Episode 30 – Soil Searchers

First, you will need to download the Soil Searchers lab manual.

Are you guilty of assuming that sweet soil growing your fruit and vegetables is just nasty dirt? We all may be! The distinction between soil and dirt can be difficult, but they are actually two very different things. This episode will teach you a bit more about how soil and dirt differ, as well as examining what type of soil is best for retaining water and growing vegetation. Soil is important because it sustains life and provides things necessary for our food to grow!

Yes, not only is soil a living entity filled with bacteria, fungi, nutrients, and other organic matter, there are different kinds of soil! The varieties are better suited to do different jobs. Maybe you have dug a hole deep enough to find soil that resembled a very clay-like texture. Or perhaps you have scraped off some top soil when landscaping. Whatever the type, soil is very important in sustaining not only the human population, but nearly all terrestrial (land-living) species!

Saskatchewan Curriculum Connections: LT1.1: Differentiate between living things according to observable characteristics, including appearance and behaviour. SE1.2: Explore how humans and animals use their senses to interact with their environment. LS2.1: Investigate properties (e.g., colour, taste, smell, shape, and texture) of familiar liquids and solids. ES3.1: Investigate the characteristics, including soil composition and ability to absorb water, of different types of soils in their environment.  RM4.3: Analyze how weathering, erosion, and fossils provide evidence to support human understanding of the formation of landforms on Earth. EC7.3: Investigate the characteristics and formation of the surface geology of Saskatchewan, including soil, and identify correlations between surface geology and past, present, and possible future land uses.