Explain how soils are created and erode
THEME: The Living Soil–The Living Plant: We are all Interconnected and Related
STRAND: Science of Living Soil
GRADE LEVEL: 6-8
Key Concepts
Summarize how parent material of soil (rock) is transformed through the process of weathering.
Categorize the organic components of soil.
Lesson
Compare and contrast the layers in soil horizons in different areas of the garden. Measure the layers.
Use quadrats to carefully observe the topsoil and identify its components, record data.
Identify an area of erosion. Measure the length, width, and depth of the area and calculate the volume of topsoil lost. Design, implement and test a solution to prevent erosion. Monitor intervention over time to evaluate efficacy
Activity
Using actual soil components (organic matter,rock,etc.) design a visual representation of a soil horizon,with particular attention to color and scaled particle size.
Using the data from the quadrat activity above,create a graph using a computer program and analyze the results.
Using actual soil components (organic matter, rock, etc). create a visual representation of a soil horizon, with particular attention to color and scaled size.