Grade 3 · Science · Unit 6 of 7
Types of Soil
Sand, silt, clay, loam and how water drains
What your child practises
What soil is made of (rock bits, humus, air, water), how sand, silt, clay and loam look, feel and drain, how to sort and test samples fairly, and why dark prairie topsoil suits crops.
Saskatchewan Curriculum outcome: ES3.1 · the makeup of soils and how different types, such as sand, silt, clay and loam, absorb water
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What can you use to see what is in a soil sample?
🔍- a hand lens
- a ruler only
- a clock
- a thermometer
Show answer
a hand lens
Hint: A hand lens makes tiny grains look bigger.
Question 2
What is the layer under topsoil called?
⬇️- sky soil
- wallpaper
- subsoil
- topsoil
Show answer
subsoil
Hint: Subsoil has less humus than topsoil.
Question 3
What is humus?
🍂- a type of rock
- pure sand
- rotted plants and animals in soil
- a kind of metal
Show answer
rotted plants and animals in soil
Hint: Humus is dark and helps plants grow.
Question 4
Why can roots grow well in loam?
🌱- it has no air
- it has no water
- it is solid rock
- it holds water and has air spaces
Show answer
it holds water and has air spaces
Hint: Roots need both water and air.
Question 5
Which soil feels gritty?
🏖️- loam
- humus
- clay
- sand
Show answer
sand
Hint: The big grains feel rough and scratchy.
Question 6
Put the soil bits in order, from the biggest to the smallest.
- 🧱clay
- 🏖️sand
- 🟤silt
Show answer
sand → silt → clay
Hint: Sand grains are biggest, silt is in the middle, and clay is the smallest.