GOALS FOR CANON ENVIROTHON CURRICULUM To develop a teacher friendly, hands on natural resources curriculum. To provide activities and lessons for teams new to the Envirothon, while challenging experienced teams. Use of these curriculum materials will result in: . •Increased Envirothon participation at the local, regional, and State/Provincial levels. •Increased team scores at the Canon Envirothon Contest in the four natural resource categories: soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, and wildlife. Canon Envirothon SOILS/LAND USE CORE ACTIVITY OUTLINE The key points for each Envirothon topic are “fleshed out” into core activities. • Each of the key points is included in one or more of the core activities. • Each core activity contains extended activities, as well as the top resources and professional contacts. Key vocabulary words are also included. • The National Science Standards suggest evaluations for each activity should encourage the students to process the data they collect during the activity, and provide solutions based on the data. This ties each activity into the issues portion of the contest. • Evaluation is based on the information provided for each core activity and from the data students collect. This allows students to make educated decisions and create solutions for the key issues. • Core activities will be evaluated using a performance based assessment. Soils/Land Use Curriculum Soils/Land Use Envirothon Key Points 1S Recognize soil as an important and dynamic resource. 2S Recognize and understand the features of a soil profile. 3S Describe basic soil properties and soil formation factors. 4S Understand the origin of soil parent materials. 5S Identify soil constituents (clay, organic matter, sand and silt). 6S Identify and list soil characteristics (e.g., texture, structure, etc.) and their relation properties. 7S Determine basic soil properties and limitations (e.g., mottling and permeability) by observing a soil pit or a soil profile. 8S Understand the nature of plant nutrients, and how they are held by soil. 9S Recognize the characteristics of wetland (hydric) soils. 10S Understand soil drainage classes and know how wetlands are defined. 11S Understand soil water, its movement, storage, and uptake by plants. 12S Understand the effects of land use on soils. 13S In land use planning discussions, discuss how soil is a factor in or is impacted by nonpoint source pollution. 14S Identify types of soil erosion and discuss methods for reducing erosion. 15S Utilize soil information, including a soil survey. Suggested Core Activities: . • Students will read “Why Do We Study Soils” (from Globe) and perform the three suggested learning activities. 1S . • Using soil sifting screens or the Soil Particle Size Distribution Lab Guide from Globe, students will separate the clay, silt, sand, and organic matter from samples collected locally. By using a soil triangle, students will determine the soil classification of each sample. Students will then follow the Globe soil characterization protocol field guide to measure the soil texture of each sample, and record the data. It is suggested that the students collect their soil samples from the following sources: agriculture crop land, wetland, forest, and urban area, and anaylze the differences in data. 3S 5S 6S . • Soil PitStudents will dig a soil pit approximately 1 meter deep and about 1.5 meters wide. They will then record their observations of the soil profiles including color, temperature, moisture, structure, density, organic matter, and microorganisms. 2S 3S 4S 5S 7S . • Drainage/PercolationStudents will make an erosion demonstration table to determine the effects of water runoff on various soil types and ground covers. Using the Globe Infiltration Field Guide, students will determine the rate at which water soaks into the ground as a function of time. 8S 9S 10S 11S 14S . • Chemical Soil Tests: Students will conduct soil test experiments to determine the amounts of N, P, K, and PH. The samples will come from different locations in the local area including a forested site, an open field, and near a stream. Students will record their data, and analyze and compare their results. 8S . • Soil Survey Map: Using the NRCS web site, the AAFC Canadian soil survey, or the National Soil Survey Center, students will download their local area’s soil survey map to learn how land use effects soil, and the limitations their local soils have for septic systems, foundations, agriculture, and future development. 12S 13S 15S Top Resources: . • Globe http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/pvg/chartoc.htm (All) . • NRCS http://www.nrcs.usda.gov (12S, 13S, 15S, 9S, 10S, 11S) . • Canada Science and Technology www.science.gc.ca (ALL) . • Canada Soil Surveys . • http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/detailed/intro.html 12S, 13S, 15S . • Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/ctic/ctic.html (All) . • Wetlands http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ 9S, 10S . • Canada Wetlands http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/nature/wetlan/e_protect.htm 9S, 10S . • National Soil Survey Center http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/ 12S, 13S, 15S . • Power point soils lab curriculum http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/charts/charts.htm (All) . • AAFC Canada Erosion http://res2.agr.gc.ca/publications/hs/chap07_e.htm 14S . • School of Geography http://soilerosion.net/ 14S Soils/Land Use Extended Studies The students will participate in a debate using one of the soils issues from the website found below. Ecolinks are provided for student research. • Botkin, Keller Environmental Science http://www.wiley.com/college/environet/CH11FAQ.HTM The students will build a watershed model and locate regional wetland types in the U.S. and Canada. • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (wetlands) http://www.epa.gov./owow/wetlands/ . • Canadian National Water Research Institute http://www.nwri.ca/nwrie.html Using the National erosion map from the NRCS, or the Canadian Provincial erosion map, students will identify the most erodable crop lands, and give soil conservation solutions for improving them. • http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/land/meta/m5083.html . • Canadahttp://res2.agr.gc.ca/publications/hs/chap07_e.htm . • http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/index.html#mitigation . • Canada- http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/nature/wetlan/e_protect.htm Students will create a wetland mitigation map using a future land development planned for their local area as an example. The Environmental Literacy Council has developed an excellent online classroom resources website for environmental education. Nonpoint pollution fact sheets and examples, land use activities, and many labs and activities for soils curriculum are available. Students and teachers can choose from a variety of handson lessons. A link to Advanced Placement lessons is also available. •http://www.enviroliteracy.org/index.php Soils/Land Use Team Presentation Assessment Purpose: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the soil/land use key points by creating an educational display and presenting their solution to a teacher supplied land use issue. The display should contain the following Key Point information. 2S Diagram of a soil profile with labels http://soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/lessons/profile/ 3S Diagram of soils formation processes with descriptions http://soils.usda.gov/education/facts/formation.html 4S Diagrams and labels that show the soil parent material http://www.soils.agri.umn.edu/academics/classes/soil2125/doc/s2chap5.htm 14S Diagrams of soil erosion and its causes, with explanations http://soilerosion.net 10S Cross section of a wetland and its underlying soils with labels http://www.newp.com/wetland.jpg 11S Arrows and graphics that illustrate water movement, storage, and uptake by wetland plants http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwdecline.html 12S Teacher supplied “land use issues” will be the central theme of the display and presentation (agriculture, urbanization or restoration) Terms to include on the display: 2S Parent material, subsoil, soil, humus 3S Weathering, organisms, topography, illuviation 4S Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic 14S Physical weathering, chemical weathering, ground cover, organisms 10S Open water, marsh, scrub wetland, hydric soils, clay, sediments 11S Ground water flow, water table, aquifer, absorption, roots A complete glossary of soil terms can be accessed at: http://www.hwr.arizona.edu/globe/soilwords.html Assessments for Canon Envirothon Preparation The National Science Standards recommend that multiple and varied assessments be employed when attempting to evaluate science understanding. Since the Envirothon contest requires students to respond in a variety of ways (performance tasks, oral presentation, written response and graphics), the preparation for the Envirothon will incorporate each of these styles of assessment and evaluation. Core Activities Field surveys, model building and laboratory protocols each have specific learning targets. Many of the activities have builtin assessment sections such as Globe soils lab guides and field guides. In general students should be able to: Select and effectively use tools in a safe manner Collect, record and analyze data in an organized fashion Use resource material, manuals and field guides Demonstrate teamwork while investigating solutions to problems Clearly communicate the results of the investigations Display Presentation Sessions Students will provide solutions to problems presented in the issues portion of the contest. Teachers and