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Conserving Soil. 14 INSTITUTION Soil Conservation Service (DOA), Washington, D.C

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Conserving Soil. 14 INSTITUTION Soil Conservation Service (DOA), Washington, D.C DOCUMENT RESUME ED_ 223 465 . SE 039.716 TITLE Conserving Soil. 14 INSTITUTION Soil Conservation Service (DOA), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 82 NOTE 73p.; Four transparencieslecluded indocument may not reproduce well. Preparea by the Communications and Education Group, a Division of the Mazer Corporations- AVArLABLE FROMContact local office of Soil Conservation Service, U.S.D.A. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Guides (For Teachers)(62) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage.)PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIP0TORS *Conservation (Environment); *Conservation Education; *Ecology; Elementary School Science; Elementary Secondary Education; tEnvironmental Education; *Interdisciplinary Apprpach; Learning Activities; Science Activities; Scibnce Education; Secondary School Science IDENTiFIERS ABSTRACT - Designed'as enrichment materials for grades six throUgh nine, this program is an interdiscipltnary study of soils. As part of the progeam students: (1) examine soilorganisms; (2) researdh history of local Native Americans to see how they andothers have used the land and its soils;(3) investigate how soils are degraded and how they are .g.onserved for future use; and(4) investigate several critical issues that will affect theirlives and the lives of others. "Conserving Soils" consists of 24spirt duplicating masters, four full-colon transparencies, and a 16-page teacher'stguidev. Each,activity master (discussed in the teachers's guide) will produce a:minimum of'200 copies. Each of the four transparencies is a full-color illustration,lpresenting a eoil ecosystem, soil profile, soils map, and land useplanning map. The teacher's guide contains the background information needed to ,introduce and teach each lesson. Objectives and suggestedactivities for getting.students actively idvolved in the learning process are printed on the non-produci.ng side ot each spirit master.TechniqueS include.out-of-claes research, small group discussiOn and ,decision-making, brainstorming, experiments, and case Study investi-gations both in class and outdoors. A glossary ofimportant terms for student and teacher use is adsoprovided. (Author/JN) ************************v********************************************* EDRS Are tfie best that can be made * * . Reproductions supplied' from the-original documeRt. * ************************.*********************************************** nserving Soil U t DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUaE OF EDUCATION LULAA T 111^4AlPit IHl 11'0011,1,110N f 1,EH FHlk_, lin, e rt prodtg t,1 , IlljaflA1111F1 t Ur/y11,0111,1 Ir 1111 tit 'le tqt11,i0 h 1,11.11111, 11,1k ,, '1" P ,t,j* , cltot 7tt I t f1,, ,HISIN)IElf 01114 y -`; TS' ,2 ' PERMISSION TO REPBODUCE THIS MATERIAL INMICROFICHE ONLY H S BEEN GRANTED BY- TO THE EDUCATIONAL, RESOURCES ,INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" #41,..e-cr ' .I. N.,.... an ' 111"ZlaI:q: - *Ns rk 1 4:7;, f..i ,..-.7:.. ..---.1,,,,,,,,,....//, 1, -,,,.,-,t, I,. LI i ..- I, N)... ,":44,.-'%. ..;..*.,s 4` 4til':'ifNI,4kt"Wn 1 41 1vi 1 re ,146, "; ; \'t ' ;Off -.1;*,4"04' ild1L :4 1' It , ,I, . te4f t; ifIt+4 I .7., , N '., %. $ ; P-7*- b * I i I 1k , . CONSERVING SOIL Table of Contents Introduction 2 Soils Glostaa 2 UNIT I: SOILS AN OVERVIEW Lesson 1 Soil Science 3 Activity Mastet 1 Soils What Are They? 3 Activity Master 2 Soil Ecology Plants and Animals Under Your Feet ,'4 Transparency 1 The Soil Ecosystem /4 Activity lv1aster 3 How Is a Soil Formed? /5 Activity Master 4 What Are Soil Horizons? 5 Transparency 2 A Soil Profile /5 Activity Master 5 How Do Soils Differ? ,6 Lesson 2 The Social Impact of Soils A6 Activity Master 6 We Depend Upon Soils /6 Activity Master 7 , How People Have Used Soils '7 Activity Master 8 U S History,Was Affected by Soils /7 UNIT II: MANAGING AND CONSERVING SOILS Lesson 1 SOil Degradation , 8 Activity Master 9 How We Degrade Soils,S Activity Master 10 Soil Erosion How It Occurs, Part 1 /8 Activity Master 11 Soil Erosion Hotiv It Occurs, Part 2 '9 Activity Master 12 Soil Erosion How It Affects Us /9 Lesson 2 Soil Conservation '10 Activity Master 13 Why Conserve Soils? , 10 Activity Master 14 Managing Soil Resources /10 Activity Master 15 ManagMg Water Resou'rces '10 Activity Master 16 Matching Land Use With Soils /1 1 Transparency 3 A Soils Map 1 1 Activity Master 17 Rural SA Conservation Practices /12 Activity Master 18' Urban Soil Conservation Practices /12 Transparency 4 A Land Use Planning Map %13 UNIT III: CRITICAL SOIL ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE Lesson 1 Six Issues in Soil Conservation /1 3 Activity Master 19 Growing Enough Food Maintaining Soil Productivity13 Activity,Master 20 Growing Enough Food Disappearing .Farmland /1 3 Activity Master 21' A Home for Wildlife /14 Activity Master 22 Soil Pollution.froHazardous Chemicals /1 4 Activity Master 23 Surf9ce Mkiing nd Reclamation/15 Activity Master 24 Recycling Organic Wastes /15 5 Resource Guide '15 CONSERVING SOIL Prepared for pc By tnd Starns" So I MMVIUNICAT1PNS DerArimPntrI (onserv,it Aqr SPrvce MT" VA1F,, CONSERVING SOiL Unit I: Soils: An Overview Introdudion Comments regarding this programor inquiries about the availability of other The Soil Conservation Service.of conservation materials the Cl S Department may be directed to Conserving Soil, USDA of Agriculture Takes Conserving Soil Soil available to Conservation Service, PO Box 2890,Washington, educators nationwide. Designed for use as D C 20013 You may alsowrite to this address fora enrichment materials in grades kthrough 9; this free color land resourcemap of the United States It program is an interdisciplinary study of soils 9 would be an excellentmap to use with this program Students dig in soils and get their handsdirty They find the millions ofcreatures that live under their Soils Glossary feet- Students may also researchthe history of local Acid Rain-Rain, Native Americans to see how theyand others have snow, dr other forms of water that used the land and its soils Thenthey find out not ,are made more acid by wastegases which come only how we degrade soilsbut also how we can mainly from the burning of coaland oil products The conserve them for future use Finally,students gases (usually sulfur dioxide and oxidesof nitrogen) investigate several critical soilissues that will affect mix with water and other materialsin the air Acid tkeir lives and the lives rain falls on the land and water and of millions of people around. can affect the world wildlife, plants, soil, and buildingmaterials Acre-A unit of measurement of land Conserving Sod ts ready for usein yo.ur classroom It is equal to the area of land inside It has 24 spirit duplicatingactivity masters, 4 full-color a square that is about 209 feet on each side (43,560 square feet) transparencies, and this 16-page teacher'sguide Algae-Microscopic green plants With a minimum of effort,you can teach an entire that live in water and on land They serve unit that wilt actively involve studentsthatwill get as food for other Organisms them away from their desks andinto the natural Bacteria-Microscopic ordanismsthat live on water and on land They help break Clown environMent The program containsa balance of in- organic materials into simpler nutrients in a class and outdoor learningexperiences that will teach process called.decay Bacteria release nutrients to the soil your students about an often overlookedbut essential part of our environmentsoils bedrock-A moreor less solid layer& rock found on the surface of the landor below the soil 'Each activity master %NA produce a minimum of Cell Division-Theprocess by which a,plant or 200 copies To makecopies, detach the master along animal cell splits in half to formyounger cells the perforated edge Then attachit to the drum of a Commodity-A usefulor valuable product of spirit duplicator and run the desired numberof agriculture such as soybeans,beets, or cattle copies The master can be stored for future'useby placing it back in-its original place CoMposting-Mixing decayingorganic matter between the -(food scr A: s, grass clippings, tissues leaves) to form a rich soil condition r Each of the program's four transparencies is a Condens tion-C hanginga gas into a liquid, for four-color illustration You can write on the example, when steam or watervapor turn into transparerldes with a grease pencilor a water- water soluble marker and remove your markings with a dr)x Elongation-The processin which something or damp towel (Permanent-ink marker writing beComes longer, suchas plant cells as trjey grow cannot be removed ) Evaporation-Ch3nginga liquid to a gas, for - Carefulty detach the transparencyfrom the guide example, when water turnsinto steam or water along its perforated edge,and return it to its original place between the tissues after Ev4cppoorrt-A use product (such as grain or meat) thatis This teacher's guide contains thebackground traded with another nation. information needed toptroduceand teach each Famine-An extreme shortageof food in abiven area . lesson Objectives and suggestedactivities for getting students actively involved in thelearning process are Feedlot-4\ n enclosedarea in which animals such printed on the non-reproducingside of each spirit as hogs or cattle arefed before being soldfor meat master Techniques include out-of-classresearch, Fungi (pluraf of fungus)-Agroup of non-green small group discussion and decisionmaking, brain- plants, such as molds, andmushrooms, that live on storming, experiments, and case studyinvestigations dead or dying organic matter FungireleasqnutrientOr Optional actwities are listedat the end of s6sleral to the soil lessons Goods-An item or thing,
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