Observing plant succession doesn't have to be a decade long process. A hands-on lesson has groups study succession over a designated space. Learners use their observation skills to record differences in plant and soil characteristics in...

Pre-readers and primaries can help farmer rabbit to plant some delicious fruits and vegetables. From soil preparation and pest control, all the way to the harvest, little ones participate in the entire process!

Primary graders repurpose items brought from home to create containers for plants. After poking holes in their containers, kids add soil and plant seeds or transplant an item, and then observe and draw conclusions about which items...

Arsenic in drinking water is a common problem in third world countries. Young chemists create a procedure to calculate the mass percent of arsenic in the soil. The virtual lab allows individuals to experiment with different methods.

Can you feel that? Can you smell that? Since pupils can't ask worms about their sense of smell and touch, they design and complete an experiment to answer these questions. Individuals expose nematodes to different stimuli using their...

Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...

Most living things go unnoticed. Change that using a fun activity about the nutrient cycle. Pupils use hula hoops to mark areas of study and then make observations about the living things they see. They first make surface observations,...

Can plants grow on the moon? The second lesson in a five-part series has pupils explore the resources available on the moon to determine if plant life is possible. They use lava rocks as their soil and draw conclusions about the...

Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.

Fifth graders compare and evaluate the rate of erosion from water and wind on three type of landscape: bare land, land with sparse vegetation, and land covered by dense vegetation.

Students investigate the erosive impact of water. For this erosion lesson, students research the impact of water on terraced and non-terraced hillsides. Students create an erosion model to have a hands-on experience with the soil.

Groups create splashboards and use them to perform a series of experiments to determine the effect of rain on erosion.

Learners study four types of soil and predict which one worms would use for their habitat. They observe worms in each type of soil and monitor their activity. They create class charts highlighting their discoveries.

Students analyze the relationship between soil moisture and its effect on soil temperature.

Students investigate changes caused by water flowing over soil.

Unfortunately, the article for which this resource was written is not available. You can, however, find another current document on agriculture and urban development for your class to read together, and then still follow the suggested...

What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human. 

Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...

In the sixth lesson in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with connections to the...

In this soil worksheet, students find words that represent soil words in a word search. Students search for 9 words in this word search.

Students examine various soil samples in groups. Using the samples, they identify the characteristics of them and calculate percolation and infiltration rates. They use this information to discover why some species can survive in one...

Eighth graders give some examples of chemical reactions they see everyday. In this chemistry lesson, 8th graders investigate how much water soil can hold. They collect data and compare results with others.

Students investigate the characteristics of different soil samples. In this physical science lesson, students play the role of forensics solving a crime by matching soil from the suspect's shoes. They formulate a conclusion after testing...

Fourth graders use local materials such as leaves and other plant matter; sand and pebbles to make soil. They plant seeds in the manufactured soil and in natural soil and then observe and record the results.