Education

K-12 Resources

Key Messages
10 key messages to understanding soils.

State Soils
Find out about your state soil.

Soil Facts
Definitions of soil and soil survey, information on careers in Soil Science, some basics on soil formation and classification, and regulations for moving soils.

Lesson Plans
Art using soils, soil profile cards, and other projects with soils.

"Dig In"© Hands-On Soils Investigations (K-4)
Information on ordering this popular publication by the National Science Teachers Association.

USDA for Kids
A link to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website for kids.

S. K. Worm
S. K. Worm, the official annelid (or worm) of the Natural Resources Conservation Service answers questions about soil.

Claude's Got the Scoop on Soil!
Targeted for young students in grades 4-6, students learn about how soil is made, who really needs soil, and what happens to soil if you don't take care of it.

Soil Biological Communities, Just for Kids
A link to the Bureau of Land Management's National Science and Technology Center. The website was developed for students from ages 9 through 11 although sections may appeal to older and younger students. Includes a section on adopting a soil critter.

Soil Biological Communities, The Dirt on Dirt
A link to the Bureau of Land Management's National Science and Technology Center's web page explaining the aspectsw and benefits of soil.

Agriculture in the Classroom
A link to the USDA Cooperative State Research website. Includes a Kid's Zone and State Agricultural Profiles.

"The Dirt on Soil" (grades 5 though 8)
A link to the Discovery Channel. Includes sections on the layers of soil, things under your feet, and a journey underground.

The Twelve Soil Orders
A link to the University of Idaho's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

This publication requires Adobe Acrobat.

From the Surface Down (1.5 MB) - An introduction to soil surveys for agronomic use.

Soil Songs

Soil Quotations

Soil Quality Publications

Soil Biology Primer

Soil Quality Test Kit

Food, Land, and People
A nonprofit organization committed to helping people of all ages better understand the interrelationships among agriculture, the environment, and people of the world.

Soil Science Education
A NASA Website supported by the National Science Foundation.

Learning Web
Part of the U.S. Geologic Survey's website. This section is dedicated to K-12 education and lifelong learning. Explore things on, in, around, and about the Earth.

Sci4Kids
A link to the Agricultural Research Service website for kids. Includes sections on the environment, farming, plants, soil, and weird science.

Conservation Education
A link to the Forest Service's curriculum page.

GLOBE soils
GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program.

Project Learning Tree
A link to Project Learning Tree which is an environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators.

Field Museum - Underground Adventure
This site contains virtual movies of the exhibit "Underground Adventure" at The Field Museum, science experiments you can do at home or school, and even a virtual terrarium.

Edible Soil Recipe
A link to Purdue University's Conservation Technology Information Center.

Dr. Dirt (K-8)
Links to teaching resources and activities to encourage interest in science, soil, engineering, agriculture, and natural resources.

New Hampshire Soil Tunnel
Official website of the New Hampshire Soil Tunnel. The tunnel is a mobile, interactive display that represents a "crawl" through an underground world.

Utah Agriculture in the Classroom
A link that includes information on soil videos and kits available for purchase or loan.

National Association of Conservation Districts
A link to conservation education items available for purchase. Also includes information on ordering the Education Catalog.

What Tree Is That?
A link to the National Arbor Day Foundation.