Activities

In the picture book, Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (Mac Barnett, Walker Books 2014), Dave says, “We won’t stop digging until we find something spectacular.” In this activity, dig a hole to find something spectacular.

In this activity, challenge your students to find something spectacular. Use the opportunity to explore the science capability: gather and interpret data – learners make careful observations and differentiate between observation and inference.

Enhance your knowledge of soils and their uses. This activity matches 6 of the 15 major New Zealand soil orders with products we grow on them.

If you did the activity, Dig a Hole, you’ve probably noticed that soil changes a bit as you dig deeper. But, have you wondered if the soil changes as you travel around your local area?

Healthy soils are full of life. The article Life Under The Ground mentions some amazing facts about the soil:

• Soils are home to 1/4 of the Earth’s biodiversity.
• The weight of earthworms under our native forests is greater than all of the other animals living in the forest.
• One teaspoon of healthy soil has more living things than there are people living on the earth.

This activity involves observing soil animals – either outside in the real world or virtually, online.

This activity explores soil microbes and the work they do for us. Part one explains how to build a habitat for some very colourful microbes. Part two demonstrates some the crucial work these microbes do – by soft-boiling an egg in a compost bin!

Use the articles from the Soil: The World Beneath Our Feet website to answer the following questions about soils.