Soils

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...

Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...

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...

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...

Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson plan during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then,...

Some scientists argue that air pollution now causes more deaths than smoking. The second unit in a six-part series focuses on air quality. Scholars learn what's in the air, how clean the air around their school is, and what they can do...

Students study the different soil types and describe the different soils in various environments.  In this soil instructional activity students walk to a reserve and discuss what they saw. 

This Pedrosphere site provides a twelve chapter overview of soil science. Numerous topics are discussed and each chapter has a self-test to test your knowledge on the different aspects of soil science. Some chapters are only previews.

Students examine two types of soils in their area. They identify its texture and permeability to determine its origin. They share their results with the class.

Young scholars discuss the importance of "land." They review the four types of land classification--urban, rural, agricultural and conservation--and participate in an activity involving an apple that demonstrates the use of land in...