Grade 3 · Science · Unit 7 of 10
What Soil Is Made Of
Living and non-living parts, and soil types
What your child practises
Living and non-living parts of soil, humus and topsoil, sandy, clay and loam soils and how fast water drains through them, and how soils across Ontario suit different crops.
Ontario Curriculum expectation: E1.1, E2.1, E2.3 · the living and non-living parts of soil, healthy soil, and soil types in Ontario
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
Which soil feels sticky when wet and can be rolled into a ball?
🧱- gravel
- air
- sand
- clay
Show answer
clay
Hint: Clay particles are tiny and stick together.
Question 2
Why do soil scientists dig up samples and look at them closely?
🔍- to count the stars
- to make the Sun brighter
- to find buried treasure
- to learn what the soil is made of and how healthy it is
Show answer
to learn what the soil is made of and how healthy it is
Hint: Careful observation tells us about soil types.
Question 3
Farmers in Ontario's Holland Marsh grow vegetables such as carrots and onions in dark, rich soil. Why is this soil good for farming?
🥕- it is mostly stones
- it has no water
- it is full of nutrients from rotted plants
- it is made of pure sand
Show answer
it is full of nutrients from rotted plants
Hint: Marsh soil is rich in humus.
Question 4
Clay soil holds water but drains slowly. What could this mean for a garden?
🌧️- plants will always get too dry
- water will rise into the sky
- plants will get no nutrients
- plants might get too wet
Show answer
plants might get too wet
Hint: Water stays a long time in clay, so roots can get too wet.
Question 5
Water drains through sandy soil…
🏖️- quickly
- never
- upward
- very slowly
Show answer
quickly
Hint: Sand has big gaps, so water runs through fast.
Question 6
You pour water through three cups of soil. Which soil will drain the fastest?
🧪- sandy soil
- clay soil
- frozen soil
- wet mud
Show answer
sandy soil
Hint: Sand has big spaces for water.