Soil Types: Sand, Clay and Loam — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 4 earth, rocks & weather worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 4 · Science · Earth, Rocks & WeatherSoil Types: Sand, Clay and Loam — Answers
Part A: Not all soil is the same
Read the passage. Then circle the best answer.
Soil is made of tiny pieces of rock mixed with humus (decayed plant and animal material), air and water. The size of the rock pieces gives each soil different properties.
Sandy soil has large grains with big gaps between them. It feels gritty, and water drains through it quickly, so it dries out fast and loses nutrients.
Clay soil has very tiny particles packed tightly together. It feels smooth and sticky when wet and holds lots of water, but drains slowly and can become waterlogged. It can set hard when dry.
Loam is a mix of sand, silt and clay with lots of humus. It holds enough water and nutrients for plants but still lets extra water drain away and air reach the roots. Most garden plants grow best in loam.
- Aclay
- Bsandy soil
- Cloam
- Dsilt
Answer: sandy soil
Sand grains are the largest; clay particles are the smallest.
- Asand is wet already
- Bthere are big gaps between the grains
- Csand is sticky
- Dsand has lots of humus
Answer: there are big gaps between the grains
Large grains leave large spaces, so water runs through easily.
- Asandy soil
- Bclay soil
- Cgravel
- Dloam
Answer: clay soil
Clay has tiny particles packed closely together, so it holds water and feels sticky.
- AIt drains water too fast.
- BIt holds some water, drains well and is rich in humus.
- CIt never gets wet.
- DIt is the heaviest soil.
Answer: It holds some water, drains well and is rich in humus.
Loam is a mix of sand, silt and clay with plenty of humus, so it holds enough water and nutrients but still lets air in.
- Asandy soil
- Bclay soil
- Cloam
- Dgravel
Answer: clay soil
Clay holds water and drains slowly, which can cause waterlogged roots.
Part B: Compare the soils
- sandy soil
- clay soil
- loam
- sticky, holds water
- crumbly, rich in humus
- gritty, drains fast
Answer: sandy soil → gritty, drains fast; clay soil → sticky, holds water; loam → crumbly, rich in humus
Answer: drains
Answer: humus
Answer: Compost adds humus, which helps the soil hold more water and nutrients for plants.
Part C: True or false?
Write True or False.
Answer: False
Clay drains slowly because its tiny particles leave very small gaps.
Answer: True
Loam has sand, silt and clay plus humus.
Answer: True
Bigger grains leave bigger gaps for water to flow through.
Answer: False
Clay holds the most, sand the least, and loam is in between.
Part D: Working scientifically: the drainage test
Use Jack's results to answer.
Jack put the same amount of three soils into funnels lined with filter paper. He poured 100 mL of water onto each and measured how much water dripped through in 10 minutes.
Sandy soil: 85 mL. Loam: 55 mL. Clay soil: 20 mL.
Answer: Sandy soil (85 mL).
Answer: Clay soil, because only 20 mL came through, so 80 mL stayed in the soil.
Answer: Any two of: the same amount of soil, the same amount of water (100 mL), the same funnels and filter paper, the same time (10 minutes).
Model answer: Loam. It let 55 mL through, so it held some water for the plants but did not stay waterlogged like clay. Sand let most of the water drain away, so plants would dry out.
Success criteria:
- Chooses loam
- Uses the results as evidence
- Compares with sand and clay
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.