung to the soil? © 113