Lessons
00:00
Opening

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Soil: what is in the mix?

Learning intention

Use evidence to show that soil contains rock material and organic matter.

You are the evidence team.

What is hiding in a handful of soil?

Success looks like

  • Identify one piece of mineral material and one piece of organic material.
  • Support a choice with something observed or stated on an evidence card.
  • Explain that soil is a mixture; air and water can occupy spaces between solids.

What could we find?

Retrieval

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Start with what we know

1. Did a fallen leaf come from a living thing?

2. Name one property of a rock.

3. What can a hand lens help us do?

I do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Two sources, one mixture

Rocks supply mineral material.

Living things supply organic material.

These processes take time.

Two sources of soil materialRock weathering supplies mineral particles; living things supply organic material. These processes occur over time. Mixing this model does not instantly make mature soil.Rock materialLiving thingsWeatheringRemainsbreak downMineral particlesOrganic matterParts of a soil mixture
Two sources of soil material
Diagram description

Rock weathering supplies mineral particles; living things supply organic material. These processes occur over time. Mixing this model does not instantly make mature soil.

I do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Zoom into soil

Soil contains more than solid pieces.

Air and water fit into small spaces.

These spaces are called pores.

A soil is a mixtureMagnified model of soil: mineral grains, dead plant material, air spaces and water. The model does not show true sizes or fixed amounts.Mineral grainsDead plantmaterialAir in a poreWater in a poreModel: sizes and amounts are not to scale.
A soil is a mixture
Diagram description

Magnified model of soil: mineral grains, dead plant material, air spaces and water. The model does not show true sizes or fixed amounts.

I do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

A clue we cannot pick up

Watch water enter the spaces.

What could escape as bubbles?

What could the bubbles tell us?Before water is added, spaces between soil particles contain air. As water enters, some air escapes as bubbles. The drawing is a model, not a photograph or a measured result.Before: air in spacesAfter: water entersAirAddwaterBubbles support: there was gas in the spaces.
What could the bubbles tell us?
Diagram description

Before water is added, spaces between soil particles contain air. As water enters, some air escapes as bubbles. The drawing is a model, not a photograph or a measured result.

What was in the space first?

We do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

The evidence desk

Read cards A, B and C.

Place each: mineral or organic.

Give one clue for each choice.

Constructed teaching evidence cards
CardObserved or stated clue
AQuartz grain; hard and gritty
BLeaf vein; came from a fallen leaf
CFibres; came from a plant stem

Which clue supports your choice?

We do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Accept, reject or need more?

D: a dark speck.

E: bubbles as water enters.

F: a damp sample leaves a water mark.

Use evidence cards D–F
ClaimOur decision
D must be organicAccept / reject / need more?
E supports air in poresAccept / reject / need more?
F supports water in the sampleAccept / reject / need more?
Hinge

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Which account is best?

Choose one. Be ready to explain.

You do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Choose your evidence route

Match and explain.

Record and explain.

Challenge a model.

You do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Look closely; keep a trace

Use cards or a screened sample.

Draw or name one thing you notice.

Say what the evidence supports.

Continue within this stage’s shared time.

You do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Build your explanation

Soil has mineral material such as __.

It has organic material such as __.

One clue is __.

What can you say with confidence?

You do

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Check your account

Have I named both kinds of material?

Have I used a clue?

Have I kept an uncertain grain uncertain?

Continue within this stage’s shared time.

Review

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Lundy loop: use your evidence

Space: choose how to respond.

Voice: share one clue.

Influence: improve our soil model.

Which part must we add to a rock-only model?

Exit

BUILD · SCIENCE · Lesson 1 of 10

Three small checks

E1. Name one mineral example.

E2. Name one organic example.

E3. What can fill a soil pore?

My science task sheets

Choose one route with your teacher. Shared evidence and the exit sheet appear in every route. Your work stays here while the page is open; save it before closing.

Evidence desk

Constructed teaching examples. Cut cards or point to them. Use these even if no soil is available.

A • Pale grain

Under a hand lens: a hard, gritty quartz grain. Quartz is a mineral found in rocks.

B • Leaf piece

A soft brown fragment with a clear leaf vein. It came from a fallen leaf.

C • Tiny stem

A short woody piece with visible fibres. It came from a plant stem.

D • Dark grain

A dark speck. Its colour is visible, but its material is not identified.

E • Bubbles

When water is poured onto this soil, bubbles rise from spaces between particles.

F • Water

A damp sample leaves a water mark on absorbent paper. No liquid was added during this observation.

Route 1 • Match and explain

Choose this route for supported recording. An adult may read or scribe your words.

S1. A is a quartz grain. Choose its group.
S2. B is a fallen-leaf piece. Choose its group.

Route 2 • Write an evidence record

Use cards A–F. Record only what the evidence supports.

TaskCardComponent or uncertaintyEvidence clue
T1A
T1B
T1C
T1D
T1E
T1F

Route 3 • Improve the model

A designer draws soil as tightly packed grey stones, with no gaps.

Exit and reflection

Complete the three exit checks. You may point, draw, write or tell an adult.

Slide 1

TA Brief

Current stage

Objective

Use evidence to show that soil contains rock material and organic matter.

Preparation

Method precautions

Practical alternative

Use the six printed evidence cards. Their described observations provide all information needed for every task. A bubble model substitutes for the optional demonstration; pupils label it as model evidence.

Access and regulation

Supported: Read two cards aloud at a time. Pupil points, matches or dictates one evidence reason. Use the supported response page, with mineral/organic word bank.

Standard: Classify evidence independently and write a two-part explanation that includes mineral and organic components.

Stretch: Evaluate uncertain evidence and improve a rock-only model; explain one limit of the model.

Regulation: Invite seated observation or paper evidence. Give predictable roles: observer, card mover, reporter. Reporting may be private; no timed competition or compulsory touching.

Teacher answers

Retrieval 1–3

1 Yes, a fallen leaf came from a living plant. 2 Accept hardness, colour, texture or another suitable property; not “all rocks are heavy/hard”. 3 A lens magnifies small visible details.

We do W1 / cards A–C

A mineral: quartz is identified as a mineral from rocks. B organic: recognised fallen-leaf tissue/vein. C organic: plant-stem fibres. Colour is not the deciding clue.

We do W2 / cards D–F

D remains uncertain; dark colour alone is insufficient. E supports air/gas occupying pores before water displaced it. F supports water in that damp sample. Neither E nor F tells us the percentages of each component.

Hinge

Second option is correct. Rock-only misses organic matter and pore contents. Dark colour does not show every grain is a dead plant. Reteach with the two-source diagram and cards A/B if needed.

S1–S5

S1 mineral material. S2 organic matter. S3 it came from a plant stem / has recognisable plant fibres. S4 mineral material and organic matter. S5 a space between particles containing air or water; accept a labelled sketch.

T1

A mineral—quartz origin. B organic—leaf vein/plant origin. C organic—stem/fibres. D uncertain—only colour known. E air in spaces—bubbles escape as water enters. F water—damp sample leaves water mark.

T2–T3

T2 soil also contains organic matter from living things and pores that can contain air/water. Core credit requires organic matter alongside mineral material. T3 colour is not sufficient; we need information about its material/origin or further examination. Do not demand an unavailable laboratory test name.

X1–X4

X1 include mineral grains and organic fragments, with labelled gaps. X2 air/water goes in gaps, not inside every solid particle. X3 dark minerals and organic pieces can both be dark. X4 model helps explain a mixture or pore spaces; it does not show actual sizes, proportions, organisms, chemistry or long formation processes. Accept any accurate limitation.

Exit E1–E3

E1 quartz grain, rock fragment or mineral particle. E2 leaf/stem remains or another valid example. E3 air or water. Do not demand both if the prompt is singular.

R1–R2

Reflective answers vary. Accept an evidence-related revision, e.g. “I thought soil was only rock; leaf fibres changed my mind.” R2 should be a relevant question or observation; no fixed right preference.

Optional observation

Actual results vary. Record visible observations without inventing identifiable organic fragments. “Cannot tell” is scientifically valid for an unidentifiable particle; pair it with card evidence so the core objective can still be assessed.

Sources checked for this lesson

Word help

soil
A mixture of mineral and organic material, with spaces for air and water.
mineral material
Rock fragments and tiny mineral particles.
organic matter
Material from living things, including broken-down remains.
pore
A small space between soil particles.
evidence
Information that helps us decide whether an idea is supported.

Cold Call

Give thinking time. Invite a response by voice, pointing or showing work. A pupil can pass; check in privately when useful.

Pause

Take a quiet pause.

You can look away from the screen. Come back when you are ready.

The lesson and your work are still here. Close this box to return.

Lesson tools

Choose a slide or a print route.

Teacher Print Tools

Your typed notes stay here while this page is open. Save them before closing or reloading.