Caring for soil

What this chapter teaches

Soil forms very slowly but rain and wind can carry it away. Roots hold soil and leaves slow the rain, so plants protect it. Plants make their own food in their leaves, but they take water and minerals from the soil. Compost adds humus, which holds water and gives plants minerals as it rots. Changing the crop each year keeps soil healthy, and beans, peas and lentils add nitrogen.

Three questions to ask

There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.

1. Why does a hill with grass lose less soil than a bare hill?
2. What is compost, and what does it give to soil?
3. Why might a farmer grow beans one year and wheat the next?

After the chapter, the learner can

• Explain how trees and grass stop soil washing away
• Describe how compost and changing crops keep soil healthy