(by Dr. Dirt) These resources have been developed primarily for K-8 teachers and students. Hands-on, exploratory learning activities based on methods of scientific inquiry will encourage interest in science, soil, engineering, agriculture, and natural resources. The activities could easily be adapted and extended to challenge students in grades 9-12. The pages on plows and irrigation provide information on historical and current cultivation and irrigation methods. |
Dr. Clay Robinson, Ph.D., CPSSc, PG
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Questions? Ask Dr. Dirt |
FAQ (Frequently asked questions) &
Answers updated September 1, 2007 |
Smithsonian
Soils Exhibit! (through January 2010) |
Check out this exciting exhibit
online. |
SOIL!
Get the Inside Scoop This is a great book for kids, and a good resource for teachers, targeted toward middle school. |
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Summer
Science Teacher Academy,
2008 |
Activities prepared for June 20,
2008 Soil Science Session, Brownwood, TX (with TEKS) |
What is Soil? | A PowerPoint presentation that provides simple to complex definitions of soil from many sources. Robinson, created 2004, updated 2006 | |
Hungry,
naked, and homeless: Where would we be without soil? (K-5) |
Activities prepared for the
WTAMU Math-Science Teacher Conference, September 20, 2008 |
Soil: A marriage of
science and
math? (Grades 6-8) |
Activities prepared for the WTAMU Math-Science Teacher Conference, September 20, 2008 | |
The
Apple As Planet Earth: Spin by Dr. Dirt (with TEKS) Dr. Dirt: Soils, Water, Ecosystems, and Aquifers |
Activities prepared for the
WTAMU Math-Science Teacher Conference, September 25, 2004 Activities prepared for the WTAMU Math-Science Teacher Conference, September 24, 2005 |
Physical
model of soil with three phases of matter (with TEKS) |
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Soil Texture activities (with
TEKS)
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The
Sponge Model: A sponge is used to represent several facets of soil water relations and engineering properties. |
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Making
observations with tools (with TEKS) |
Carbonates and vinegar effervescence (with TEKS) |
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Profiles
in Soil Science |
A compilation of articles about
influential soil scientists in the United States. (with TEKS) |
Soil Air Basic information about the soil atmosphere. (with TEKS) |
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Soil and Water These demonstrations use marbles, golf balls, and ball bearings to show where water exists in soil, and how it is removed by plants Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
Dirt pudding recipes
and pictures This tasty pudding can be used to teach about the horizons (layers) in soil. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
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What
is capillarity? These demonstrations provide the basics about capillary action, where and how water is held in soil. Capillary action at work using ball bearings and reverse light. |
Sand
Castles: Pre-engineering 101 These simple exercises demonstrate some basic soil engineering properties. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
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What
about surface tension? Surface tension is an air-liquid phenomenon. Detergents and surfactants alter the surface tension of water, decreasing the cohesion of water. |
Soil is a
filter This simple exercise demonstrates some basic soil chemical properties that protect our water supplies. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
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You have always heard the grass is always
greener on the other side of the fence, but... Is the Grass Really Greener? Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
Soil Temperature These exercises demonstrate the effects of water, color, mulch, and configuration on soil temperature. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K-8 Adobe *.pdf file |
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Erosion Erosion is a problem, and these pictures show some of the more common problems associated with erosion. (with TEKS) |
Soil
Residue This exercise provides a method students can use to determine residue remaining on soil surface after harvest. The residue cover influences the erosion potential of soil. |
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What's a plow anyway? Pictures of tillage implements with discussion of what they do and why they are used. |
Irrigation Methods in the Great
Plains Brief summary of irrigation methods used with pictures and discussion |
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Essential Plant Nutrients (with TEKS) Generalized Nutrient Cycle (diagram) (CEC = cation exchange capacity; AEC = anion exchange capacity) |
Nutrient uptake activity with carnations (with TEKS) Link to nutrient cycles diagrams (N, P, K, S) from PPI-PPIC (Phosphate & Potash Institute) |
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How
Big Is Your World? The world is a complex system, but often our knowledge of it is limited by our experience and interest. |
Mini
Soil Profile Check out this new, quick, and inexpensive technique to make a mini-soil profile using a note card and double sided carpet tape. (with TEKS) |
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ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/ Educational_Resources/sellsoil.pdf Kentucky Soil, It's Worth Protecting |
10
Key Messages about the importance of soil: USDA-NRCS |
Using
Soil as a dye: Dirt Shirts (with TEKS) Crayons colored by soil |
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Painting
with soil Jan Lang's paintings for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial in 2003 |
Have you ever gotten your white shirt, socks, etc. stained playing or hiking near a river or lake? Help get your kids interested in soil. Wear a dirt shirt from one of 14 states and one foreign country. This is a list of suppliers' webpages. Related Links: Educational resources from First Class Schools NRCS Tidbits for Teachers : Conservation education material for teachers K-12 Fun Science Gallery : Inexpensive, simple science experiments USDA for Kids : Several links and educational activities Texas Rural Systemic Initiative: High Quality Math and Science for All Students Splash : an online water quality game National Agricultural Statistics Service for Kids : Activities for kids and for teachers + agriculture facts Soil Science Activities: Activities to help kids understand soil properties, provided by the NASA Globe Project Plant and soil mysteries: Kids learn about soil and plants as they solve the mysteries Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom: Several teaching activities Texas Ag in the Classroom: Teaching activities and other opportunities Copyright 2007. Clay Robinson, Ph.D., as to all resources: Materials may not be reproduced without Dr. Robinson's written consent. Students are prohibited from selling (or being paid for taking) notes or webpages during this course to or by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the developer of these pages. |
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![]() Last updated: 06-23-2008 |
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