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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 Intermediate Lessons allow students to experiment and prove the core concepts.

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

    Lessons By Station

    Seed Starting Curriculum

    Soil Management Curriculum

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    Teaching Kitchen Curriculum

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    What is a Food Desert?

    Gain insight into food deserts, the communities they impact, and how edible education may offer a solution.

    The Difference Between Rainwater and Tap Water

    Not all water is created equal especially when we're talking about the health and development of plants and people.

    Why Rain is Important

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    Anatomy of a Seed

    It all begins with a seed and this article dives deep into the 5 primary parts of the seed that make it all possible.

Testing, Testing…

Testing, Testing…

Test, Retest, then Test Again
Lesson: 2.8
Level:
Intermediate
Station: Soil Management
Format: Essential Skill
Rating:
Intermediate Lesson 2.8 testing, testing

Lesson Overview

The food production cycle removes nutrients from the soil leaving a need for amendments to replace what was lost. This lesson helps students interpret results of the soil test to identify the nutrient deficiencies and the amendments that can be used to replenish them.

Goals

  • Students will be able to identify soil amendments that increase specific nutrients in the soil.

Outcomes

Students identify and source soil amendments in the community in order to improve the nutrient profile of the soil in the Lab.

Teach the Teacher

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

Tools & Materials

  • Natural nutrients amendments
  • Soil test kit
  • Results from Beginner Lesson

Activity

Nutrients are removed from the soil in a number of ways. Some leach out of the soil structure as water penetrates and runs off. Others are consumed by plants directly. And unknown nutrients are transformed in the soil as a result of chemical processes.

So the question faced by every gardener and farmer is how to best maintain the soil so that plant production is always optimized.

The answer lies in constant diligence to test and amend the soil to replace what has been lost. There are a number of ways this can be accomplished. Amendments can be added, cover crops leverage or supplements can be used during regular watering.

But to understand exactly what you need to do you must first test the soil to identify the deficiencies. Reference the results from soil tests performed in the Beginner Lesson. Source inputs from the community that will improve the NPK value of the soil as needed. Apply the amendments and retest to measure the impact on the soil’s nutrient levels.

Related Lessons

Give the Advanced lesson a try now that you’ve completed the Intermediate Lesson! Or revisit the Beginner Lesson as needed.

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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