What do we need:

Handout
Presentation 1
Objectives:
- Name at least 3 minerals that make up soil (How: Icebreaker or discussion at end)
- Evaluate the mineral composition of different soil samples (How: Soil testing activity)
- Differentiate between commercial and organic soil.
1.) Introduction
2.) Icebreaker ideas:
a.) Have a world map and have the students match a picture of the soil to the region
of the world it belongs to. This would help get them interested in the soil. We would
transition into the topic by stating, Soil can be so different, but it has the same function
no matter where you go. We would give the correct answers of where the soil belongs,
but would not get into the details of each countrys soil.
b.) Have a periodic table on the SmartBoard. Have several different students come
up to the board and circle which elements they think are in our soil

3.) What is soil?

4.) Roles/ Functions of Soil
5.) Layers of soil (topsoil, subsoil, parent material and bedrock)(ONE SLIDE ONLY)
(Picture)
i.) Organic matter: made up of living and decomposed materials (plants,
bugs, leaves); thin and dark
ii.) Topsoil: minerals and decomposed organic matter; high in nutrients
iii.) Subsoil: clay and mineral deposits; less organic material; lighter in color
iv.) Bedrock: slightly unbroken rock; little bit of organic matter; no plant roots
Today, we are only talking about the layers that are important for plant growth.
6.) Components of Soil
a.) Texture depends upon the percentage of sand, silt, and clay found in the soil
(these are identified by size of the particle)
b.) Sand 0.05 2.00 mm in diameter

c.) Silt 0.002 - 0.05 mm in diameter

d.) Clay < 0.002 mm in diameter

i.) Water is tightly bound to this soil particle

(1) Not very good for growing plants because plants have
difficulty extracting all of the water.
 (4) Loam is composed of silt(40%), clay (40%), and sand (20%)
. Quartz is in all of the soils. Today we will be talking about loams
and silt loams because they are the most productive soil textures
because of the large amount of water that is available for plant use.
Activity: JAR TESTING FOR SOIL TYPE - from connecticut river.
Fill the jar halfway with your soil. Add water to fill up the jar. The sand will settle
out quickly, in a matter of hours (like Sand example here). The middle jar represents

the mixture of clay and silt, which takes up to 24 hours to settle out. The third Clay jar
represents how long it takes clay content to settle out, in this example up to three days.
The jar settles out the same way a stream does after a rainstorm. At first the
water is turbid and brown sand settles out, but the water is still brown. Then the silt
settles out, and the water is almost clear (Loam Jar). Finally, the water is clear,
because the clay has also settled out.
http://secretsofsoil.com/colloids/clay/

e.) Water
i.) Can make up 2-50% of the soil volume.
ii.) Functions:
(1) Transports nutrients to plants and soil organisms
(2) Helps with decomposition
(3) The amount of water held is very dependent upon the soil texture.
(a) The smaller the soil particles, the more water the soil can
retain. (Clay holds the most water while sand holds the
least)
(b) Organic matter also increases the water-holding capacity
of the soil (it has a high affinity for water). The higher the
percentage of organic material in the soil, the higher the
soils water-holding capacity.
(c) Loams and silt loams are textures that hold large amounts
of water that is available for plants to use.
f.) Organic matter (found in soils 1-5%)
i.) Where is it found?
(1) Dead plants and animals
ii.) What does it do?
(1) helps crops to thrive
(2) Helps roots grow extensively
(3) Helps soils resists erosion and compaction
(a) (cover crops supply organic matter by leaving surface
residue and leave lots of roots in the soil)
(i) Protects from rain and runoff!
(ii) Fixes nitrogen

iii.) How does it hold water?

(1) Plant available water-holding capacity
(2) (Manure builds organic matter)
(3) When organic matter is not managed (excessive tilling or not
adding back organic matter)
(a) nutrient holding capacity decreases
(4)
iv.) What is organic matter?
(1) -Matter that was once living and has broken down into its basic
elements:
(a) Potassium
(b) Nitrogen
(c) Phosphorus- animal-based composts and manures are
high in this, which contributes to water pollution.
(2) Organic mulch, cover crops (rye, oats, buckwheat, and clover),
animal manure, and compost are excellent sources of organic
matter.
g.) Minerals (largest component of soil)
i.) Primary minerals (found in sand and silt)
(1) Soil materials similar to the parent material from which they
formed
h.) Secondary minerals (found in clay)
i.) Result from the weathering of primary minerals
ACTIVITY: Soil testing kit
We will buy a kit from home depot that tests the pH, Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus of the
soil. We can have different types of soil.
Students will be given a sheet with different columns. Each column will represent each
individual mineral that is within the soil. They will then record the pH of their soil sample and
whether or not the soil contains adequate amounts of phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen.

Results: Soil needs to have sufficient levels of these minerals, and a stable pH to be considered
healthy. Just like our body cant carry out certain functions when its not healthy, neither can
soil. Soil health is classified by its ability to carry out functions to positively contribute to our
ecosystem so if it is not healthy, it cannot do things purify our water, provide what plants need to
grow or purify our air.
If a soil test shows that a soil is very high in phosphorus, soil-building cover crops are a better
way to maintain and build organic matter than by adding more composts and manures.

Understanding soil test results:

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000496_Rep518.pdf

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Luster-Leaf-Rapitest-Soil-Test-Kit-40-Tests-TLLL1601/206170465
?cm_mmc=SEM%7CTHD%7Cgoogle%7C&mid=sEIaKYOTO%7Cdc_mtid_8903jx325196_pcrid
_107016508288_pkw__pmt__product_206170465_slid_&gclid=CjwKEAiApLDBBRC8oICb9NvK
sg0SJAD9yOHsuqx85QPCE5rR5Q0b71fMbYNwN-nGk-sYgpi21bN6DRoCpUHw_wcB

8.) Call to Action:

Observe the soil around where you live and think of how it impacts your day to day life. Be
prepared to share for next class!

9.) Resources:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/edu/7thru12/
http://nhptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/thnkgard.sci.ess.soilcomp/think-garden-soil-composi
tion/ (young, but a good place for topics)
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/tillage/soil-management/soil-management-series/orga
nic-matter-management/
http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-minerals-and-plant-nutrition-127881474
http://articles.extension.org/pages/54401/basic-soil-components
Presentation 2 How we affect the soil:
1.) Introduction
2.) Review of what was learned
3.) Objectives:
a.) State at least 2 ways that you can positively impact soil
4.) Vegetation growing in different soils
5.) How do we contribute to soil health?
a.) Positive:
i.) Composting
b.) Negative
i.) Soil contamination
6.) Pick up at Organic Matter. Soil airation, tilling vs. broadforking, crop rotation,
7.) Gases (2-50% of soil volume)
a.) Plants need oxygen for plant growth
b.) Nitrogen and CO2 are also needed.
c.) Too much water? (waterlogged) prevents gas exchange and leads to death
(floods)
d.) Pollution
8.) Microorganisms (less than 1% of soil volume)
a.) They decompose raw organic matter.
b.) Convert organic matter, water, and air into humus (rich in plant nutrients)
c.) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Tilling: how this helps microorganisms

Broadforking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqQbCDJa_Cs
Crop rotation: peanuts and cotton
How Can I Maintain or Improve Soil Organic Matter Levels?
(http://www.noble.org/ag/soils/organicmatter/)

Building soil organic matter is a long-term process but can be beneficial. Here are a few ways to do it.

Reduce or Eliminate Tillage

Tillage improves the aeration of the soil and causes a flush of microbial action that
speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. Tillage also often increases erosion.
No-till practices can help build organic matter.
Reduce Erosion
Most soil organic matter is in the topsoil. When soil erodes, organic matter goes with it.
Saving soil and soil organic matter go hand in hand.
Soil-Test and Fertilize Properly
You may not have considered this one. Proper fertilization encourages growth of plants,
which increases root growth. Increased root growth can help build or maintain soil
organic matter, even if you are removing much of the top growth.
 Cover Crops
Growing cover crops can help build or maintain soil organic matter. However, best
results are achieved if growing cover crops is combined with tillage reduction and
erosion control measures.

Negative effects on the soil.

Call to Action: Think about 2 ways that you can positively impact the soil around you and bring
them to class for our next lesson.

Notes about soil:

-most plants require 17 elements for their life cycle. (Nature.com)
-14 of those are derived from the soil.