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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

How Does Your Garden Grow?

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
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...
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

ABC: Acid Base Chemistry

For Teachers 7th Standards
Bubble, bubble, boil and trouble! What causes common substances like baking soda and vinegar to react the way they do? Welcome your junior chemists to the wonders of acid-base chemistry using a comprehensive and fun resource. Engage them...
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Unit Plan
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning

Forensic Sciences: A Crime Scene Investigation Unit

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Mr. Bergman has been murdered and we need you to solve the crime! The cross-curricular unit covers 11 different types of forensic science and includes 17 activities. Scholars perform blood type analysis, blood spatter analysis, height...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Soil Testing

For Students 5th - 8th
Earth science learners experiment with the water-holding properties of sand, pebbles, and clay. They apply their findings to the building of a well. This activity is engaging and tactile, and it demonstrates the importance of considering...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Behavior Over Time: Analyzing Seasonal Soil and Air Properties

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Moisture can affect air temperatures and so much more! An analysis of NASA soil moisture data allows pupils to make connections between climate and weather features. They first review general data and then select a specific location to...
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Activity
University of Waikato

Growing Soil Microbes

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
View how microbes grow in soil. Class members first create a Winogradsky column to grow bacteria. They then set up the column of mud in a plastic bottle and include a food source for the microbes and observe the column of mud over the...
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Activity
University of Waikato

Investigating Soil Moisture Content

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Class members analyze the water content in soil samples by drying out the samples and taking measurements every minute until all the moisture is gone. Scholars compare the initial weight to the dried weight to calculate the percentage of...
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Lesson Plan
Nuffield Foundation

Investigating the Effects of Biochar on Soil Fertility

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Breathe some new life into charcoal. Scholars use biochar to improve soil fertility. They test the effectiveness of this addition by conducting an experiment with soil having 0%, 2%, and 4% biochar.
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Thinking Like A Soil Scientist

For Teachers 6th Standards
Ready to roll up those sleeves and get your hands dirty? Dirty with soil science content, that is! Overcome those "But it's just dirt" objections with a trip outside to collect soil samples for some in-class analysis. Use the variety of...
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Activity
Cornell University

Study Soil

For Teachers 4th - 5th
What's in soil? Young scientists study the pH levels of soil from their school yard. They observe the land and area the soil came from to decide if location has anything to do with acidity level.
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Interactive
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Marvelous Martian Mineralogy

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Believe it or not ... martian soil does have nutrients needed for plants to survive! An out-of-this-world tutorial moves scholars through an analysis of martian soil to determine its chemical make-up. Pupils analyze reflectivity of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Assessment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars work in small groups on a problem based learning activity. Students are presented with a problem of buying land to use for educational purposes only and must determine if it is feasible to buy it based on soil analysis and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Done It?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pick and choose which activities to include in this crime scene investigation. Junior detectives can examine fingerprints, DNA, blood samples, or bone structure.  The plan suggests you have teams solve a mystery, but it does not give you...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Stories

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders collect and analyze soil samples and extrapolate the characteristics needed to support different types of plant life. They research different types of prairie soil and how it supports plant and animal life.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Warming Experiment

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine the changes in Earth's temperature. In this global warming lesson, students perform an experiment testing temperatures of soil. Students record their findings and discuss what made the differences in the soil temperature.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Digging Into Soils!

For Students 4th - 6th
For this soil analysis worksheet, students fill out a chart with information about four samples of soil. Students record notes about 5 questions about the soil samples: feel, color, possible origin, and smell. Students draw a picture of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology of The Sonoran Desert Soil Crusts: Biology, Geology

For Teachers 6th - 11th
This lesson is designed after research done on the ecology of soil lichen in the Tucson Basin area during the summers of 1997 and 1998. Its purpose is to guide students into adopting the problem solving thinking of ecologists. The lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Isn't a Dirty Word

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students investigate the properties of rocks. In this geology instructional activity, students draw their profile and discuss what a soil profile would look like. Additionally, students demonstrate how to make soil by rubbing two pieces...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forestry Suppliers

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore the scientific reasons that certain types of foods cause different reactions when they interact with the tongue. They analyze the differences between acids and basics. The experiment is performed at three different sites...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Even Grass Won't Grow

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze what occurs when grass will not grow. They interview maintenance staff at their school and research possibilities for grass to grow. They develop a research plan and conduct soil sample tests. They plant grass seed and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientific Approach to Forest Management

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use wireless laptop computers to collect, store, communicate, and organize data from the 1999 Jasper Fire area. They collect data in the field and compare it to student-collected data from prior years to develop conclusions...
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Handout
Other

Der: Soil Technician Classification Specification [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Wisconsin Department of Employment Relations provides a job description for soil technician with the State of Wisconsin, and it includes duties and qualifications. (2003)