Lessons and Activities

This is a simple method to estimate the percent of sand, silt, and clay in a soil and determine it's texture.

This lesson focuses on soil health and recognizing that soil is a living system.
The lesson also emphasizes that soil microbial activity, specifically decomposition activity, can be a good indicator of how alive and healthy a soil is.

This activity is an adaptation of a classic cotton strip test used to test soil
decomposition capacity. More recently the "Soil Your Undies" campaign led by various soil conservation groups has been a fun way for farmers to test their soil health by burying a pair of cotton underwear to see the decomposition activity of their soil.

Everything that we eat has nutrients. Nutrients get into the soil many different ways: from decomposed animal waste and dead plants, the atmosphere, weathering of rocks and bacteria conversions. Slides and activities

Soils are an importance part of the energy cycle. In this activity you will determine how much bio-fuel can be produced by different plants.

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.

Middle school and high school level soil basics from the NRCS

A description of the role of soil in art

Carbon sequestration, greenhouse gases, desertification, drought are a few of the climate and soil topics in this SSSA video. It also describes how soils help us understand past environments.

A starting page to learn about soil impacts art, literature, medicine, and war.

This activity, created by FirstGreen, takes students out to the golf course to learn about the components of soil, soil nutrients, and soil pH.

From farm to table, to pottery and adobe, to make-up, this SSSA video explores the role of soil in the products we use.

A critical thinking exercise using multiple entry points introducing soils

Soils are alive! This SSSA video shows how “alive” soils are given the diversity and complexity of life in soils. Soil biology is what makes soil more than dirt.

In this activity, students will dig up a sample of soil and examine it for life forms.

This SSSA video introduces the role of water in the vitality of soils, its distribution across and into soils, and green infrastructure for stormwater management.