Module 4: Making the Soil Rich

Soil Exploration

Last week, the children took a look at different soil types, sand, silt
and clay, as well as compost and loam. Then they took on the challenge of
trying to create the perfect soil mixtures by concocting their own recipes
and combinations of the soil types they thought would be the best for
growing food in.

Then we played a game to demonstrate the porosity and permeability of the
soil types.

We also took a close look at one of the most beneficial critters to the
production of good garden soil: earthworms.

This week we went a little further in the exploration of soil critters by
going out into the garden and the surrounding area to look for decomposers
and their food and predators. We found centipedes and millipedes,
rolly-polies, slugs, worms, grubs and spring-tails. We immediately noticed
that the worms were getting attacked by the centipedes, and also noted
some similarities between the legged critters and the slimy ones.

Then we played a game of "Worm, Centipede, Bacteria," which demonstrates
the way the food web works in the life of a decomposer.