Plants, Soil, and Nutrients, Oh My!

It's time to roll up those sleeves and get a little dirty in the second lesson 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,...

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.

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...

Livestock managers reinforce math and science skills while learning about the nutrients found in manure. They predict which animal produces the largest amount and which animal's manure contains the most nitrogen. Finally, they compare...

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...

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,...

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...

Students 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.  Students are...

Young scientists view videos to watch the changes through the life cycle of a plant. Then they will germinate seeds on a sock and in a plastic bag. Finally, they answer questions about the sequence of plant growth and record changes in...