Introductory techniques

Ask pupils to bring in a small bag of soil so that there are a variety of different soils to test. Make sure each bag is labelled with the pupils’ name and ideally a ‘what3words’ or grid reference location where they got the soil.

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Each pupil should carry out a ‘dirty hands test’ with a sample of their soil to identify its type. You can download a soil flow chart from the Island Geographer website.

On a map of the local area which covers the location of all of the soil samples, pupils should put a coloured counter which indicates the type of soil in their sample.

The colours should relate to the different soil types e.g. sandy loam – purple; clay – red etc. Pupils could describe the pattern on the map. Why is it useful to know where different types of soil are found?

Soil and slopes fieldwork

Pupils are going to decide where would be the best location for a sensory garden in the school grounds. The best type of soils for growing plants are loamy soils as they are rich in nutrients. Working in small groups, pupils should visit several spots in the school grounds and take some soil samples.

Talk to the pupils about the importance of not damaging the environment and minimising disruption. They should carry out a dirty hands test at each spot and record their findings on a map.

Back in the classroom, they should decide on the best site for the sensory garden based on the soil samples i.e. which contains the most loam? If none of the soils contain loam, then pupils should consider whether soil filled pots could be used instead. They should also consider whether soil is the only factor that needs to be considered when looking to locate a garden.

As an extension, pupils could design their sensory garden, vote for their favourite and create it in the school grounds.

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The Geographical Association (GA) has worked closely with the Field Studies Council (FSC) to develop these resources.