Top left image by Natural Resources Conservation Service.

During the ten-week program, students learn about soils and its relationship to plants, animals and everyday products. What is the relationship between soil and a cheeseburger? What about ice cream or biodiesel and ethanol? Students apply other unit objectives to what they learn each week.

During the soil and water unit, participants learn about particle size, water movement and its relationship to plant growth and ultimately Missouri crops and pasture.  Students also learn about the soil profile, by creating their very own edible version.

“Soil doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. A magician doesn’t wave a magic wand and…poof!… soil shows up. And it’s not made in a soil factory. Soil comes from broken up pieces of rock and dead leaves, tree limbs, and dead bugs-those kinds of things.”

Learn more at:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/people/outreach/education/?cid=nrcs143_021960

For additional resources, visit http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/