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- The
Topic:
- Soils
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- Easier - Soil is the
loose top layer of our planet's crust. It is dirt or
earth in which plant life can grow.
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- Harder - Soil covers
a major portion of the earth's land surface. It is an
important natural resource that either directly or
indirectly supports most of the planet's life. Life
here depends upon soil for food. Plants are rooted in
soil and obtain needed nutrients there. Animals get
their nutrients from plants or from other animals that
eat plants. Many animals make their homes or are
sheltered in the soil. Microbes in the soil cause the
breakdown and decay of dead organisms, a process that
in turn adds more nutrients to the soil.
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- Soil is a mixture of mineral and organic materials
plus air and water. The contents of soil varies in
different locations and is constantly changing. There
are many different kinds and types of soils. Each has
certain characteristics including a specific color and
composition. Different kinds of soils support the
growth of different types of plants and also determine
how well that plant life grows. Soil is formed slowly,
but can be easily destroyed. Therefore, soil
conservation is important for continued support of
life.
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- S.K.
Worm Answers Your Questions About Soil and
Stuff! from the US Department of
Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation
Service
- http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/squirm/skworm.html
- Its a dirty job but someone has to do
it--S.K.Worm, the official annelid, or worm answers
students questions about soil.
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- Soil
Science Education by I. Trakhtenberg from
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
- http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/index.htm
- This megasite on soils includes great
information on soil, soil songs, science fair
ideas, and much, much more!
- Another Soil Megasite:
- 2) World of Soil http://homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/overview.htm
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- Soil
Types from University of
Illinois
- http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case2/c2facts2.html
- People describe soil types in all kinds of
ways.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Characteristics of Different Soil Types
http://homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/formed/f0108.htm
- 3) Soil Layers http://www.sandwich.k12.ma.us/webquest/soil/so-prof.jpg
- 4) Soil Layers from Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geology/soil/
- 5) Utah Soils - Background Information
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/lp_res/TRB020.html
- 6) Wetland Soil http://www.wetland.org/kids/wetsoil.htm
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- What
on Earth is Soil? from the Gulf of
Mexico Program, Environmental Protection
Agency
- http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/edresources/soil.html
- Here you find a list of quick facts about soil
and what it is used for.
- Other Introductory Sites:
- 2) Dirt on Soil: What's Really Going On
Underground from Discovery School
- http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/soil/
- 3) Introduction to Soils http://www.swifty.com/apase/charlotte/soil1.html
- 4) Soil from US Dept. of
Agriculture
- http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/soil/soilintro.htm
- 5) Soil from Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry, New Zealand
- http://www.maf.govt.nz/MAFnet/schools/kits/soil1.htm
- 6) Soils: An Introduction from
Geobopological Survey
- http://www.geobop.com/paleozoo/Soils/Intro/index.htm
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- Websites By Kids For Kids
- Get
the Latest Dirt on...Soils! (2000
ThinkQuest Junior Project)
- http://library.thinkquest.org/J003195F/newpage4.htm
- This site tells about the formation and
composition of soil, types of soil, soil profiles
and conservation of soil. Included are several
experiments and activities designed to help you
discover and learn about soil characteristics.
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- More Soil Websites
- Biological
Soil Crusts
- http://www.soilcrust.org/
- Biological soil crusts -- also known as
cryptogamic, microbiotic, cryptobiotic, and
microphytic crusts, are commonly found in semiarid
and arid environments throughout the world.
Biological soil crusts are formed by living
organisms and their by-products, creating a crust
of soil particles bound together by organic
materials.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Biological Soil Crusts from National
Science & Technology Center
- http://www.blm.gov/nstc/soil/crusts/index.html
- 3) Cryptobiotic Soils: Holding the Place in
Place by J. Belnap
- http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/biology/crypto/
- 4) Kingdom of the Crusts by J.T. Csotonyi
http://www.crosswinds.net/~soilcrust/
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- Dirtland
from Microbe Zoo, Michigan State
University
- http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/zdmain.html
- Learn about the microbes living in the soil, on
rocks, inside roots, buried under miles of Earth,
in compost piles and toxic waste, and all over the
Earth's surface.
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- History
of the Dustbowl
- http://www.ultranet.com/~gregjonz/dust/dustbowl.html
- The Dust Bowl was a ecological and human
disaster caused by misuse of land and years of
sustained drought.
- Related Websites:
- 2) 1930's Dust Bowl excerpted from 'The Dust
Bowl, Men, Dirt and Depression' by
- Paul Bonnifield http://www.ptsi.net/user/museum/dustbowl.html
- 3) Dust Storms and their Damage http://www.weru.ksu.edu/pics/dust_storms/
- 4) Surviving the Dust Bowl from PBS American
Experience
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/
- 5) US Dustbowl Fears Return from BBC
News
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_433000/433213.stm
- 6) Voices from the Dust Bowl from American
Folklife Center, Library of Congress
- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tshome.html
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- Maine
State Soil - Chesuncook by I. Fernandez,
University of Maine
- http://www.ume.maine.edu/~DrSoils/Outline/Outline.html
- Does your state have an official soil? Learn
about Maine's selection.
- Related Website:
- 2) State and Provincial Soils from
Geobopological Survey
- http://www.geobop.com/paleozoo/Soils/
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- Museum
of Dirt
- http://www.planet.com/dirtweb/flash.html
- Bordering on frivolity - - certainly humorous,
this online museum houses a collection of soil and
dirt samples from around the world. Did you ever
want to view dirt from Harry Truman's yard? You can
find it here!
- Other More Serious Soil Galleries:
- 2) Soils of the Day http://lawr.ucdavis.edu/classes/ssc100/sotd_sol.html
- 3) Soils Photo Gallery from Iowa State
University http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/photogal/
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- Protecting
Your Property From Erosion
- http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/enviro/erosion/erosion.html
- This site contains information about soil
erosion and ways to prevent it.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Soil: Erosion and Conservation http://www.seafriends.org.nz/enviro/soil/erosion.htm
- 3) Soil Resources In Agricultural Areas (Online
slide show) http://www.cjnetworks.com/~sccdistrict/shw_agso/index.htm
- 4) Why Should We Worry About Soil Erosion?
- http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/enviro/erosion/ecare.html
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- Soil
Survey: Its Use from Soil and Water
Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA
- http://www.swcs.org/t_resources_survey_fact.htm
- Learn about the National Cooperative Soil
Survey (NCSS), a nationwide partnership
involving federal, regional, state, and local
agencies. These institutions work together to
inventory and interpret U.S. soils and to publish
and distribute soil surveys for public use.
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- State
of Soil: Fact Sheet from Soil and Water
Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA
- http://www.swcs.org/t_resources_state_fact.htm
- This information sheet provides information
about soils and threats to them.
- Related Website:
- 2) Health of Our Soils from Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada
- http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/health/intro.html
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- Twelve
Soil Orders - Soil Taxonomy from
University of Idaho
- http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/soilorders/
- This updated soil taxonomy was first published
by the United States Department of
Agriculture's Soil Survey Staff. It places
soils in one of twelve categories known as orders.
Here is a collection of images that illustrate the
distribution, properties, and use of these 12 soil
orders.
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- Websites For Teachers
- Activity
# 1 - Water is a Component of Soil (Grade
4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=140&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- Using a paper towel to remove water from soil,
students determine that water is one of the four
ingredients in the soil.
- Related Activities:
- 2) Activity # 2 - Air is a Component of Soil
(Grade 4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=141&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- 3) Activity # 3 - Categorizing Soil Particles
(Grade 4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=142&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- 4) Activity # 4 - Soil Ingredients (Grade
4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=143&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- 5) Activity # 5 - A Recipe for Soil (Grade
4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=144&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- 6) Activity # 6 - Soil Types (Grade 4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=145&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
- 7) Activity # 7 - Finding Our Roots in the Soil
(Grade 4)
- http://www.uen.org/cgi-
- bin/websql/lessons/l4.hts?id=146&core=3&course_num=3040&std=5
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- Could
You Live Here? (Grades 4-8) by G. Spinnie,
J. Sutherland, R. Edgerton, & S. Coons
- http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/modules/soils/index.html
- Investigate the heat absorption and transfer
properties of various soils to make an inference
about Martian soil.
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- Erosion
Lab (Grade 3-4) from University of
Arizona
- http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/earthscience/erosion.html
- The first part of this activity would
demonstrate how erosion works in nature. In the
second part, the students would use tissue paper to
simulate what prevents erosions in nature.
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- How
Are Soils Classified? (Grades K-5) by R.
Sund, B. Tillery, and L. Trowbridge
- http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/glaciereft/geosok5.htm
- Students will classify a soil sample by adding
water to it and seeing if the wet soil will roll
into a cigar shape and if so, will it hold this
shape when dry.
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- Life
In the Soil
- http://www.agronomy.org/journals/jnrlse/archives/spring97/one.html
- Visit this site for an article that outlines an
experiment to measure the life found in a soil
sample.
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- Soil,
Soil, Soil from The Learning
Network
- http://myschoolonline.com/page/0,1871,2123-126557-2-36845,00.html
- This site connects you to a 16-lesson science
unit on soils.
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soil
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compost
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topsoil
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organic matter
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mineral
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nutrient
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soil scientist
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rock
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decaying plant
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decaying animal
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soil sample
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water
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air
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sand
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silt
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clay
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texture
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fungi
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bacteria
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root
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seed
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earth
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wind
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erosion
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farming
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biological soil crusts
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pedologist
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gardening
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loam
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peat moss
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limestone
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dust bowl
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conservation
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subsoil
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worm
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decompose
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humus
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microbe
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root
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glacial till
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porosity
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horizon
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recycling
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landscape
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soil science
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soil fertility
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biome
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dirt
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- Created by
Annette
Lamb and
Larry
Johnson,
3/02.
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