Alabama Learning Exchange
Plants, Soil and Nutrients
Young scholars conduct an experiment. They review how to use the scientific method to conduct an experiment with white carnations and food coloring. They create a hypothesis and test it to better understand how plants get nutrients,...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...
Curated OER
How Safe Is Your Backyard?
Seventh graders investigate the safety of soil and water locally and communicate via the Internet with students in different locales sharing information. They research the Internet using its multimedia capabilities and collate the data...
Curated OER
Permafrost
Learners use a thermometer to analyze soil temperature data to determine which soil sample is normal, and which one is permafrost. In this permafrost lesson plan, students participate in a hands on activity where they identify the active...
Curated OER
Necessary Nitrogen
Learners view a video that presents the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. They compare types of soils and consider how different fertilizers affect soil composition.
Curated OER
Mud in the Water
Sixth graders investigate erosion. In this erosion lesson, 6th graders explore how farming changes the environment. Students construct an erosion model and research ways to protect the soil from excess mud generated by farming.
Curated OER
Peat Pots
Students place a peat pot in water to observe and calculate the rate of capillarity in a model of a soil. This task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations, collect, record, and represent data, use a data table to...
Curated OER
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Students examine soil. In this science lesson, students examine the layers of soil. Students collect soil from various locations and separate the layers. Students record and chart their findings.
Curated OER
Where do Plants Get their Food?
For this where do plants get their food worksheet, pupils design an experiment that will disprove the idea that plants obtain their food from soil. Students will set up their experiment and design a data table that will record data over...
Curated OER
Water-Holding Capacity
High schoolers design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
Curated OER
Field Crops in the Agro-ecosystem
Ninth graders explore how to apply ecological analysis to cropping systems. In this agro-ecosystem lesson students study management practices including soil and fertility.
Curated OER
Porosity and Permeability
Students examine the concepts of porosity and permeability. They conduct experiments to determine the porosity and permeability of gravel, sand, and clay. After performing the experiments they collect and graph data, comparing the...
Curated OER
National Worm Survey
Young scholars participate in the National Worm Survey. In this National Worm Survey instructional activity, students generate data on earthworms. Young scholars submit their data to the online database Worm Watch.
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Third graders classify rocks. In this rocks and minerals activity, 3rd graders observe, make inferences and conclusions about rocks, minerals, soil and fossils.
Curated OER
Outdoor Survivors
Fifth graders complete a survey to decide what are most popular plants among the class. They test the water quality in a nearby pond. Studnts test the quality of soil samples taken from their homes. Different plants are moistened with...
Curated OER
Car Wash
Students determine the most appropriate site for a car wash, based on each site's soil characteristics (chemical, physical) and topographic features. They perform an experiment to determine the changes to three different soil types when...
Curated OER
Garden in an Egg Carton
Students investigate the growth of seedlings planted in egg cartons in the classroom. Measurements are taken as the plants grow and charts created to organize the data.
Curated OER
Growing Plants
Students grow plants and track their growth over time. In this growing plants lesson, students plant seedlings and chart their growth in a data analysis activity.
Curated OER
Formation of Rain
Students sequence the steps leading to the formation of rain, and design a model to represent these steps. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret and communicate data, and construct a pictorial...
Curated OER
FDR's Tree Army: The Civilian Conservation Corps
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze the a short documentary video clip about the CCC. Students respond to 3 short answer questions about the documentary.
Curated OER
Science in the Garden
Learners examine soil from their local environment. In this garden lesson, students recognize the importance of soil in the garden. Learners explore the contents of the local soil.
Curated OER
Soil Microbiology- Nitrogen cycle
Students take a virtual trip to a Catfish Aquaculture Pond and analyze soil bacteria to determine how many nitrogen cycle bacteria are present. They graph the number of colonies present and use data to determine ammonium levels in the soil.
Curated OER
What are the Chemical and Microbiological Effects of Run-off from a Catfish Pond on the Surrounding Soil and Water?
Young scholars study data from a USDA catfish pond. They look for microbial populations and chemical concentrations in the runoff to determine the effectiveness of filter strips. They use their knowledge of biogeochemical cycles to...