Soil-Net.com - a free environmental educational resource about soils for Primary and Secondary schools age. Soil is right under our feet. Visit: http://www.soil-net.com

About Soil-Net - Soil is important in all our lives. As one of the three major natural resources, alongside air and water, soil is vital to the existence of life on earth. Soil-Net.com help you learn about what soil is, the teeming life in soil, what soil does and about the many environmental threats facing our soils. Remember, soil is all around us, just under our feet! Be sure to visit Soil-Net.com

Primary - Designed for Key Stages 1 and 2 (ages 5-11), Soil-Net offers a series of exciting, interactive and animated movies that teach about soil and its importance. Follow Badger and class in soil school as they learn about what soil is, why soil matters, how soil forms and differs and how soil supports the plants and animals on earth. Activity and topic sheets accompany the on-screen fun.

Secondary - Designed for Key Stages 3 and 4 (ages 11-16), Soil-Net offers a broad coverage of soils information; introducing soils, examining the global cycles, presenting the functions soils perform, looking at the diversity of world soils and considering the threats and concerns facing our soil resources. A series of case studies and informative activities and downloads are also provided.

Teachers and Parents - An important part of Soil-Net provides in-depth advice and assistance for teachers and parents supporting children learning about soil, based on real classroom trials. Curriculum links are provided for Science, Geography, Citizenship and History. Teaching resources include extensive soils activities for classroom and outdoors, a series of 3D virtual soil walks and an eco-lifestyle quiz.

Other resources on Soil:

www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes - Soilscapes Viewer presents free online soil maps for England and Wales

www.wossac.com - a resource of information about world soils (for older students)

North Wales is a small but beautiful area with very diverse landscapes ranging from lowland coastal areas to high mountainous areas dissected by both broad glacial valleys and deep narrow river valleys.

This booklet introduces the reader to the various soils, explains their formation and indicates their contribution to the landscape and to biodiversity. It is aimed at the general reader but with sufficient detail to enable students and teachers to learn more about soil properties, and to provide a number of sites where these soils can be easily and safely studied provided the Code of Conduct is followed.

To order a hard copy or to view parts of the booklet online, visit the pages on the Royal Agricultural College website.