Each week, a brand-new original student worksheet will be available to complement each one of the study guides, which can be used by students in class or at home.

The original worksheets will include various tasks from comprehension exercises, dictionary work, multiple choice questions and more.

The worksheets have been designed to enhance learning of the new Leaving Certificate material and as alternatives to exam questions.

The worksheets can be used as a tool to assess self-learning or, alternatively, classroom assessment.

The answers can be found in the corresponding study guide and the linked content.

Additional sources such as the Irish Farmers Journal website, Teagasc website, and the

Agri Aware Virtual Farm may be useful.

Task 1: Explain the below terms in your own words

  • Soil texture.
  • Soil structure.
  • Soil porosity.
  • Aggregates.
  • Leaching.
  • Humus.
  • Permanent wilting point.

    • Task 2: Answer the questions below

  • What is the difference between cementation and separation in relation to soil structure?
  • List the factors that influence soil structural development.
  • Briefly explain how earthworm activity affects soil structural development.

    • Task 3: Answer the questions below

  • Which type/s of soil water is available to plants?
  • Which type/s of soil water is unavailable to plants?
  • What is the term for the process of air moving in and out of soil pores?

    • Task 4: Answer the true or false questions below

  • Soils with large pore spaces warm up quicker (T / F).
  • Waterlogged soils take longer to warm up (T / F).
  • Loam soils struggle to retain heat (T / F).
  • Cold soils are better for growing crops (T / F).
  • A sandy soil will be cooler than a clay soil (T / F).

    • 2021-2022 Study Guide Worksheet: biological properties of soils