17341358 earth and beyond grade 4 english

8/13/2019 17341358 Earth and Beyond Grade 4 English

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PLANET EARTHBEYOND&

We welcome the wide use of these materials. Please acknowledge Western Cape Primary Science Programme PSP (2008)

WESTERNCAPEPRIMARY SCIENCEPROGRAMME

An example of a learning experience in the Natural Sciences

Grade 4

1. What is topsoil? (LO2)

2. Soil particles come from rocks (LO2)

3. Finding out about garden topsoil (LO2)

Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2)

Comparing two different samples of topsoil

4. How much water does our soil hold? (LO1)


How much water do different kinds of soils hold?

5. What do earthworms do in the soil? (LO2

& LO1)

6. Working with soil (LO2)

7. Sustaining my little piece of Earth (LO3)


Sustaining my little piece of Earth

8. Farmers used the constellations of stars to tell

them when to plant (LO3)

My Little Piece ofEarth

All living things depend on soil


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Developed by the Western Cape PSP team and teachers

RationaleThese materials were written to support teachers in their work with learners around the content

area of Planet Earth and Beyond.This is not a complete work schedule. It offers possibilities for

teachers to include other learning experiences and to extend and integrate it with other content

strands of the Natural Sciences. This example learning experience shows how you can work

towards the three Learning Outcomes in the Natural Sciences of the National Curriculum

Statement (NCS).

LO1: Scientific Investigations

The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to inves-

tigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts

LO2: Constructing Science Knowledge

The learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and environ-

mental knowledge

LO3: Science, Society and the Environment

The learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between

science and technology, society and the environment

We know that children are naturally curious and observant. Children learn about the world by

observing, asking questions and trying to make sense of what they experience. Encourage

your learners to ask questions. Questions are an opportunity to engage the class in observa-

tions and discussions.

In Science we want learners:

to interact with real objects in the class and outside

to develop a lively curiosity about the world around them

to be confident to raise questions

to link their questions to what they observe in their home environments and in the world.

This can lead to a rich thinking, talking and writing environment. Children who have this

curiosity will learn and become creative human beings too.

AssessmentThe assessment tasks in this group of learning experiences are directly linked to the

Learning Outcomes of the NCS. They are designed to encourage learners to show what

they know, to show what they are thinking and to record and show you their questions.

Courses presented by Rose Thomas and Nontsikelelo Mahote.

Booklet designed by Welma Odendaal with illustrators Nicci Cairns and Janet Ranson.

Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP)

Edith Stephens Wetland Park, Lansdowne Road, Philippi

P.O. Box 24158, Lansdowne, 7779, South Africa

Tel: 021 691 9039 Fax: 021 691 6350

e-mail: [email protected] website: www.psp.org.za

The PSP is grateful for support from PETROSA


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ContentsSECTION 1

All living things depend on soil

Learning experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Assessment tasks

LO2 (AS 1 & 2) Comparing two different samples of topsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

LO1 (AS 1 & 2) How much water do different kinds of soil hold? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

LO3 (AS 1 & 2) Sustaining my little piece of Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Suggested workscheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

SECTION 2Learner task cards to photocopy

Task card 1 Different kinds of soil particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Task card 2 Describing our topsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Task card 3 Analysing my soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Task card 4 Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2): Comparing two different samples

of topsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Task card 5 Assessment task for LO1 (AS 1, 2 and 3): How much water do different

kinds of soils hold? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Task card 6 Observing our earthworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Task card 7 What do earthworms do in the soil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Task card 8 Reading about how farmers work with the soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Task card 9 Assessment task for LO3: AS 1 & 2: Sustaining my little piece of Earth . . . . 63

Task card 10 Make a drawing to show the biosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Task card 11 Farmers used the constellations to tell them when to plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Readings and support materials

This is an Earthworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

What do Earthworms eat? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Earthworms in the food chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Farming in rural areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Farming with tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Growing rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Reading Compost, my compost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Make your own compost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

My little piece of Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Stories from the stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

SECTION 3Extracts from the National Curriculum Statement for Natural Sciences Grades R 9

Core Knowledge and Concepts for Planet Earth and Beyond (NCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards (NCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76


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section 1

Learning experiencesAll living things depend on soil

1. What is topsoil? (LO2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

2. Soil particles come from rocks (LO2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. Finding out about garden topsoil (LO2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10


Comparing two different samples of topsoil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. How much water does our soil hold? (LO1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Assessment task for LO1 (AS 1, 2 & 3)

How much water do different kinds of soils hold? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

5. What do earthworms do in the soil? (LO2 and LO1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6. Working with soil (LO2 and LO1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

7. Sustaining my little piece of Earth (LO3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Assessment task LO3 (AS 1 & 2)

Sustaining my little piece of Earth8. Farmers used the constellations of stars to tell them when to plant (LO3) . . . 35

Suggested Workscheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4


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Topsoil is the thin layer of soil that lies on top of the ground

Topsoil is made of particles

Key Concepts

Teacher Task

5

1

1. Draw the following diagram on the chalkboard

to explain to the learners about topsoil.

2. Explain about topsoil

The soil that we live on is called the topsoil.

It is the loose top layer of the land. It is usually

only about 50-150 centimetres deep on average

around the world. In tropical rain forests it can

be 5 metres deep, but on the top of mountains

it is only a few millimetres deep.

Topsoil is a loose, thin, fragile layer. It can be

washed away or blown away very easily.

Topsoil is made of small grains (particles).

Living things and soil

All living things live on or in the topsoil.

All living things get food from the plants

that live in the soil and also from the

animals that feed on the plants. All living

things depend on the soil as well as air,

water and sunlight.

So we must look after our soil.

Consolidation3. Assist learners to make a class mind map of everything they know about soil.

4. Learners copy the mind map into their books.

What is topsoil?(LO 2)

Topsoil contains humus

Subsoil

Rock

MIND MAP OF SOIL WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IThas a smell has stones in it

we walk on itwe grow things in it

it is dirty

can blow in the wind moles live under it

we play with it

SOIL


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Introduction1. Bring a selection of stones and rock samples to class (or ask learners to

bring them).

2. Note: many learners will bring pieces of brick or concrete. These are man-

made materials. They are not natural rock samples. Help learners to dis-

tinguish between them.

3. Make sure each group has two or three different rock samples to look at.

If they have samples of brick or concrete explain that they are not natural

rocks. Remove these from the samples.

4. Help learners to describe their rocks. Provide vocabulary for them to do

so. They do not have to know the scientific names of the types of rocks.

List of wordsgritty hlalutye grinterig

rough rhabaza grof

flaky cwecwana vlokkerig

smooth igudile glad

grainy nkozwana korrelrig

sharp bukhali skerp

hard qinile hard

brown mdaka bruin

black mnyama swart

grey ngwevu grys

yellow mthubi geel

Sand, silt and clay are soil particles and they come from rock

Rock is broken down into pieces by a process of weathering

It takes thousands of years to weather rocks down to make only a small layer of soil

Different rocks make different kinds of soil particles

Most topsoil has particles from more than one kind of rock

Sand, silt and clay particles have their own specific properties

Key Concepts

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Soil particles come from rocks (LO 2)2

Teacher Task


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Different kinds of soil particles1. Take any two rocks and rub them together to make some soil particles.

2. Wet your soil particles with a few drops of water.

3. Roll the soil particles in your hand and try to answer the questions in the table

below.4. Do the same with the sand and the clay.

Different soil particles

1. Is your soil like clay?

No my soil is not like clay because it is not sticky. And I cant roll it into sausages or bend it

into rings. It feels gritty.2. Is your soil like sand?

Yes my soil is like sand because it is gritty and I cant roll it into rings and sausages.

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Preparation

Provide learners with the following materials:

Rock samples

Pieces of clean white paper A few teaspoons of sand

A small piece of wet clay (you can buy clay at craft shops and at Cape

Pottery Supplies or from a supplier in your area).

this rubbing is makingme hot and tired.

its difficult!

its hard wo

rk to make

even a little s

oil !

QUESTIONS Soil particles

from my rocks

Clay Sand

Does it feel gritty? yes no yes

Does it feel sticky? no yes no

Does it feel smooth? no yes no

Can you roll it into sausages? no yes no

Can you bend it into rings? no yes no

Teacher Task

Learner Task Task Card to photocopy on page 42


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Explain to learners that when they were looking at the soil, feeling it and

finding out what it can do, they were finding out about the properties of

their soil.

Assist learners to complete the following writing task and questions in their

books.

Teacher Task

1. Describe some of the properties of the soil that you made from the rocks. Start like

this:

Today we rubbed rocks together and made soil particles. These are the properties of

my soil:

The colour of my soil is grey.It feels gritty.

It is like sand because it does not feel smooth. I cant roll it into sausages and rings.

2. Questions

a. Do all your soil particles look the same? Write to explain your answer.

No, all soil particles do not look the same. This is because they come from different rocks.

b. How long do you think it will take you to make one cup of soil?

It will take a very, very long time.

c. How long do you think it took Nature to make all the soil in your school garden?It took Nature millions of years to make all the soil in our school garden.

Learner Writing Task


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Consolidation

Explain

Topsoil is made of different kinds of particles. These are mixed with humus

(compost). Humus is made from rotting dead plants and animals in soil.

Humus also contains micro-organisms, called bacteria and fungi, which help

to rot the dead plants and animals.

The following are the particles that we find mixed together with humus to

make our topsoil.

The three types of particles that make up soil are:

Sand Size of particle: up to 2mm

You can fit 10s onto a pinhead

Silt Size of particle: .05 to .002 mm


Clay Size of particle is smaller than .002mm


All garden topsoils are a mixture ofthese three particles

Sand

Large particle

Large air spaces in between the particles

Silt

Smaller particles than sand, but bigger than clay

Smaller air spaces between the particles

Clay

Small particles

small air spaces between the

particles

Texture of the different particles Sand feels sharp, grainy and gritty.

Silt feels very smooth and silky even when its wet.

Clay feels fine and powdery when its dry and it feels sticky when its wet.

Note to teacher

Silt

We had no example of pure silt. You can find silt. It is the soil that blows up behind

a car and dirties the back windscreen when you drive on a dusty road (sand is too

heavy and clay is too sticky). Silt feels very smooth and powdery.

Sand

Silt

Clay


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IntroductionExplain the following to learners:

Nature makes the soil by the weathering of rocks.

1. Rock is broken down into particles in nature by a process called

weathering. Weathering can take place in many different ways.

For example

The wind blows sand against rocks and this slowly grinds the rocks

into smaller particles.

Sometimes trees grow near rocks. Their roots grow into cracks in the

rocks and this slowly breaks the rocks apart.

Rocks fall from the side of mountains when there is exceptionally

heavy rainfall. The rocks are washed together in fast-flowing rivers.

Smaller pieces of rock get broken off. The rocks and stones that you

find in these fast-flowing rivers are usually smooth and round from

being rolled and bumped against each other by the water.

Rocks become hot in the sun in the daytime. At night they cool down

again. This heating and cooling, which takes place over and over again,

causes the rocks to crack and break.

Each kind of rock makes its own kind of soil particles. The particles get

washed down in rivers and deposited after floods. When these parti-

cles mix with other soil particles, this makes good soil.

2. Soil is important to us. We all depend on soil for growing our food. Plants

and animals also depend on soil.

PreparationAsk learners to bring a packet of soil from home. Explain that we want to

compare different soils from different places. Make sure that you or thelearners bring soils from different places and also from the school garden.

There are different kinds of topsoil

Each kind of topsoil has its own properties: appearance, texture and smell

Each different kind of topsoil has its own water holding properties

Soil is a mixture of

Fine particles such as sand, clay and silt

Water

Rotting plant and animal matter (humus)

Minerals

Different soils have different proportions of particles and humus

Key Concepts

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Finding out about garden topsoil (LO 2)3

Teacher Task


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TYPE OF SOIL

How does the soil

feel between your

fingers?

Uvakala njani

umhlaba xa

gronduwuvangesandla?

Hoe voel die grond

as dit tussen jou

vingers gevryfword?

It feels coarse it

is full of small

stones.

Uvakala unezigaqa.

Unamatye amaninz

i amancinci.

Dit voel grof dit

is vol klein klip-

pies.

It feels gritty the

particles are quite

big (like big grains

of sugar).

Uvakala rhabaxa

unamahlalutye

amakhulwana.

Dit voel korrelrig

die deeltjies is

nogal groot (soos

korrels suiker).

It feels gritty the

sand particles are

small.

Uvakala rhabaxa,

amahlalutye esanti

mancinci.

Dit voel korrelrig

die sanddeeltjies is

klein.

It feels smooth

the particles are

very fine.

Uvakala mpuluswa

unamahlalutyana.

Dit voel glad die

deeltjies is baie

fyn.

It feels sticky when

wet the particles

are very small.

When it is dry it

feels like a fine

powder.

Uvakala ncangathi

xa umanzi,

amahlalutye manc-

inci. Xa womile

uvakal nje nge

phawda.

Dit voel taai as dit

nat is die

deeltjies is baie

klein. As dit droog

is, voel dit soos n

fyn poeier.

Learner TaskTask Card to photocopy on page 44

Describing our topsoil1. Take a small sample of soil in your hand. Roll it in your hands.

2. Discuss these questions:

How does it smell?

What can you see in it?

Where do you think it came from?

How was it made?

3. Feel your soil. Is it gritty like sand, sticky like clay, or smooth and dusty like silt?

4. Use the table below to help you decide what kind of soil you have.

5. Write to explain what kind of soil you have.

My soilMy soil is course, sandy soil because it feels gritty and the particles are big like grains of sugar.


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1. Explain

When we want to find out what kind of particles make up our soil we can

do a soil analysis. In a soil analysis we add water to a cup of soil in a jar.

We shake them up together and the particles in the soil will settle intoseparate layers after some time.

2. Preparation

Provide the following equipment to learners in groups.

1 soil sample (1 cup). Each group should have a sample from a differ-

ent place

1 big coffee jar with lid

Water to fill up the jar.

3. The particles will always settle in the following way.

the particles will always settle

in the following way

look! heavy stones at the bottom.

sand falls on top of them ... then

silt ....tiny particles of clay andthe humus floats on top!

Teacher Task

Analysing my soil1. Pour 1 cupful of soil into an empty coffee jar.

2. Add water to fill the jar and put on the lid.

3. Shake the jar very well to mix the soil and water.

4. Wait for the mixture to settle for a few hours.

5. Can you see the layers of different soil particles?

6. Draw the jar and the layers of soil in it. Label the layers.



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Questions

1. What kind of particles made up the biggest layer in your soil?

Sand

2. Is your soil mostly sandy/silty/clay, or is it an equal mixture of all three?

Sandy

13

water add soilstir or

shake wait

humus sticks, leaves and grass

water

clay smallest particles

silt small particles

sand bigger particles

stones biggest particles


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Analysing my soil

I mixed a cup of my soil with water.

After the soil settled I could see five layers of particles.

The small stones settled to the bottom layer. They are the biggest and heaviest particles.

The next layer to settle was the sand particles. Sand particles are smaller than stones.

The next layer to settle is silt particles. They are smaller than sand particles.

The next layer to settle is the clay particles. Clay particles are the smallest particles.

Clay makes the water look muddy.

Finally the sticks, leaves and grass float to the surface. The sticks, leaves and grass

are called humus.

14

Explain

1. After learners have mixed their soil with water in a coffee jar, draw a

picture on the chalkboard showing the different layers. Explain that this

allows us to the see the different particles making up our soil because

they have separated into layers. We can also see how much of each kind

of particle we have by the thickness of the layer.

Explain the following:

Soil is a mixture of fine particles, which settle into layers when they

are mixed with water.

The biggest particles (stones and sand) are the first to settle at the

bottom.

Smaller particles (silt) are the next to settle down.

The smallest particles (clay) stay suspended in the water for sometime before they settle. The clay makes the water look muddy.

The humus (pieces of rotting plants) float on the top of the water.

The constituents of soil always settle in this order.

Some soil does not have all three types of particles - they may only

have two. For example, sandy clay soil may only have sand and clay

particles.

Consolidation

2. Do the following writing task together with your learners. They must

complete the writing in their books.

Teacher Task

Learner Writing Task


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Explain that the best kind of soil for planting is

called loam soil.

Loam soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay in

the following proportions:

Clay: 8-28%

Silt: 28-50%

Sand: 25-52%

Loam soil also contains humus.

Why is loam soil best for planting?

The clay particles hold the water so that the soil never dries out completely.

The sand particles allow excess water to drain out of the soil and the spacesbetween the particles trap air in the soil and make it light and soft. The clay

and silt and rotting humus contains mineral salts, which help plants to

grow.

Teacher task

Preparing for the assessment task

Provide two very different soil samples from different places for the learners

to do the following task. We want the learners to see that soils from differ-ent places will have different proportions of the three particles.

It is not necessary for learners to

know these proportions. The important

thing for them to know is that loam soil

is a mixture of all three soil particles

and humus. This is the best kind of soilfor planting.

Textbooks often do not mention silt at

all, which can be confusing. Silt is an

essential component of fertile soils.

Note to teachers

Soils differ from each other

Soil from one area can be very different to soil from another. For

example, soil from Khayelitsha contains mostly sand because the

town is built on a sand dune. This means that you will not find a layer

of clay when you analyse that soil. The layer of silt is also very thin. Soils that have a large proportion of sand are called sandy soils.

Other soils may contain mostly clay. They are called clay soils. Other

soils near river flood plains may contain a lot of silt.

Soil is considered a poor soilwhen it does not contain a good mixture

of all three particles. People struggle to grow plants if the soil is poor.

That is why we add compost and fertiliser to the soil.

Note to teachers

Teacher Task


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Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2)This assessment task can also be adapted as an investigation for LO1 (AS 2 & 3).

Comparing two different samples of topsoil1. Measure one cup each of the two different soils.

2. Place each cup of soil in a separate coffee jar and fill it up with water. Put the lidson and shake the jars well.

3. Leave the mixtures to settle for a few hours.

4. Draw and label each jar of soil. Show the different layers of particles.

5. Answer the questions about each soil.

Comparing two different soils (LO2)

16

SOIL A SOIL B

humus

water

sand

stones

humus

water

claysilt

sand

stones

1. Which is the thinnest layer in this soil?

(Stones)

2. Which is the thickest layer? (Sand)3. Does this soil have all three kinds of soil

particles in it? (No)4. Which name describes this soil the best?

Stony soil

Coarse sandy soil

Fine sandy soil

Silty soil

Clay soil

Loam

1. Which is the thinnest layer in this soil?

(Silt)

2. Which is the thickest layer? (Clay)3. Does this soil have all three kinds of soil

particles in it? (Yes)4. Which name describes this soil the best?

Stony soil

Coarse sandy soil

Fine sandy soil

Silty soil

Clay soil

Loam

Task Card to photocopy on page 46


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Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2) (cont.)

5. Draw and write to explain about some things that you have learnt about soil.

Explain why you found them interesting.

6. Bonus questions What is loam soil?

Why is it the best kind of soil for growing things?

17


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Assessment for LO2

Assessment tasks Criteria

AS 1 & 2

Draw the layers of soil parti-cles in the jar

The drawing must:

Have clear lines and be big enough to show details.

Correctly show the different layers of soil.

Give some idea in the drawing of the particle sizes

and the order of size in which they settle, i.e. bigger

particles at the bottom, followed by smaller particles

above, and humus on top.

Label the layers of soil

particles

The labels must:

Point correctly to each layer.

Have the correct name of each layer and the appara-

tus, using key words such as: stones, clay, silt, sand,

humus, water, coffee jar.

AS 2

Complete questions

Write and draw about what

they have learnt

For a code 4 (80%) and

above use bonus questions

The answers must show:

Correct interpretation of the thickness of the layers.

Correct understanding of how soils are named. We

name soils according to the type of particles that

make up the biggest layer when we analyse soil. E.g.

sandy soil contains a large proportion of sand parti-

cles. Correct use of the terminology e.g. silt, clay, clay

soil, silty soil, stony soil, etc.

Correct information about soil.

The writing should also show the ability to link sepa-

rate pieces of information into a clear and correct

explanation of what they found interesting and why.

Loam soil is a mixture of all three particles and

humus.

Plants grow well in loam because:

The clay particles trap water for the plants.

Water can sink into the soil between the sand par-

ticles so tree roots can use it.

There is air between the sand particles which

makes the soil soft and light so the roots can grow

and seeds can push their way out.

Humus keeps the soil damp.

Silt and humus provide mineral salts for theplants.


19/8019

A link with Social Sciences

How soil particles settle along

the banks of the Nile River

Read and explain the following to the learners:

You have all learnt about the Nile Rive in Geography

and in History.

We all know that people have lived along the banks of

the Nile River for many centuries. This is because the river

floods and the flooding makes the land fertile near the river.

When the river floods it picks up soil and carries it along

in the water. As the river floods and the water begins to

flow over the banks, the first particles to sink down are

the sand particles. They are deposited near to the

riverbank, forming a sandy beach. Silt and clay, the

lighter soil particles, remain suspended in the water.

The floodwaters carry the silt and clay particles over

the riverbanks. The silt settles next and makes fertile

soil where the people can grow crops. The clay only

settles once the flood waters have spread further from

the river. People use this clay for making pottery and

bricks and plaster for their houses. So the flooding waters

of the Nile River make it possible for people to live theresuccessfully and get everything they need from the river.

What else do you think the Nile River provided for the people?

Cairo

Fertile flood plain

Nile River

AswanDam wall

MediterraneanSea

Thingstothinkabout Doyouknowof,orlivenearariverthatfloodsintherainyseason?

DoallfloodingrivershelppeoplewholivenearitinthesamewaythattheNiledoes?

The great pyramids at Giza on the banks of the Nile A satellite picture of the Nile


20/80

Introduction

Divide the chalkboard into two columns.

1. Ask learners to tell you what they have learnt so far about soil. Make a

list of their ideas on the chalkboard.

2. Then ask learners to say what they would still like to know and find out

about soil. Write these as questions under the second column. Ask learn-

ers to tell you which questions we could find the answers to in books

these would be researchable questions. Write an R next to these ques-

tions. Ask which questions we could investigate and find the answers to

in the classroom these are testable. Write a T next to these questions.

Different soils are able to hold different amounts of water

Sandy soil does not hold water well because the water runs away through the

spaces between the particles Clay soils hold water because the spaces between the particles are smaller

Humus in the soil also absorbs water

Key Concepts

20

How much water does our soil hold?(LO 1)4

What do we already know about soil? What would we still like to find outabout soil?

* We depend on soil* Soil is made of particles* Soil comes from weathered rocks* Soil is a mixture of sand, clay and

silt* Soil contains humus* Loam soil is good for growing plants

* Clay is sticky and we can roll it intosausages and rings

* Sand is course and grainy* Silt is smooth and silky

* What kinds of soil are best for grow-ing plants?...T

* What kind of rocks do clay particlescome from?...R

* What kind of rocks do sand particlescome from?...R

* What makes the best kind of

humus?...T* Why does humus enrich the soil?...R* Why do some soils stay damp all the

time? ...R* Why do some soils dry out quick-

ly?...R* Which soils hold water the best?...T

Explain to learners that we are going to investigate different soils to find out

how much water they can hold.

Teacher Task

Teacher Task


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Preparing for the Investigation Assessment (for LO1 AS 1 & 2)1. Provide the learners with the following apparatus.

2. Hand out the Learner Task Card and assist learners to read it.

3. Let the learners carry out the instructions and use the apparatus in

groups.

4. Assist learners to take the measurements and to do the calculation.

21

3 beakers or baby food jars

3 filter papers

3 funnels

a watch

3 measuring cylinders

a teaspoonnewspaper

a beaker of water


For AS 1

1. Write down two things you could find out about your soil at home

Task Card to photocopy on page 48Learner Task


22/8022

For AS 2

Method

1. Copy the table below into your notebook to record your observations.

2. Fold the filter paper and place it in the funnel. Then set up the funnel and

measuring cylinder like this.3. Fill the funnel with the dry, sandy soil (make sure there are no lumps).

4. Measure 100ml of water into a beaker or baby food bottle. Slowly pour

the water into the middle of the soil.

5. After a while the water will start dripping through the soil into the meas-

uring cylinder.

6. Wait for the water to stop dripping and then record. Measure how much

water is in the measuring cylinder.

7. Calculate how much water remained in the soil.

(The amount of water poured into the soil (100ml) the amount of water

in the cylinder = the amount of water held by the soil.)

8. Record your readings in the table and complete the calculation.

9. Do the same for the clay soil and the loamy soil

For AS 3

Questions

1. Which soil lets the most water drip through? (Sandy soil)

2. Which soil holds the least water? (Sandy soil)

3. Which soil only lets a small amount of water drip through? (Clay soil)

4. Which soil holds the most water? (Clay soil)

5. What can you say about loam soil and how it holds water?(The loam soil will hold more than the sand, but less than the clay.)

Bonus questions for 80% or more

1. Why do you think some soils let the water through easily?

(If the soil has a lot of big sand particles then the water can sink through the air

spaces between the particles.)

2. Is it a good or bad thing for soil to let the water drain away easily?

(Sometimes it is a good thing that soil drains easily because the rain soaks into the

ground and the plants with deep roots can use it. Sometimes in drought conditions it isbetter if the soil does retain water as plants can slowly use it and so survive a drought.

Clay is also used as a lining in farm dams so that the water does not drain away.)

Measurements Clay soil Sandy soil Loam soil

How much water did you pour into the soil (ml)?

How much water dripped through into the measuring cylinder (ml)?

Calculate how much water stayed in the soil (ml)?


23/8023

Assessment task Criteria

AS 1

What can we find out

about soil at home?

The learners ideas could include finding out about:

Colour and texture of the soil.

Analysing the soil to show its composition, i.e. how much

sand, clay, silt and humus in the soil.

What kind of plants and animals are found growing and

living in their soil?

Etc.

AS 2

Carry out a procedure

Learners must:

Follow the instructions correctly.

Use the apparatus correctly.

Make accurate measurements.

Record the measurements correctly.

Correctly calculate the volume of water held by the soil.

AS 3

Answer questions about

their findings

Bonus questions for

80% or more

Learners must show they understand the following:

Sandy soil will hold the least water.

Clay soil will hold the most water.

The loam soil will hold more than the sand but less than

the clay.

Understand and explain that sandy soil does not hold

water well because the air spaces between the particles are

large and the water drains through them. Give at least one good reason why they think that it is

good for soil to drain water easily and one bad reason.

Assessment for LO1

Consolidation

Explain the following to the learners. Help them to write notes

about this in their notebooks.

What have we learnt?Some soils drain more quickly than others. To drain means to

let the water pass through.

Sandy soil drains quickly because it has large spaces

between the large sand particles. Sandy soils do not hold

water. They dry out quickly and so it is difficult to grow crops

in sandy soils.

Clay soil drains slowly because the spaces between the par-

ticles are very small. Clay holds a lot of water so there is lit-

tle space left for air. Plants struggle to grow in soil that does

not contain air.

Loam soil drains better than clay but not as much as sandy

soil. Loam soils hold some water but there are also spaces

left for air. Loam soils are the best for growing crops.

Loam large and small par-ticles give less air thansand, but more air than clay

Clay small particles givesmall air spaces

Sand large particles givelarge air spaces


24/80

Introduction1. Ask

What makes good soil?

Why must we have good soil?

What must good soil have?

2. Assist learners to make a mind map about good soil. For example:

Earthworms live in the soil

Earthworms are essential for keeping the soil good

Earthworms help the soil in the following ways: They turn and mix the soil

Water and air can enter the soil through their burrows

They eat dead leaves and grass and fertilize the soil with their droppings.

Key Concepts

24

What do earthworms do in the soil?(LO 1 & LO2)5

About good soilGood soil always has some sand, some clay, and somesilt in it. It also contains humus (pieces of dead plantsand animals), air and water. Good soil also has earth-worms living in it.We need good soil so plants can grow and supply all ani-

mals (including people) with food and shelter.

is soft

goodsoil

we can grow things in it compost

loose

water

fine

easy to dig

mixture ofparticles

Teacher Task


25/8025

Preparation1. Give each group an earthworm. Place it on a

clean plastic ice cream box lid (or other lid)

with enough space for the earthworm to movearound. Place a drop of water on the earth-

worm. Earthworms breathe through their skin

and they will die if they dry out.

2. Assist learners to label their earthworms and to

describe how they move.

Very small hairs (setae) on eachsegment help with movement

Explaintolearnersthatearthwormsarecompletelyharmless.Theycannotbiteyouorinfectyou.Wehandlethemcarefullybecausetheyhavedelicateskin,whichtheyuseforbreathing.Theydonotlikelighta

ndsowedontkeepthemoutofthesoilforlong.Wereturnthemtothesoilafterwehaveobservedthem.

Decideifyouthinkthelearnersneedtoknowthescientificnamesofthepartsoftheearthworm.

Note to teachers

nooo!

hayi bo!

why is it so

wiggly?

This part isthe head

Soft slimy skin

Clitellum or saddle (wherewe find sexual openings for

egg and sperm)

Segments

This part is the tail

Teacher Task

Learner task

Observing our earthworms

1. Place your earthworm on a clean plastic lid.Put a few drops of water on it.

2. Look carefully at your earthworm:

Which is the front end and which is the back end?

How can you tell which is the front end and which is the back end?

Watch how the earthworm moves.

3. Draw a picture of your earthworm. Label the front and the back end

and any other parts that you can see.

4. In your own language describe how the earthworm moves.How my earthworm moves

I watched my earthworm move. This is how it moves. It pushes its

front end forwards as if it is stretching. It gets long and thin.

It holds on with its front part and then pulls its back part forward

towards the front. When it is pulling it gets short and fat.

Learner Task

ooh! it

feels cold!



26/8026

Read and explain about earthworms

1. Read This is an earthworm with the learners. See page 44-46.

2. Assist learners to set up a worm house.

Setting up a worm house

This assessment task could also be adapted as an investigation for

LO1 (AS 2 & 3).

Investigate what earthworms do in the soil1. Show learners how to set up a worm house as shown with alternating

layers of loam and sand. Stones must be placed at the bottom.

2. Put fresh leaves on top for food.

3. Add the earthworms.4. Keep the soil moist by adding a little water. Cover the whole house with

newspapers (earthworms like to live in the dark).

5. Check after a week and thereafter every few days.

Cut cooldrink bottle

Leaves for food

Sand

Soil

Sand

Soil

Stones

Holes

Teacher Task


27/8027

1. Set up a worm house with your group. Cover it with newspaper and leave for

13 weeks.

What do earthworms do in the soil?

2. Write sentences to explain what earthworms did to the soil.

The earthworms made holes, tunnels and nests in the soil.Earthworms mixed the soil and took dead leaves and grass into the soil.

3. Why must we have earthworms in our soil?

We must have earthworms in our soil because they mix it and make holes for air and water.They also fertilise the soil with their droppings.

4. Why must we have good soil?

We must have good soil so that plants can grow in it.We grow plants for food. Plants, such as trees, are places where animals can live and hide.We need good soil so that seeds can grow. Without good soil we would all die because wewould not be able to grow our food.

Consolidation

Questions for discussion

Why is soil so important?

Why should we all look after our soil? What can we add to our soil so we can make it better?

What is the best way to look after our soil?

Before After

Draw

The worm house before we added the

earthworms

Draw

The worm house some time after we

added the earthworms

Cut cooldrinkbottle

Leaves for

foodSand

Soil

Sand

Soil

Stones

Holes

Earthwormshave pulledsome leavesinto the soil

Soil is mixedwith the sand

Earthwormsin theirburrows



28/80

1. Introduce vocabulary about working the soil.

2. Hand out photocopies of the following readings

from page 56.

Farming in rural areas

Farming with tools

Growing rice

All over the world people work with soil to prepare it for planting

In different parts of the world people use different tools to work the soil

People also fertilise the soil before they plant crops

Key Concepts

28

Working with soil (LO 1 & LO2)6

Examples of vocabulary about workingthe soil:* Tools - spade, fork, rake, hoe, tractor

* Fertiliser - chemicals, humus, compost, animaldroppings* Planting - seeds, seedlings (small young plants),

plant in rows, scatter seeds, preparing the soil,digging, loosening, making soil loose and soft,

tilling (turning over) the soil.

Teacher Task

A.

1. Read about Farming in rural areas.2. Match each paragraph with its correct picture.

B.

1. Read about Farming with tools.

2. Match each paragraph with its correct picture.

C.

1. Read about Growing rice.

2. Match each paragraph with its correct picture.



29/8029

Read Compost, my compost on page 59 with learners.

Assist them to read Make your own compost on page 61.

Consolidation

Suggest to learners that they make some compost at

home. It will take about a month to make good compost

in a black bag.

Ideas for integration with Life and Living

Growing plants

When you study vegetative and sexual reproduction in plants, get

learners to make compost, which they can mix with their soil from

home. Then they can use this to grow cuttings and seeds for Life and

Living.

Which mix of soil is the best for growing? (LO1)

A good investigation to find

this out could be:

Provide learners with a selection

of samples of poor and good

soil and sand and humus. Askeach child to make up their own

soil in a foam cup. They must

mix different amounts from

each sample of soil and make

up what they think is the best

mixture. Then each learner can

grow seeds in their soil.

After their seeds have grown

they will then be able to decidewhich soil was the best for

growing seeds.

Teacher Task


30/80

IntroductionAsk learners:

Could we live without soil?

What would happen to us if our soil became dry and lifeless?

What would happen if all our soil was washed away or blown away?

Why should we try to look after our soil?

Introduce the word sustainable. Explain that it means the following:

To sustain something means to develop and keep something going with-

out breaking down the environment.

We sustain the soil so that it provides for our needs

at present. If we look after the soil in a sustainable

way it means we do not harm the soil, and so it can

meet the needs of generations to come.

Preparation

1. Bring a box of objects to class.2. Make sure it has something that is shaped like a ball.

3. Ask learners to look at the objects in the box.

4. Ask them to point out the object that has the same

shape as the Earth (a sphere).

5. Point to the round object and ask: if this is the Earth,

where will we find the soil on the Earth?

We must look after the piece of Earth we live on so that it can sustain us and the

plants and animals around us for the future

Key Concepts

30

Sustaining my little piece of Earth(LO 3)

7

Point out that the soil is just the very smallest layer

of loose material on the surface of the Earth (ball).

Tell learners that you are going to give them their

very own piece of the Earth to look after.

Hand out the paper segment of the Earth.

See page 64 to photocopy.

Point out the following on the segment:

above the soil; soil surface; under the soil.

Teacher Task


31/8031

Show the line that represents the surface of the soil. Then explain that the

learners must not draw onto it like a slice of pizza. Instead they must draw

some things on top of the line showing the surface of the soil and some

things growing just under the soil (not too far as the soil is a very thinlayer). Explain that afterwards you will put all the segments together again

to get a picture of the whole Earth.

My Little Piece of Earth

above the soil

under the soil

soil surface

slice of Earth


32/8032


Sustaining my little piece of Earth

1. Draw your own little farm on your piece of Earth. Show all the things that will be

living together on top of your soil and in your soil. Show how they live together

and get food and water and shelter.

2. Draw the tools you will use to prepare and look after your soil. Explain what you

will use each tool for.

3. Write about why you will look after your soil to keep it good so that you can always

live there.


Learner Task


33/8033

Assessment for LO 3

Consolidation

1. Collect all the learners illustrated slices or segments of the Earth.

2. Put them together again to make a whole Earth and display them on a

large wall or ceiling in the school.3. This whole Earth should look very rich and interesting.

4. Show learners that the only place where there is life on our planet is

where the soil, air and water meet. This thin layer where there is life with

its soil, air and water is called the biosphere (bio= life; sphere=round

ball).

5. Point out how important the soil is in helping to maintain life on Earth,

and this is why we must look after it.

Assessment task Criteria

AS 1

Drawing of things living together on

or in the soil

The drawing must:

Show a variety of plants, animals and peo-

ple living on top of and under the soil.

Show aspects of the relationship between

plants, animals and people living in and on

the soil. For example: insects pollinating,

growing food crops, mining, birds nesting,

mice burrowing, earthworms eating, etc.

AS 2

Drawing tools and explaining their

uses

The drawing and writing must:

Show tools for working with and looking

after the soil, such as spades, ploughs,hoses, watering cans, forks, windmills, etc.

Have a label or a few sentences explaining

correctly what each tool will be used for.

AS 1

Writing about looking after the soil

The writing must show understanding:

Of how to look after soil, e.g. plough it, grow

plants in it, water and fertilise it.

That animals living in the soil help to keep it

healthy, e.g. earthworms, ants, moles,snakes, etc.

Teacher Task


34/8034

Biosphere

Our little pieces of Earth joined together

1. Make a sketch of the Earth showing where we find the biosphere.

2. Label the biosphere.3. Write a few sentences to explain why we must look after our soil.


TheEarth


35/80

Introduction

Discuss the following questions with the class.

1. Do we see the same stars in the sky each night?

Yes, over the course of a year we will see the same stars.

2. Do the stars make patterns in the sky?

Yes, the stars make patterns in the sky. These patterns do not change.

3. Do the stars stay in these same patterns all the time?

Yes, the patterns of stars stay the same.

4. What are these patterns of stars called?

Constellations. The Southern Cross is a constellation.

The stars of the Southern Cross constellation are always in the following pattern:

When we look up at the sky we can see stars. The stars appear in fixed patterns or

arrangements in the sky. These patterns of stars are called constellations The constellations slowly move across the sky through the year from season to season

People used to tell the time of year from the position of particular constellations in the

sky

Key Concepts

35

Farmers used constellations of starsto tell them when to plant (LO 3)

8

A

kiraFujii/DMI

The Southern Cross Constellation


36/8036

Explain

1. Use a paper doily or drawing to represent a constellation. You can use a

bought doily or make one of your own to represent a group of stars or

constellation or you can draw the Southern Cross constellation (see pre-vious page) on a piece of paper.

2. The constellations always stay in the same pattern. (Point to the pattern

of the doily or drawing.) The whole constellation moves across the sky as

we move from season to season.

3. Demonstrate

Use a doily to demonstrate the movement of a constellation across the

sky. Hold it in your hand and move it in an arc to show it moving across

the sky.

This movement is repeated year after year. This means that at a certainseason, we will see a constellation in a certain part of the sky.

4. Explain

In the past, before we had clocks and calendars, people used the position

of the stars and constellations to tell what time of the year it was. They

looked for a familiar constellation and when they saw it in a certain posi-

tion in the sky, they knew it was time for planting. Later in the year, when

the same constellation had moved to another part of the sky, it was time

to reap the harvest. The stars and constellations were also used in thesame way by many other cultures .

5. Use a copy of the Astronomy card Stories from the stars (see page 68)

and /or make copies for the learners.

6. Help learners to complete the task card Farmers used the constellations

to tell them when to plant (task card to copy on page 67).

Teacher Task


37/8037

Farmers used the constellations of stars to tell them when to plant

Read the following paragraphs from Stories from the stars (Astronomy Card 11) and

answer the questions about them.

1. Read 2. Patterns in the sky

a. What is a constellation?

A group of stars that form a fixed pattern in the sky.

b. Name two constellations?

The Southern Cross, Orion, Taurus, Pleiades, isiLimela

2. Read 8. Telling time by the stars

a. Why were constellations important to people in the past?

They helped people to know the time of year.

3. Read 6. isiLimela or the Pleiades

a. What did the people do when they saw isiLimela (the Pleiades) constellation?They knew it was the right time for planting.

b. What is the other name for the stars in the story of isiLimela?

The digging stars.

4. Read 5. The Southern Cross and the pointers

a. In the story of the Southern Cross and the pointers what did the Venda people

name these stars?

Thutlwa or giraffes.

b. Why did people call these stars Giraffes?

Because the people could see them just above the trees like the heads of giraffes.

c. What did people have to do when they saw these stars just above the trees?

They had to hurry up and finish planting.

d. Draw the pattern of these stars below:

Learner Task for LO 3 Task Card to photocopy on page67

ConsolidationWith the learners, write a paragraph about why the constellations were

important to people who were farming and looking after their piece of Earth.


38/8038

See poster to photocopy on page 68


39/8039

PERIOD 1

Activity 1 What is

topsoil?

Teacher draws diagram

on board and explains

about topsoil.

Teacher makes a mind

map on board with learn-ers.

PERIOD 2

Activity 2Soil particles

come from rocks

Teacher and learners

examine rocks and

describe them.

PERIOD 3

Activity 2 contd.

Learners make soil parti-

cles by rubbing rocks

together.

Learners fill in table

about soil particles.

PERIOD 4

Activity 2 contd.

Teacher assists learners

to do writing task and

answer questions in their

books.

Teacher consolidates by

explaining about particlesize and texture.

PERIOD 5

Activity 3Finding out about

garden topsoil

Teacher explains the

processes of weathering.

Learners examine sam-

ples of garden soil and

write to describe theirtextures.

PERIOD 6

Activity 3 contd.

Teacher explains about

soil analysis.

Learners do the soil

analysis by mixing it with

water.

PERIOD 7

Activity 3 contd.

Learners draw the layers

of soil and write a para-

graph describing the lay-

ers.

PERIOD 8

Activity 3 contd.

Teacher introduces the

idea of loam soil and why

it is best for planting.

Teacher prepares learn-

ers for assessment task.

PERIOD 9

Activity 3 contd.

Learners do the assess-

ment task for LO2.

NB. Make time to give

learners feedback after you

have marked the assess-

ment task.

PERIOD 10

Activity 4 How much water

does our soil hold?

Teacher and learners

raise questions for possi-

ble investigations.

And decide which can be

tested and which would

have to be researched in

books.


ers for assessment task.

PERIOD 11

Activity 4 contd.

Teacher supplies learn-

ers with apparatus.

Learners follow instruc-

tions to do the assess-

ment task for LO1.

PERIOD 12

Activity 4 contd.

Teacher helps learners to

calculate the amount of

water retained by the

soil.

PERIOD 13

Activity 4 contd.

Learners answer ques-

tions about their results.

Teacher consolidates by

explaining, What have

we learnt?


learners feedback after you

have marked the assess-

ment task.

PERIOD 14

Activity 5 What do earth-

worms do in the soil?

Teacher introduction

about good soil.

Learners observe earth-

worms.

Teacher helps learners to

draw and write about

their earthworms.

PERIOD 15

Activity 5 contd.

Teacher reads about

earthworms with learn-

ers.

Teacher assists learners

to set up an earthworm

house.

PERIOD 16

Activity 5 contd.

Learners draw the earth-

worm house before

earthworms are placed in

it.

Learners add earthworms

to the earthworm house

and cover them up.

NB make time for learners

to observe the houses and

draw and write about what

they see after one week.

Teacher consolidates.

PERIOD 17

Activity 6Working with soil

Teacher introduces

vocabulary about work-

ing the soil and hands out

readings about agricul-

ture.

Learners read the read-

ings and match up the

pictures.

PERIOD 18

Activity 6 contd.

Teacher reads about

compost and making

compost to learners.

Teacher consolidates.

Period 19

Activity 7Sustaining my

little piece of Earth

Teacher introduces ques-

tions about sustaining

our soil.

Teacher asks learners to

choose objects shaped

like the Earth.


ers for the assessment

task. She explains what

to do with the slice of

the Earth.

PERIOD 20

Activity 7 contd.

Assessment task for

LO3

Learners draw and

write about sustaining

their little piece of

Earth.

PERIOD 21

Activity 7 contd.

Teacher collects all the

slices of Earth and

helps learners to put

them together to make

a picture of the whole

Earth for display.

PERIOD 22

Activity 7 contd.

Learners draw a

sketch of Earth show-

ing the biosphere.

Learners write sen-

tences about why we

must care for our soil.


learners feedback after

you have marked the

assessment task.

PERIOD 23

Activity 8Farmers used

the constellations of

stars to tell them when

to plant

Teacher introduces

idea of constellations

and demonstrates how

a constellation moves

across the sky.

Learners read the sto-

ries from the stars and

answer the questions.

PERIOD 24

Activity 8 contd.

Learners finish reading

the stories and

answering the ques-

tions about the con-

stellations.

Suggested work scheme for Planet Earth and Beyond, Grade 4


40/80

section 2

Teacher resourcesLearner task cards to photocopy

TASK CARD 1 Different kinds of soil particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

TASK CARD 2 Describing our topsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

TASK CARD 3 Analysing my soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

TASK CARD 4 Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2) Comparing two different

samples of topsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

TASK CARD 5 Assessment task for LO1 (AS 1, 2 and 3) How much water dodifferent kinds of soils hold? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

TASK CARD 6 Observing our earthworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

TASK CARD 7 What do earthworms do in the soil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

TASK CARD 8 Reading about how farmers work with the soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

TASK CARD 9 Assessment task for LO3: AS 1 & 2 Sustaining my little piece

of Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

TASK CARD 10 Make a drawing to show the biosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

TASK CARD 11 Farmers used the constellations of stars to tell them

when to plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Readings and support materials

This is an Earthworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

What do Earthworms eat? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Earthworms in the food chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Farming in rural areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Farming with tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Growing rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Reading Compost, my compost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Make your own compost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

My little piece of Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Stories from the stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

41


41/8042

Learner task card 1

Different kinds of soil particles1. Take any two rocks and rub them together to make some soil particles.

2. Wet your soil particles with a few drops of water.

3. Roll the soil particles in your hand and try to answer the questions in the table

below.

4. Do the same with the sand and the clay.

Different soil particles

1. Is your soil like clay?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Is your soil like sand?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learner task card to photocopy

QUESTIONS SOIL PARTICLES FROM MY ROCKS CLAY SAND

Does it feel gritty?

Does it feel sticky?

Does it feel smooth?

Can you bend it into rings?

it

s dif

ficult.

its hard work tomake even a littlesoil!

this rubbing

is

making me hot

and

tired.


42/8043

Writing task

Describe some of the properties of the soil that you made from the rocks. Start like

this:

Today we rubbed rocks together and made soil particles. These are the properties of

my soil:

The colour of my soil is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It feels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It is like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .because

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Questions

1. Do all your soil particles look the same? Write to explain your answer.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. How long do you think it will take you to make one cup of soil?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. How long do you think it took Nature to make all the soil in your school garden?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learner task card 1 continued


43/8044

Learner task card 2

Describing our topsoil1. Take a small sample of soil in your hand. Roll it in your hands.

2. Discuss these questions:

How does it smell?

What can you see in it?

Where do you think it came from?

How was it made?

3. Feel your soil. Is it gritty like sand, sticky like clay, or smooth and dusty like silt?

4. Use the table below to help you decide what kind of soil you have.


TYPE OF SOIL

How does the soil

feel between yourfingers?

Uvakala njani

umhlaba xa gron-duwuva ngesandla?

Hoe voel die grond

as dit tussen jouvingers gevryf

word?

It feels coarse it is

full of small stones.

Uvakala unezigaqa.

Unamatye amaninz

i amancinci.

Dit voel grof dit is

vol klein klippies.

It feels gritty the

particles are quite

big (like big grains

of sugar).

Uvakala rhabaxa

unamahlalutye

amakhulwana.

Dit voel korrelrig

die deeltjies is

nogal groot (soos

korrels suiker).

It feels gritty the

sand particles are

small.

Uvakala rhabaxa,

amahlalutye esanti

mancinci.

Dit voel korrelrig

die sanddeeltjies is

klein.

It feels smooth

the particles arevery fine.

Uvakala mpuluswa

unamahlalutyana.

Dit voel glad die

deeltjies is baie fyn.

It feels sticky when

wet the particles

are very small.

When it is dry it

feels like a fine

powder.

Uvakala ncangathi

xa umanzi, amahla-

lutye mancinci. Xa

womile uvakal nje

nge phawda.

Dit voel taai as dit

nat is die deeltjies

is baie klein. As dit

droog is, voel dit

soos n fyn poeier.

5. Write to explain what kind of soil you have.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


44/8045

Learner task card 3

Analysing my soil1. Pour 1 cupful of soil into an empty coffee jar.

2. Add water to fill the jar and put on the lid.

3. Shake the jar very well to mix the soil and water.

4. Wait for the mixture to settle for a few hours.

5. Can you see the layers of different soil particles?

6. Draw the bottle and the layers of soil in it. Label the layers.

The different kinds of particles in my soil

Questions1. What kind of particles made up the biggest layer in your soil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Is your soil mostly sandy/clay/silty, or is it an equal mixture of all three?. . . . . . . . .

3. Write to explain the sequence in which your soil particles settled in the coffee jar.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



45/8046

Learner task card 4Assessment task for LO2 (AS 1 & 2) can also be adapted for LO1,

(AS 2 & 3)

Comparing two different samples of topsoil1. Measure one cup each of the two different soils.2. Place each cup of soil in a separate coffee jar and fill it up with water. Put the lids

on and shake the jars well.

3. Leave the jars to settle for a few hours.

4. Draw and label each jar of soil. Show the different layers of particles.

5. Answer the questions about each soil.


Soil A

1. Which is the thinnest layer in this

soil?

2. Which is the thickest layer?3. Does this soil have all three kinds of

soil particles in it?

4. Which name describes this soil the

best?

Stony soil

Coarse sandy soil

Fine sandy soil

Silty soil

Clay soil

Loam soil

Soil B

1. Which is the thinnest layer in this

soil?

2. Which is the thickest layer?3. Does this soil have all three kinds of

soil particles in it?

4. Which name describes this soil the

best?

Stony soil

Coarse sandy soil

Fine sandy soil

Silty soil

Clay soil

Loam soil

BA


46/8047

5. Draw and write to explain about some things that you have learnt about soil.

Explain why you found them interesting.

6. Bonus questions for 80% or more

a. What is loam soil?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

b. Why is it the best kind of soil for growing things?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



47/8048

Learner task card 5

Assessment task for LO1


1. Write down two things you could find out about your soil at home.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Method

2. Copy the table below into your notebook to record your observations.

3. Fold the filter paper and place it in the funnel. Then set up the

funnel and measuring cylinder like this.4. Fill the funnel with the dry sandy soil (make sure there are no

lumps).

5. Measure 100ml of water into a beaker or baby food bottle. Slowly

pour the water into the middle of the soil.

6. After a while the water will start dripping through the soil into

the measuring cylinder.

7. Wait for the water to stop dripping and then record. Measure

how much water is in the measuring cylinder.

8. Calculate how much water stayed in the soil. (Amount of water

poured into the soil (100ml) amount of water in the cylinder =

amount of water held by the soil.)

9. Record your readings in the table and complete the

calculation.

10. Do the same for the clay soil and the loam soil.


Measurements Clay soil Sandy soil Loam soil

How much water

did you pour into

the soil (ml)?

How much water

dripped through

into the measuring

cylinder (ml)?

Calculate how

much water stayed

in the soil ml)?


48/8049

Questions

1. Which soil lets the most water drip through?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Which soil holds the least water?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. Which soil only lets a small amount of water drip through?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. Which soil holds the most water?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. What can you say about loam soil and how it holds water?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonus questions for 80% or more

1. Why do you think some soils let the water through easily?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Is it a good or bad thing for soil to let the water drain away easily?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



49/80

ooh! it

feels

cold!

50

Learner task card 6

Observing our earthworms1. Place your earthworm on a clean plastic lid. Put a few drops of water on it.

2. Look carefully at your earthworm.

Which is the front end and which is the back end?

How can you tell which is the front end and which is the back end?

Watch how the earthworm moves.

3. Draw a picture of your earthworm. Label the front and the back end and any other

parts that you can see.

4. In your own language describe how the earthworm moves.

How my earthworm moves

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


nooo!

hayi bo!

why is

it so

wiggly?


50/8051

Learner task card 7

What do earthworms do in the soil?1. Set up a worm house with your group.

2. Make layers of different soils like this. Add a little

water to make the soil damp.

3. Put fresh leaves on the top.

4. Add your earthworms and cover the house with

damp newspaper.

5. Check to see what has happened after a week. Add

water to keep the worms damp.

6. Keep checking every few days for about two weeks.

What do earthworms do in the soil?

7. In your book, write to explain what earthworms did to the soil.

8. Why must we have earthworms in our soil?

9. Why must we have good soil?

10. Discuss these questions with your teacher.

Why is soil so important?

Why should we all look after our soil? What can we add to our soil so we can make it better?

What is the best way to look after our soil?


Before After

Draw

The worm house before we added the

earthworms

Draw (about 2 weeks later)

The worm house after we added the

earthworms

sand

soil

sand

soil

stones

holes


51/8052

Thisisanearthworm

Ea

rthwormsliveunderthesoil.Theymake

ho

lescalledtunnelsintheso

il.Thesetunnels

cangodownasfaras45cm

underthesoil.

Ea

rthwormsrestinburrows.

Earthworms

als

olayeggsinthesoil.

head

tail

plant

soil

earthworm

b

urrow

smallmou

th

theearthwo

rmismadeup

ofmanyseg

ments


52/80

Whatdoearthwo

rmseat?

Earthw

ormseatany

thing

from

dea

dp

lantsan

danim

als

.

The

irfoo

disdea

dleav

es

,dea

dgrass

,stems

,stic

ksan

d

anima

ldropp

ings

.They

alsoeatso

ilw

hichconta

ins

pieceso

fdea

dp

lantsan

dan

ima

ls.

Earthw

ormsgetsomeo

fthe

irfoo

dfrom

theso

ilthe

y

eat

.They

digestthe

foo

din

theso

ilb

utnotthesoilpart

i-

cles

.Theseso

ilpart

iclesare

passe

dou

to

fthew

orm

s

tail

as

dropp

ings

.Thesewo

rm

dropp

ingsareca

lled

worm

casts

.Sometimesthew

orm

closesthetopof

its

bur

row

with

worm

casts

.

Can

you

seew

orm

casts

iny

ou

rso

il?

Theseareworm

casts

Youf

indworm

casts

onto

pofthesoil

indampweather.

mouth E

nlargedvie

wofthemouthparts

Anearthwormtakesadeadlea

f

intothesoil.

53


53/8054

Earthwormsinthe

foodchain

Soilishometomanydifferentan

imalsandplants

anearthworm

inabur

row

humushelps

plantsgrow

plants

animalseat

plants

17341358 earth and beyond grade 4 english

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