The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) K-12 committee members and a group of dedicated soil scientists wrote the Know Soil, Know Life book for the high school and introductory college-level student.
The book provides a deeper dive into soil science topics including physical properties of soil, soil formation, soil biology, chemical properties of soil, soil classification/survey/interpretations, environmental science/conservation/land use management, soils and biomes, soils and society, and careers in soil science. It also demonstrates that soil science is an integrated discipline, bringing in elements of all the other sciences -- chemistry, biology, physics, and earth science.
The accompanying educator's guide enhances the usability of the book to more easily integrate all information in the book/chapters/sections into classroom curriculum. Components for each chapter include:
- Chapter overview,
- Suggested teaching sequence and pacing guide,
- Accompanying Powerpoint,
- Links to hands-on activities and readings to support chapter materials,
- List of relevant NGSS standards addressed,
- Assessments including chapter questions (login access required), formative and summattive assessments,
- Links to additional optional resources
The guide does not replace all of the in-depth information in the book. Rather it enhances it! The lessons can also be used in a stand-alone fashion. The hands-on labs and activities bring the text to 'life' for students. The lessons can be taught in any order, or educators may select only the most pertinent chapters/activities for their classes. All of the activities have been correlated to the current Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). While not needed to teach the lessons, educators may wish to purchase a desk copy of the book, or a class set. To do so, click the link to the right.
The guide is hosted through the Science Education Resource Center (SERC), a grant-funded office at Carleton College, founded to improve education in the Earth sciences and beyond. The SERC team of educators, researchers and technical specialists have worked with over 100 award winning education projects across the STEM disciplines and allied fields. Engaging participants from more than 1,000 institutions of higher education, as well as K-12 curriculum developers and teachers, they have created one of the world's largest collections of pedagogic resources.
Sponsoring Organization
![[reuse info]](https://serc.carleton.edu/images/information_16.png)
SSSA sincerely thanks the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for their support of this project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under number NR183A750025C010. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
