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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.

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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

    Rain or the lack of an adequate supply can have profound effects on farming and the communities that rely on the harvest.

    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.

The Dirt is Alive!

The Dirt is Alive!

The Soil Community Defined by its Residents
Lesson: 2.6
Level:
Intermediate
Station: Soil Management
Format: Class Project
Rating:
Intermediate Lesson 2.6 The Dirt is Alive

Lesson Overview

The dirt is most certainly alive, and in fact, teeming with life in some cases. This lesson tasks students with creating a visual catalog of the critters that call the soil home.

Goals

  • Students will be able to identify a wide range of organisms found in garden soil and describe their roles in the soil building process.

Outcomes

Students will photograph soil-dwelling organisms in order to create a catalog that represents the soil food web of their Lab.

Teach the Teacher

  • Soil Food Web
  • Illustration – The Soil Food Web
  • Functions of Soil Organisms
  • Soil Microbe Identification

Tools & Materials

  • Microscope
  • Laptop

Activity

Soil varies from one location to another. It is defined by its composition and the properties that it demonstrates through water flow and nutrient trans-portability. Some soils are rocky, others sandy or heavy in clay. But there is another fingerprint of sorts that each individual soil profile carries with it.

The biota of the soil food web, the community of organisms and microorganisms, also define the soil and make it unique. The little creatures found in any sample can tell you a lot about the composition and even health of the soil where they reside. Actively monitoring the soil in your Lab is a good habit to establish right now.

Identify and catalog microorganisms discovered in the soil of the raised planters or outdoor beds. Create your catalog in a spreadsheet with inputs for name, description, and function. Examine soil samples periodically to build out the catalog of soil food web participants.

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.

« Dirt Matters! » Dirt Quiz!

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