← Geography / 2 Natural Systems and Processes
2.6 Soils
Geography · Grade 11 · 18 lessons in the design
What this covers
- Composition of soil on the Earth's surface
- Soil forming processes on the Earth's surface
- Main types of soils on the Earth's surface
- Properties and characteristics of soil in the environment
- Soil profile and soil catena
- Significance of soil to humans
- Soil management and conservation in the community
What you will be able to do
- explore the composition of soil on the Earth's surface
- explain soil forming processes on the Earth's surface
- describe main types of soils on the Earth's surface
- analyse the properties and characteristics of soil in the environment
- examine the significance of soil to humans
- appreciate soil management and conservation in the community
Key questions
“How important is soil to human activities?”
Lessons
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What soil is and why it matters
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizIntroduce soil, its importance and the key inquiry question for the node.
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Composition of soil
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExplore the four main parts of soil by volume and what each does.
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Soil particles and texture
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizCompare sand, silt and clay and explain how texture affects soil.
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Soil forming processes
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExplain weathering, humification, leaching and horizon formation.
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Factors of soil formation
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExamine the five factors that control how a soil forms.
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The soil profile
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDraw and describe the horizons found in a soil profile.
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The soil catena
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDescribe how soils change down a slope to form a catena.
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Main types of soil
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizGroup the main soils of the world into zonal, azonal and intrazonal types.
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Properties and characteristics of soil
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizAnalyse colour, texture, structure, porosity and pH of soils.
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Porosity and permeability
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExplain how pore space controls drainage and aeration.
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Water in the soil
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDistinguish gravitational, capillary and hygroscopic soil water.
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Soil organisms and humus
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExplain the role of soil organisms in making humus and cycling nutrients.
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Soil fertility and nutrients
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExamine plant nutrients and how farmers maintain fertile soil.
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Soil erosion and degradation
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDescribe the causes, forms and effects of soil erosion.
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Soil management and conservation
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDescribe methods of managing and conserving soil in the community.
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Significance of soil to humans
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizExamine how people depend on soil and write an essay on its importance.
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Soils of Kenya
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizDescribe the main soils of Kenya and where they are found.
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Field study, review and assessment
40 min · 1 practice tasks · quizPlan and report a soil field study and review the whole node.