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    Beginner Lessons

    The Beginner Lessons form the foundation with a sound overview of the core concepts of food production.

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    The Advanced Lessons give students an opportunity to apply what they've learned in the previous levels.

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    Seed Starting Curriculum

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    What is a Food Desert?

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Testing, Testing…

Testing, Testing…

Soil Test for N, P, K
Lesson: 2.8
Level:
Beginner
Station: Soil Management
Format: Essential Skill
Rating:
Lesson 2.8 testing, testing

Lesson Overview

Plants use nutrients in the soil so it's imperative that those be replaced in some way. This lesson walks students through the soil testing process to determine NPK levels and how to amend the soil for future plant production.

Goals

  • Describe how plants use N, P, and K
  • Perform basic soil tests

Outcomes

Students will test the soil in the raised planters in order to determine if amendments are needed.

Teaching Primer

testing soil nutrientsSoil is soil, right?

Not exactly.

When we created the flagship Edible Learning Lab in Buffalo, WY we thought we hit the lottery when the City graciously gave us two front end loader buckets full of top soil. It was relatively clean, not many root balls, rocks, or other undesirables.

We hauled the soil in 5-gallon buckets from the mound in the parking lot to the raised planters in the basement. It took 2 days. And our planters looked amazing! But after the first watering the soil compacted and formed a crust on the surface. We noticed just how fine the composition was so we set out during one class to analyze the composition and test the nutrient levels.

The soil lacked any discernible organic matter and the nutrient tests were disappointing. Nitrogen levels were fine, but both potassium and phosphorus were depleted.

The class added vermiculite and perlite for structure, mixed in a few gallons of coffee grounds from our local coffee shop, and tossed in a thin layer of compost. We retested and all levels are much better. It will be an ongoing process, building and testing, and something that the Students can now do with very little guidance.

Teach the Teacher

  • How Plants Use N, P, K
  • Soil Testing Facilities listed by State

Tools & Materials

  • Soil testing kit
  • Soil samples

Vocabulary

  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium

Method

Introduction (10 minutes)

Begin the lesson with a review of how plants use nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Explain the importance of these nutrients for plant development and where it comes from.

Activity (20 minutes)

As a class, perform tests to determine pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Have the Students gather the samples and follow the instructions included with your soil testing kit. Record the findings.

Discussion (10 minutes)

What can we do to increase the nutrient levels? Why should we test samples from different locations in the planters? Why should we test each planter and not just one?

Assessment (5 minutes)

Use the following questions to assess the Students before and after the lesson. Tally the responses of the group in the Assessment Tracking Log for comparison:

  • By a show of hands, how many of you have ever tested soil before?
  • Now that you know how to test soil, how many of you think you could do it yourself?

Related Lessons

Give the Intermediate or Advanced lessons a try now that you’ve completed the Beginner Lesson!

This lesson, and all other lessons on this website, are intended for use by teachers in the classroom. These lessons are protected by US and International copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of lesson content, supporting materials, or digital creative is prohibited with written permission from Modern Steader LLC.

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