Soil has become the final frontier in studying biodiversity and ecology. Until recently soil has been treated as a “black box” of unknown relevance by many ecologists. Now its complex ecology and its influence on the aboveground are apparent. With over 40% of the world's arable land already lost to erosion, a sound knowledge of the role and importance of the soil system is critical. Soil science is rarely taught in primary and secondary education despite its importance, and even less is taught about soil organisms. This is surprising given the relevance of soil to our daily lives: food production, forests, and personal yards. We have created a series of lessons and inquiries to teach the basic principles of soil and soil ecology to early primary students. We have designed these lessons for the earliest of primary students, grades K-2 in the attempt to give this group a sound foundation from which they can draw when faced with future biology concepts. With early lessons in soil ecology, students will be able to use and integrate these concepts within future biology classes, and promote a greater understanding of the importance of soil and its preservation. In these lessons students will learn: What soil is, what some different types of soils are, how soil type influences plant growth, the importance of soil organic matter, causes and prevention of soil erosion, basic soil microbiology. The lessons are simple and can easily be implemented into a science curriculum. Additionally, they allow the students to actively participate in the learning process.
See more of What Will be the Next Generation of Soil Scientists? Early Education and Undergraduate Programs
See more of Z01 Soil Science Education
See more of The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 6-10, 2005)