Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
K20 LEARN
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Seventy thousand different types of soil exist in the United States alone. Young scientists learn about the importance of soil to the food supply. They test soil for a variety of factors and determine the best place to set up a community...
Learning Games Lab
Fertilizing Chile
Fertilizer can mean the difference between a profit and a loss. Scholars use an online interactive to explore the effects of fertilizing in agriculture. Given information about the nitrogen levels in the soil, they decide the fertilizer...
NASA
The Case of the Wacky Water Cycle
Join the tree house detectives in learning about the processes of the water cycle, water conservation, water treatment, and water as a limited resource.
Curated OER
How Much is Dirt Worth?
Dirt is worthless, isn't it? Find out the true value of dirt, and by dirt I mean soil. The class explores what makes soil, the types of soil, and what happens when soil becomes void of its nutrients. There are several great activities,...
Curated OER
English Hillside Horse
Students gather information about the English countryside by researching books and the Internet. Then they recognize that parts of England's topography consist of hills made of chalk that are covered by layers of grass and soil. Students...
Curated OER
Soil Scrolls
Third graders examine soil samples and explore the what happens in each layer of the subsoil. They work in cooperative groups to create a scroll that shows what takes place in each layer, and discuss why much of the activity is in the...
Curated OER
Dig Into Soil
Young scholars discuss what is found in soil. In this science lesson plan, students observe the soil outside and write down information in regards to location, vegetation, and topography. Young scholars experiment with the soil and its...
Curated OER
How much is Dirt Worth?
Students problem solve to understand the value of the Earth's soil. In this value of dirt lesson, students understand how much of Earth is made of dirt and how important to our survival it is.
Curated OER
Soil Profile
Fourth graders research soil layers and create a soil profile in a jar. In this soil profile lesson, 4th graders working in groups, research a given layer of soil, make a 3-5 minute presentation to the class, and complete a worksheet. ...
Curated OER
Soil
For this soil worksheet, students fill in 12 blanks with terms related to the composition of the layers in soil, the production of the layers of the soil, leaching, and the soil profile.
Curated OER
Using Land
In this using land worksheet, middle schoolers determine if effects on the environment are due to natural or man-made causes. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank and 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Air in Soil Administration Procedures
Students study soil and its composition. In this soil composition lesson, students study examples of soil during several days of aeration. Students summarize their data, organize it, and must be able to explain their findings.
Curated OER
Geography Action! Rivers 2001-Runoff
Students experiment with how rain affects topsoil using dirt and red tempera paint. At the end of the activity, students find red water in their collection jar, representing nutrients in the soil.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: The Dirt on Soil
This interactive website explores the various soil layers and introduces you to the lifeforms that live in those soil layers.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Organic Farming: Conserving Top Soil
Against the backdrop of the devastating 1930's Dust Bowl, this video segment adapted from Interactive NOVA profiles an organic farmer and the techniques he uses to conserve topsoil.
Next.cc
Next: Soil
Investigate how our lives depend upon having healthy soil by engaging in these interactive activities. Links are provided for further exploration.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Soil Composition Soil Soaks Up Water
In this classroom activity, young scholars will show how soil composition affects the amount of water the soil holds. They will test sand and soil independently and then create their own mixture.
Other
N.e. Soil Formation: Genesis
This comprehensive site explores a number of soil related topics. A glossary of soil terms, formation of soils, and classification of soils are just of a few of the topics found on this this.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Soil Horizons and Profiles
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes the different layers of soil.
Other
Attra: Sustainable Soil Mangement
How does soil in its native condition function? How do forests and native grasslands produce plants and animals in the complete absence of fertilizer and tillage? What are the principles by which these soils function? The answers to...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Dig Into Soil
In this activity, students examine soil. They choose a location and describe it. They then dig a hole, measure the depth of the topsoil and subsoil, take samples of each, and describe their composition and characteristics.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: The Real Dirt on Farmer John: Family Farms in America
Trace the evolution in American agriculture with this interactive timeline. Learn how the history of one small Illinois farm reflects the larger changes, decade by decade.
Biology Pages
Kimball's Biology Pages: Soil Horizons
This site is a personal site from John W. Kimball, a Harvard Professor, that contains a brief definition of both topsoil and subsoil. A drawing supplements the text.