Students learn about geotechnical engineers and their use of physical properties, such …
Students learn about geotechnical engineers and their use of physical properties, such as soil density, to determine the ability of various soils to offer support to foundations. In an associated activity, students determine the bulk densities of soil samples, and assess their suitability to support foundations.
Students determine the mass and volume of soil samples and calculate the …
Students determine the mass and volume of soil samples and calculate the density of the soils. They use this information to determine the suitability of the soil to support a building foundation.
In agriculture, it is important to have healthy soils. Learn how the …
In agriculture, it is important to have healthy soils. Learn how the laboratory at Dairy One analyzes soils and why the information they gather is vital to growers.
How does climate change affect agriculture? A changing climate makes growing conditions …
How does climate change affect agriculture? A changing climate makes growing conditions more difficult. This video by Syngenta talks specifically about how soil impacts agriculture and how soil improvements will be key to agriculture with climate change.
Students will be able to connect their knowledge of pH to real …
Students will be able to connect their knowledge of pH to real life agricultural applications, and understand the importance of pH requirements for Iowa crops.
Grain farmer Jeff Frey has used no-till on his 700-acre farm in …
Grain farmer Jeff Frey has used no-till on his 700-acre farm in Willow Street, Penn., since the 1980s. Despite these efforts, Frey knew he needed to do more to protect his soil from erosion. Recently, he worked with Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management at Penn State University, on a SARE grant designed to promote cover crops on grain and vegetable farms in their state. His story demonstrates that SARE grants encourage farmers and researchers to partner with each other to advance the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices.
This is lesson 4 of 4. Students will be presenting and evaluating …
This is lesson 4 of 4. Students will be presenting and evaluating their apps for cell phones that will provide farmers with the opportunity to learn how different irrigation methods work depending on soil type.
This video demonstrates the steps needed to conduct a soil texture analysis. …
This video demonstrates the steps needed to conduct a soil texture analysis. This is a simple way for students to conduct a soil sample using a glass jar, water, and dishsoap.
Our planet is precious. Connecting to our world and becoming aware of …
Our planet is precious. Connecting to our world and becoming aware of our surroundings and ways we can keep Earth beautiful can be empowering to students and adults alike! Our goal with this project is to encourage and empower students to reduce waste in our classrooms, our school, our community and beyond!
Waste disposal has been an ongoing problem since medieval times. Environmental engineers …
Waste disposal has been an ongoing problem since medieval times. Environmental engineers are employed to develop technologies to dispose of the enormous amount of trash produced in the United States. In this lesson, students will learn about the three methods of waste disposal in use by modern communities. They will also investigate how engineers design sanitary landfills to prevent leachate from polluting the underlining groundwater.
Students learn about landslides, discovering that there are different types of landslides …
Students learn about landslides, discovering that there are different types of landslides that occur at different speeds from very slow to very quick. All landslides are the result of gravity, friction and the materials involved. Both natural and human-made factors contribute to landslides. Students learn what makes landslides dangerous and what engineers are doing to prevent and avoid landslides.
SnapAG is a series of resources that invite students to explore the …
SnapAG is a series of resources that invite students to explore the hot topics affecting the agriculture industry today. Topics range from organics, biotechnology, GMOs, livestock, careers and more.
Scientists at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill are studying …
Scientists at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill are studying how microbes in the soil, like bacteria and fungi, interact with a plant in ways that make the plant grow better. Someday, this knowledge may be used to increase crop production for an expanding population.
Students leach organic matter from soil to create a water sample with …
Students leach organic matter from soil to create a water sample with high dissolved organic matter content (DOM), and then make filters to see if the DOM can be removed. They experience the difficulties of removing DOM from water, and learn about other processes that might make DOM removal more effective.
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water …
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into model houses placed in the flood plain. This activity is a small-scale model of a debris chute currently being used by engineers and scientists to study landslide characteristics. Much of this activity setup is the same as for the Survive That Tsunami activity in Lesson 5 of the Natural Disasters unit.
Students will model the atomic structure of common elements found in soils, …
Students will model the atomic structure of common elements found in soils, determine an atom's valence electrons, draw Lewis electron dot diagrams, and discuss the basic principles of element bonding.
Students conduct an experiment to determine how varying the composition of a …
Students conduct an experiment to determine how varying the composition of a construction material affects its strength. They make several adobe bricks with differing percentages of sand, soil, fibrous material and water. They test the bricks for strength by dropping them onto a concrete surface from progressively greater heights. Students graph the experiment results and use what they learn to design their own special mix that maximizes the bricks' strength. During the course of the experiment, students learn about variables (independent, dependent, control) and the steps of the engineering design process.
This mini unit plan is taken right from Ag in the classroom. …
This mini unit plan is taken right from Ag in the classroom. Lesson plans and handouts are included. Topics discussed include, food waste, soil science, plant biology, and climate change.
This lesson highlights the types of tillage methods commonly employed in Agriculture …
This lesson highlights the types of tillage methods commonly employed in Agriculture Studies and draws a correlation between the type of method and the physical properties of the soil.
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