1. The Importance of Soil

2. Valuable natural resource
Humans and many organisms rely on soil
Therefore, it is important to monitor and maintain the health of soil

3. What is soil? Solid material on Earth’s surface
Results from interaction of weather and biological activities with geologic formation
Created when rocks are broken down, combined with organic matter, water and air.
Consisting of varying amounts of silt, sand and clay
Color of soil varies based on minerals, chemical and biological interactions in the soil

4. Where is soil found? Found in layers Distingushed by Color Texture
Structures
Organic material content
Gravel

5. How do humans change the soil?
Change the land for different purposes
Landscaping
Building
Agriculture
Road construction
Vegetation
They change it different than nature does

6. Who depends on soil? All organisms Plants Animals Protozoans Bacteria
Humans
Fungi
Protozoans
Algae
Bacteria

7. What are nutrients?
Substances that provide food for growth and life

8. What is organic matter?
Matter made of living or once living organisms that contain C, O, H, and N.

9. Thought Questions ??? Where does your food come from?
Is it grown or raised locally?
Most food is grown or raised in other parts of the world, transported, and then purchased at local grocery stores

11. What comes to your mind when you hear the word soil?
Rank how soil is important to you worksheet
Share your list with your group.

12. How Dirt works Podcast http://vimeo.com/77792712

13. How does dirt work? Two minute reflection paper
You are to respond to the above question in two minutes on a separate sheet of paper and turn in.

14. Soil Profile Fold a piece of paper in thirds
In one third, fold a forth section that is about an inch wide.

15. Soil Horizons
O Horizon-This is the surface layer that has large amounts of organic matter in different stages of decomposition. Dead leaves can be illustrated.
A Horizon- The top layer of soil and is where most biological activity occurs. Earthworms, grass, fungi, plant roots and arthropods can be illustrated.
B Horizon- The subsoil and consists of mineral layers. Plant roots also penetrate this layer.
C Horizon- Contains large shelves or clumps of rock.

16. Why is soil a valuable natural resource?
Regulates the flow of water from rain
Some flows over the surface
Some enters the soil and is retained
Used by plants that grow in soil
Used by organisms living in soil
Much will flow to deeper layers below

17. Which Soil will absorb most amount of water ? Lab activity
Students conduct lab and share results

18. What are Pollutants?
Substance that contaminates the water, air or soil

19. Soil as a filter lab activity
Students do lab on filtration
Students share their results

20. Meet the Scientists-Sophia Parker http://vimeo.com/77788834

21. Why is soil a valuable resource? http://vimeo.com/78368785

22. Why is soil a valuable resource?
Two minute reflection paper
You are to respond to the question above in two minutes on a separate sheet of paper and turn in.
Summaries may include filtration and storage of water, decomposition and recycling of nutrients, roots in the soil, transporting nutrients to plants, and that soil is the building block of a healthy system

23. How do humans rely on soil?
Tic-Tac-Toe-Watch video “how do humans rely on soil?” Put each example in any one of the spaces on a tic-tac-toe boards.

24. How do humans rely on soil? http://vimeo.com/78368784

25. Dust Bowl
A period of severe dust storms causing ecological and agricultural damage.

26. Dust Bowl
Result of poor agricultural practices and years of sustained drought
Plains and grasslands have been deeply plowed and planted with wheat.
Years with lots of water=plentiful crops
Droughts of 1930’s; farmers kept plowing and planting=nothing would grow
Ground cover that held the soil in place was gone
Winds whipped across raising clouds of dust to the skiesskies would darken, thick layers of dust

27. The Dust Bowl Episode PBS
Approx 6 min

28. Why is it important to monitor the health of soil. http://vimeo

29. Soil takes years to develop so it is important to monitor and maintain soil.

30. What are some of the strategies used to improve and maintain the health of the soil?

31. What are some of the strategies used to improve and maintain the health of the soil?
Two minute reflection essay
Answer the question above in two minutes on a separate sheet of paper and turn in.

32. Cycling of matter by decomposers
Bacteria
Worms
Recycle nutrients in the soil by eating and digesting the organic matter for nutrients.
Organic matter comes from plants and animals that live in the soil
Worms spread nutrient-rich waste developing new soil where new plants can grow.
Composting bin

33. Need to know for test!!!
Describe the role of soil as a valuable natural resource
Explain the relationship between humans and soil
List two reasons why it is important to monitor and maintain the health of soil. Use the Dust Bowl as an example

34. Cycles of Matter Summarized

35. The Water Cycle
The continuous process by which water moves from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back.
It uses the process of:
Evaporation (liquid to gas)
Condensation (gas to liquid)
Precipitation (water vapor falls to Earth)

37. Water Cycle
Going further
See teacher notes

38. What are the transitions in the water cycle?

39. Problems can occur with nutrient cycles

40. Is there an equal quantity of water in each part of the cycle at any given time?

41. Does the proportion of water held at each part of the cycle remain constant? i.e., is there generally the same amount of water in the oceans/hydrosphere, the atmosphere, lithosphere at all times

42. Does the amount of water on earth—in the lithosphere hydrosphere, and atmosphere combined ever fluctuate?

43. How long has water been on our planet?

44. Is there any reason to be concerned about wasting water if water is always cycling and will never actually leave the planet?

45. Which parts of the water cycle are relatively faster and which are relatively slower?

46. Besides water, what other nutrients cycle through the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere for use by all organisms?

47. The Carbon Cycle 6CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Carbon and oxygen are recycled.
Producers, consumers and decomposers all play a role in this cycle.
6CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Plants and Consumers are dependent on each other!

48. The Carbon Cycle
Producers take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. (consumers are opposite).
Consumers eat producers (taking in carbon-food molecules) and release them as carbon dioxide and carbon waste products.
Decomposers break down the remains of producers and consumers and return it to the soil. They also release carbon dioxide.

49. Most organisms take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.
The Carbon Cycle
Producers take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. (consumers are opposite)
Most organisms take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.

50. Carbon (purple) and Oxygen (orange) Cycle

51. The Human Impact
Humans affect the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere:
Burning oil and other fossil fuels
Clearing forests for lumber
Burning down trees to clear a forest
Factories give off carbon dioxide

52. The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen moves from the air to the soil, into living things, and back into the air.
Nitrogen gas is plentiful in the atmosphere (78%) but cannot be used until it is “fixed”.
Most nitrogen is fixed by bacteria.
They change free N to useable N.

54. The Release of Nitrogen
Producers use Nitrogen to build proteins and other compounds.
Decomposers can break down waste (including animal waste) and return it to the atmosphere.
Nitrogen fixing bacteria can live on the roots of legumes, such as peanuts and beans.

56. The Phosphorus Cycle
Sedimentary cycle (unlike Carbon, water and nitrogen cycles)
Phosphorus enters the biosphere through soil through weathering of rocks and absorption up the roots of plants
Used by organisms for energy (ATP) and to make nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)