Plants, Soil, and Nutrients, Oh My!

It's time to roll up those sleeves and get a little dirty in the second activity of this series on the science of food. Investigate where plants and animals get the minerals they need to live in this two-part exploration of soil. First,...

What type of soil holds in moisture the best? Find out with a guided-inquiry based lesson in which scholars investigate three types of soil—sand, clay, and silt—and the ability of each to retain waiter for plant growth. Learners graph...

Students conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need soil to survive and grow. They plant two seeds, one with soil and one without, make predictions, and record and analyze the seed germination results on a worksheet.

Students perform experiments to review the importance of nutrients and their affect on plant growth and nutrition. Students explain how nitrogen is removed from the soil and used by plants. They list the symptoms of insufficient or...

Groups of three scientists from the rocky planet Zog investigate the composition of soil so that they can take the information back to their home, create soil there, and begin to grow food.

This presentation on soil shows how it is formed, what the different types of soil are, how soil is eroded, and how soil can be conserved. Fantastic photos and excellent graphics and text are found in each of the slides. The last slide...

You will get much mileage out of this resource. It is three presentations in one! Standard general ecology information is included within these 69 slides. The first segment deals with levels of organization, biotic and abiotic factors,...

To better comprehend organic farming scholars conduct experiments on how plant roots remove nutrients from the soil. Through multiple activities, discussion, and instruction they relate the plant's vascular system to the human...

How do roots find nutrients? The PBS video, part of a series on food science, describes experiments proving roots grow specifically toward nutrients in the soil. A theory of how roots know in which direction to grow provides an...

Young scholars explore decomposition and soil health by creating their own garden.  In this agriculture lesson, students build a "lasagna garden" with organic matter found in the area and plant perennials native to their region.  Young...