We see soil, walk on soil, and grow things in soil every day, but the vast majority of people never recognize how important soil is in sustaining life on Earth. This article presents background information linked to teaching resources to introduce K-12 students to many of the critical functions of soils. These materials were shared with teachers during a Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2018.

Discipline
Earth and Space Sciences
Grade Level
3-5
6-8
9-12
Lesson Area
Soil Basics
Soil Biology
Soil Chemistry
Lesson Type
Reading
Lesson Keywords
Soil Basics
article
NESTA
Earth Scientist

Next Generation Science Standards

Grade Discipline Core Idea
3-5 ESS1.C: The history of planet Earth

Certain features on Earth can be used to order events that have occurred in a landscape.
3-5 ESS2.A: Earth materials and systems

Four major Earth systems interact. Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller pieces and move them around.
3-5 ESS3.A: Natural resources

Energy and fuels humans use are derived from natural sources and their use affects the environment. Some resources are renewable over time, others are not.
6-8 ESS1.C: The history of planet Earth

Rock strata and the fossil record can be used as evidence to organize the relative occurrence of major historical events in Earth's history.
6-8 ESS2.A: Earth materials and systems

Energy flows and matter cycles within and among Earth's systems, including the sun and Earth's interior as primary energy sources. Plate tectonics is one result of these processes.
6-8 ESS3.A: Natural resources

Humans depend on Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for different resources, many of which are limited or not renewable. Resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.
9-12 ESS1.C: The history of planet Earth

The rock record resulting from tectonic and other geoscience processes as well as objects from the solar system can provide evidence of Earth's early history and the relative ages of major geologic formations.
9-12 ESS2.A: Earth materials and systems

Feedback effects exist within and among Earth's systems.
9-12 ESS3.A: Natural resources

Resource availability has guided the development of human society and use of natural resources has associated costs, risks, and benefits.