Centre: Soil Sensory Tub
Invite children to explore and investigate different
types of soil using their senses. Looking, feeling
and smelling the different types of soils.
Resources:
 Variety of types of soil
 Magnifying glasses
 Sensory tray
Key questions:
 What can you find in the soil?
 What does it look like?
 What does it smell like?
 What does it feel like?
Centre: Planting Seeds
Invite children to plant seeds into different types
of soil/soil components. Over the next few
days/weeks, children can care for their seeds to
investigate which soils/soil components seeds can
grow in.
Resources:
 Plant seeds (e.g. herb seeds)
 Variety of types of soil and soil components
(e.g. potting mix, dirt, beach sand, pebbles,
children’s soil from ‘Making Soil’ activity
 Water in spray bottles
 Recycled tins or small pots
 Masking tape & marker (to label the pots)
Explicit / Intentional Teaching: Centre: Making Soil
Mat session: Invite children to make their own soil by selecting
 Empty out a pot plant and mixing different soils and soil components
 Discuss what the plant is growing in together with using either their hands or tools
 Invite children to investigate the soil, use key provided.
questions to promote discussion Resources:
Introduction:  Variety of types of soil and soil components
 Explain objectives (e.g. white sand, dirt, wood chips, small
 Explain activities pebbles)
Key questions:  Mixing bowls
 What does the plant grow in?  Empty pots
 What does the soil feel like?  Gardening gloves (optional for children)
 How does the soil smell?  Spoons, s
 What does the soil look like?
Conclusion:
 Invite children sit in a circle on the mat
Centre: Pouring Soils
Invite children to explore the properties of
 Invite children to discuss their findings
different types of soil and soil components using a
Question prompts: What does soil feel like? What
range of pouring tools provided.
does soil look like? What does soil smell like?
Resources:
 Variety of types of soil and soil components
 Funnels
 Water wheels
 Cups, jugs, spoons
 Water
 Large tub/tray (or in sandpit)
Key questions:
 What makes the wheel spin fast/slow?
 What goes through the funnel
fastest/slowest?
 Centre: Sediment jars Objective/s: Centre: Soil painting
Invite children to make their own sediment jars.  Use descriptive language to describe soil Invite children to make their own ‘soil paint’ by
To create the sediment jars, fill jar to ¾ full with  Identify one difference between two different mixing soil with glue then paint using the ‘soil
water, pour soil into the jar, screw on lid, shake soils/soil component paint’.
jar, place jar down and watch the soil separate. Resources:
Resources:  Soil mixed with PVA glue (soil paint)
 Recycled jars/containers/bottles  Paint brushes
 Water  Variety of resources to paint on (e.g. paper,
 Soil bark, leaves, rock
 Funnels
 Scoops/spoons

Assessment & Recording: (What are we assessing? How are we assessing? How are we recording?)
 Did students use descriptive language to describe soil
 Could the students identify one difference between two different soils/soil component

Highlight one or two outcomes specifically connected to your objective/s.