Discover Uses of Soil at School

Soil is one of the cornerstones that supports life on Planet Earth. It supports and nurtures plants, provides habitats for creatures great and small, and allows humans to access resources such as crops for food, fibers for clothes, and materials for building. 

One of the best ways to teach your students about the uses and importance of soil is to allow them to experience it for themselves!

This set of differentiated worksheets has been designed to assist your students in exploring how soil is used around the school. Your students will need to become soil detectives as they look for the ways in which soil is used on their school grounds.

Each worksheet has been structured slightly differently to allow for the varying ability levels of the students in your class. Each worksheet is outlined below:

• Worksheet 1 – Students go for a walk around the school and tick the uses of soil that they see on their work. The uses listed on the worksheet are potted plants, compost bin, grass and flower garden.
• Worksheet 2 – Students draw a picture of the following ways that soil might be used around their school: potted plants, compost bin, grass play area, and flower or herb garden. The students are then required to explain why soil is needed in the school.
• Worksheet 3 – Students draw and label four pictures of their choice of soil being used around their school. The students are then required to explain why soil is needed in the school.
• Worksheet 4 – Students draw four pictures of their choice of soil being used around their school, then write a sentence about each picture. The students are then required to explain why soil is needed in the school.

This set of worksheets downloads as a black-and-white PDF or an editable Google Slides file. Please select the editable file if you wish to make any personal alterations to the resource.

So what are you waiting for? Download, print and distribute this resource to get your students out of the classroom and into the outdoors! 

Benefits of Outdoor Learning for Students

Did you know that there are a multitude of benefits for students when it comes to outdoor learning? Incorporating outdoor observation into your curriculum provides a holistic education that nurtures students’ physical, mental and emotional well-being. Some of the major benefits are:

1. An enhanced learning experience
2. The opportunity for scientific inquiry
3. Improved focus and concentration
4. Increased physical activity
5. Reduction in stress levels
6. Increased connection to the environment

There’s never been a better reason to get your students out of the classroom for their soil observation activities!

Download and Print These Uses of Soil Worksheets

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button above to access either easy-print PDF or the Google Slides version of this resource. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it.)

This resource was created by Kendall Britnell, a teacher in Colorado and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Activities to Explore Soil

Looking for more activities to explore the uses of soil with your students? Explore this great selection of teacher-created resources!

teaching resource

Uses of Soil Interactive Activity

Teach students how soil is used by animals, plants and humans with this interactive science game for Kindergarten students.

teaching resource

Uses of Soil Mini-Book

Teach students about the uses of soil with this printable book, perfect for Kindergarten science lessons!

teaching resource

What Needs Soil to Grow? Coloring Worksheet

Teach students what needs soil to grow with this coloring worksheet for early years students.