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Under the Soil

Science · Year 1–Year 4

Drag the lens over the lawn and see what lives underneath.

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About the under the soil

A lawn with a carrot top and a daffodil growing on it. Drag the lens across it and the soil goes see-through: the carrot's root is the whole orange part, the daffodil grew out of a bulb, and there is an earthworm, a woodlouse, an ant and a stone down there as well. The board names whatever is under the lens.

The lens is the pointer, so there is nothing to tap and nothing to hunt for. Press anywhere on the picture and it jumps there, or drag it and sweep. Press Hide under Names and the board stops saying what things are, so the class names them instead.

Roots are the Year 1 to Year 3 part of it: a carrot is a root, and a class that has only seen carrots in a bag has not seen that. The minibeasts are Year 2 to Year 4, and the stone is there on purpose, because not everything under the soil is alive and sorting the living from the not living is the other half of the lesson.

Press Away under Soil to take the whole surface off and show everything at once, which is how to finish the activity rather than how to start it.

How to use it on your whiteboard

  1. 1Drag the lens across the lawn, or press anywhere on the picture to move it there.
  2. 2Read what the board says is under the lens: a carrot root, a bulb, an earthworm, a woodlouse, an ant or a stone.
  3. 3Press Hide under Names and ask the class to name what they can see instead.
  4. 4Use Small, Medium and Large to change how much the lens shows.
  5. 5Press Away to take the soil off and show the lot. Tap Fullscreen to fill the board.

Questions

What is under the soil in this one?
A carrot, which is a root; the daffodil's bulb with its shoot on the way up; an earthworm; a woodlouse; an ant; and a stone. Six things, spread out enough that the lens names one at a time.
How do I use it as a question rather than an answer?
Press Hide under Names. The lens still shows what is there and the board stops saying what it is, so the class does the naming. Press Show to check.
Can I show everything at once?
Yes. Press Away under Soil and the whole surface comes off. It is worth saving until the class has found things with the lens, because the finding is the activity.
Do I need an account?
No. Trove Tools is free with no login, no subscription and no limits.