10 Rocks, Minerals and Soils

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge to be gained : • Rocks • Minerals • Soil
Skill to be developed : • Iden fying different types of rocks.
A tude to be inculcated : • Soil takes thousands of years to form, we must conserve it.

ROCKS
e surface of our Earth is made up of rocks and soils. Rocks are found everywhere.
ere are many kinds of rocks. ey vary in their size, shape and colour.
Some rocks are so huge that they stick out to make
mountains or hills. Besides the surface of the Earth, Rocks are found in
Do
rocks are also found underground and under the sea and You
on the ocean oor.
?
some of the things we
use at home, such as
Know s o a p , to o t h p a ste ,
ba eries, etc.
Rocks are generally hard, but some of them are soft as well.
Diamond is the hardest mineral found on Earth. Coal which we use as a fuel is not a
very hard rock. Few rocks such as chalk are soft.

Coal Granite Marble Chalk

We use rocks in many ways. We construct buildings out of rocks. Rocks such as
marble, granite and sandstone are used as building materials. We also use rocks as
precious stones in jewellery. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires are precious
stones.

Ruby Diamond Emerald Sapphire

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 MINERALS
Many rocks contain minerals. We nd granules of chemical compounds in many
rocks. ese grains are called minerals. Some rocks are made of just one mineral, and
some are made of many minerals.
Some of the minerals found in rocks contain metals such as gold, silver, copper or iron.
ese rocks are dug out from the earth and the metals are extracted from them. e
metals are then used to make different items.

Gold Silver Copper Iron

SOIL
Soil is the uppermost layer of the Earth. e soil seen on top of the Earth, helps plants
to grow by absorbing water and providing them nutrition.
Soil is mainly a mixture of two components, namely:
Ÿ decayed plants and animals, i.e., the organic matter, and

Ÿ broken pieces of rocks and minerals.

Formation of Soil
Millions of years ago, there was no soil on the Earth. ere were huge pieces of rocks
present on the Earth.
Over thousands of years, the
wind, the force of water, the heat
of the Sun, and changes in the
weather started to break these
big rocks into smaller rocks. e
Sun's heat on rocks Rain on rocks
smaller rocks were then further
broken into very small pieces
and nally, they formed the soil.
e slow process in which the
rocks break down into smaller
pieces due to the action of wind,
water and the heat of the Sun is Plant and animals Fine particles of soil
get mixed with the soil
called weathering.
Formation of Soil
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Soil Pro le
e soil present at a place can be divided into
different layers, like topsoil, subsoil and bedrock. Humus
is arrangement of layers is called the soil pro le. Topsoil

e topsoil which is the uppermost layer of soil, is Subsoil

dark coloured. e subsoil which is under the
Parent
topsoil, is light coloured. e parent rock is made rock
up of small pieces of rocks. e bedrock which is the Bedrock
bottom layer of the soil, is formed with solid rock. Soil profile
e topsoil also contains some rotten pieces of dead plants and animals, mixed with
it. Rotten pieces of plants and animals present in soil are known as humus. is dark
brown humus is very useful for the growth of the plants. Humus is found on the upper
section of the topsoil.

humus

bits
of rock

Soil
(Topsoil is made of tiny rock particles and humus)
e soils found in different places are different
because they are made from different kinds of rocks. To ps o i l i s t h e m o st
Do
Some rocks break into very small pieces while some
break into larger pieces. e colour of the soil
You ? produc ve layer of soil.
Natural process take
Know more than 500 years to
depends on the minerals present in the rocks. form one inch of top soil!

CHECK YOURSELF
Tick (3) the correct option:
1. Which of the following rock is used as a precious stone?
(a) Chalk (b) Diamond (c) Coal
2. Soil is the ______________ layer of the Earth.
(a) uppermost (b) middle (c) lowermost
3. Rotten pieces of plants and animals found in the soil are known as:
(a) minerals (b) rocks (c) humus
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 Different Kinds of Soils
We nd different soils at different places. Depending upon the amount of water and
air it can hold, there are different types of soil.
Gravel: Gravel is made up of small pieces of
rocks (stones). ese stones are unable to
hold water. It holds a lot of air. Gravel is used
to make roads and paths.
Sandy soil: Sandy soil is found on beaches
and in deserts. It is rough and water quickly
Gravel
ows out through the spaces between the bits
of sand. So, it cannot hold much water. at is
why plants generally do not grow in it. Only
desert plants and beach plants grow in sandy
soil. For example, dates and coconut trees.
Clayey soil: Clayey soil is made up of very
ne particles which are closely packed. ese
particles are called clay. Clay particles stick
Sandy soil in a desert
together. erefore, clayey soil can hold a lot
of water and is sticky. Since, clayey soil is very
sticky, it is mostly used for making pots and
toys. Clayey particles are very ne. ere is no
space for air between the particles. Some Pottery Clayey Soil
plants like rice are grown in it, because they
need a lot of water.
Loamy soil: Loam is a mixture of sand, clay Clayey soil
and a lot of humus. It can hold both air and
water in it. It stays wet but it is not sticky.
ere is enough air for roots to breathe. e
humus makes the loamy soil very fertile.
erefore, loam is the best soil for growing
plants.
We should provide minerals and humus to the
soil by adding manures and fertilizers. Loamy soil

Importance of Soil
Soil is useful for plants, animals and humans. Roots hold plants rmly with the help
of the soil. Plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil to grow and live.
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Animals in the soil
Many animals live in the soil. Rabbits make their burrows in the soil. Insects like ants
and beetles live in the soil. Worms like millipede, centipede and earthworm also live in
the soil.
Earthworms live in underground tunnels. As they make their tunnel-homes, they
turn the soil and make it
lose. ey also drag leaves
down their home tunnels.
ese leaves decay and
form humus. is makes
the soil fertile. For these
reasons, the earthworm is
often called the farmer’s
friend. Animals in the soil
Soil is helpful in building our houses
We also use soil for making our houses. Bricks are made from soil. Cement and glass
are also made from mineral rich soil. Iron is extracted from iron rich soil.
Soil gives us different minerals
We get coal, petroleum and many minerals from the soil. Soil also contains metal
minerals. We get gold, silver, copper, lead and many other metals from such minerals.

CHECK YOURSELF
Tick (3) the correct option:
1. Which of the following plant can grow on sandy soil?
(a) coconut (b) rice (c) tomato
2. The soil which holds water the most is the:
(a) sandy soil (b) clayey soil (c) loamy soil
3. This animal is called the farmer’s friend:
(a) earthworm (b) snake (c) rabbit

Rock : Material that the earth is made up of

Humus : A substance made from dead leaves and plants which help plants to grow
faster
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 v We use rocks in many ways.
v Many rocks are made up of chemical compounds called minerals.
v Diamond is the hardest mineral.
v Soil is the uppermost layer of the Earth.
v Rotten pieces of plants and animals that are found in soil are known as humus.
v Gravel, sandy soil, clayey soil and loamy soil are the different types of soil.
v Gravel is made up of small pieces of rocks.
v Sandy soil is made up of sand. It cannot hold much water as the water flows through
the spaces between the bits of sand.
v Clayey soil mostly contains clay. Rice grows well in clayey soil.
v Loam is the best soil for growing plants.
v Many animals live in the soil.

Exercise
A. Name the following:
1. Hardest mineral found on Earth. _______________
2. Soil that cannot hold much water. _______________
3. Soil that can hold water, but not much air. _______________

B. Rearrange the letters given in the brackets and then ll in the blanks:
1. Soil is formed by the breaking of _______________ (sockr).
2. _______________ (mhsuu) make the soil fertile.
3. _______________ (ansd) is found on the beach or in a desert.
4. _______________ (yacl) is used to make pots and toys.
5. _______________ (amlo) is the best kind of soil for the plants.

C. True or False:
1. Minerals are made up of chemical compounds. _________
2. Clayey soil is made up of ne particles. _________
3. Rice grows well in sandy soil. _________
4. Humus is made from rocks. _________
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D. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. What are minerals?
2. Name two rocks used for making building materials.
3. Name two metals found in rocks.
4. What is humus?
5. What is gravel made up of?
6. Name four animals that make their homes in soil.

E. Answer the following questions in detail:

1. What are the components of soil?
2. Explain how soil is formed.
3. Explain soil pro le.
4. Why do most plants grow well in loamy soil?
5. Write any three uses of soil.

Activity Time
A. Take some soil from the garden.
Glass jar
Put it in a glass jar. Pour water on
it and let it stand for sometime.
Water
You will see that the largest
particles called stones have
Humus
settled down at the bottom.
Particles of sand are seen above
the stones and the clay settles
Clay
down last as the top layer. Parts
of rotten leaves and dead animals Sand
oat on the water. is is called Stones
humus. us, soil contains
stones, sand, clay and humus.
B. Fill two pots with soil. Mix manure in one pot. Plant small plants in both the pots.
Water plants regularly. Observe their growth after a few days. Record your
observations. Prepare a project with the information you have collected, and
show it to your teacher.
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 Let Us Visit
Visit a nursery or farmhouse with
your parents and see the variety
of plants growing there. Do all
the plants require the same type
of soil? Talk to the gardener or
farmer present over there and
prepare a chart based on the
information you gathered.

Subject Link : Social Science

India is a country rich in mineral resources. Many types of minerals are found in the
country. Do some research on the internet on this subject. Draw a map of India on a
chart paper and mark the major mineral deposit sites across the country. Display your
map in the classroom.

Key

Gold
Copper
Iron
Coal

FOOTNOTE
® The main aim of the teacher should be to enable the pupils to learn the factors responsible for the formation of soil and
the composition of soil. Pupils should be taught about the different types of soils and their uses with the help of simple
experiments and activities.

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