The Living Soil — a new documentary from the Soil Health Institute. Lesson plans for colleges & high schools are available. This is a great resource for Envirothon teams!
Living Soil Film from Soil Health Institute on Vimeo.
Can soil be a part of the solution to climate change? Check out this great resource from Kiss the Ground.
Great video overview of the importance of soil health
Celebrate the dung beetle!
What is “Soil Health“? Great infographic from S.A.R.E.
“Earth as Apple” animation — shows just how little of Earth’s surface is suitable for farming!
Why does soil smell that way? (web page from the Microbiology Society)
Soil and Climate Change (article from Knowable Magazine)
What can happen if we ignore soil conservation practices? Check out theses resources that accompany the PBS Dust Bowl film. (We also have a DVD of the film available for check out.)
Web Soil Survey from NRCS — find soil maps and soil data for YOUR location
Basic directions for using web soil survey:
1) From the homepage, click the green “Start WSS” button.
2) Type in your address & click “View”
3) You will need to define an “Area of Interest” (AOI) on the photo — use the rectangle AOI tool in the toolbar
4) Once the AOI box is highlighted, click on the “Soil Map” tab (at the top).
5) Soil units will show on the photo and names will appear in box on the left. Click on the name to read soil description.
Soil App for iPhone and Android — a portable version of the Web Soil Survey
Great soil health information for homeowners from “Landscape for Life”
“The Zoo Beneath Our Feet” — soil article from the Washington Post
Composting in School — great resources from Cornell University
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- Why composting?
- Trash Goes To School — great K-12 activities (free PDF)
- Make a soda bottle bioreactor
- Make a garbage can bioreactor
- Composting in the Classroom Guide (free PDF)
- “It’s Gotten Rotten” (video) — free download and teaching guide
More composting information from “Landscape for Life” — including worm composting!
Composting by Kiss the Ground
Need to test your soil? Click here for soil testing instructions and forms from the Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab. Why test your soil? Learn more here.
Symphony of Soil video and web resources
Soils 4 Teachers
Soils 4 Teachers is a fantastic resource from the Soil Science Society of America — lesson plans, resources, and links to soil as it relates to cultures.
Soil Field Analysis guide (PDF)
Sustaining Our Soils and Society (PDF)
From the Surface Down — using soil surveys (PDF)
Soil Art resources — using soil pigments to make color
“Dig It! The Secrets of Soil” page from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — great interactive activities
The “Dirt” on Soil from Discovery Education — includes a cool “Soil Safari” game
Soil Texture Triangle — soils are made up of different combinations of three different sized particles: sand (largest), silt, and clay (smallest)
Edible Soil Recipe
Meet Virginia’s state soil — Pamunkey
