Exploring Soils

Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...

Learners construct a model of the hydrologic cycle, and observe that water is an element of a cycle in the natural environment. They explain how the hydrologic cycle works and why it is important, and compare the hydrologic cycle to...

Soil scientists gain experience with an infiltrometer can to determine the infiltration rates at different locations on campus. If you are using the entire unit, the class has already analyzed water flow and soil types, so they should...

How do the different types of soil allow water to flow? Scholars compare flocculated and dispersed soils and their ability to move water through the soil. Silt, sand, and clay particles clump together and create large pores in the soil...

Flooding for an unimaginable number of years in unimaginable depths led to severe changes to create the landscapes people know today. The episode in a larger PBS Eon series presents evidence scientists use to explain the existence of...

Add a little salt to your soil and see what happens. A video demonstration shows how soil with high and low sodium content interacts with water. A quick experiment demonstrates the properties of dispersion and the role sodium has in the...

Gorongosa National Park holds a fascinating and ever-changing landscape. What makes the water cycle in the park so special? Travel to Mozambique to learn more about the park using a short video. Content includes rainy season in the park,...

This simulation begins with an exploration of water pressure and atmospheric pressure. In the flow portion, scholars reshape a pipe and see fluid dynamics at work. The water tower portion encourages pupils to determine how water...

Go with the flow! The first video of a seven-part series about the Earth's water resources introduces learners to the water cycle. With an emphasis on cause and effect, it presents the information simply through animation. And, with the...

Can a small change in laboratory procedures save energy? Scholars test three different methods for heating water in a science lab. Then, they calculate the energy efficiency for each and compare them to determine which uses the least...