Soil and Agriculture: Lesson 2 - Soil Testing Lesson 1: What is the Composition of Soil? Lesson 3: Soil Erosion Lesson 2: Soil Testing Lesson 4: Agriculture and Soil   Pre and Post Module Test

Lesson 2 Soil Testing Introduction | Invitation | Exploration | Explanation | Taking Action | Conclusion Introduction: Water that enters the soil dissolves nutrients in the soil. Plant roots absorb the nutrients and transport them throughout the plant. In this lesson you will test the soil to determine which nutrients are in the soil, as well as the pH of the soil. Objective: Students will test the soil for nutrients such as Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus, and determine the value of these nutrients to plants. They will also test for the pH of the soil and determine the best pH for some plants to grow in. Materials: Soil test kit sold by LaMotte, "Rapitest" test kit sold by Walmart, or other similar soil test kit. Invitation: Why is Nitrogen important to have in soil? What are the acceptable levels of Nitrogen for soil? Why do plants need Nitrogen? Why is Potassium important to have in soil? What are the acceptable levels of Potassium for soil? Do plants need Potassium? If so, why? Why is Phosphorus important to have in soil? What are the acceptable levels of Phosphorus for soil? Do plants need Phosphorus? If so, why? What is the pH level of your soil samples? Why is this important to the soil and plants?  Top Exploration Using the testing guidelines in the soil test kit that you are using, test the various soil samples for pH, Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus. Record your observations and conclusions in a chart such as the one shown below. Transfer the recorded data to the Soil Test Database. Using various reference materials such as the Internet (See web links at end of unit), encyclopedias, Top Soil Tour, etc., determine the value of nutrients such as for pH, Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus in soil. Soil Testing Chart School Name: Country: Longitude/Latitude: Soil Sample pH Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Top Explanation Discuss the levels of pH, Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus in your various soil samples. Do these levels vary much from sample to sample? What types of plants would grow well in the soil samples you collected. What types of plants were growing in the area where you collected your soil sample? Use your data to make some general statements about the weather in your city and country compared to the weather in other cities and countries participating in the Eco-Connections project. Top Taking Action Explain why knowing the nutrients in soil would be helpful for farmers. Does this affect you? If so, how? How can the actions of a population of people affect farmers crops? Would it be helpful for you to know more about the soil for your plants inside your house or in your yard? If so, explain how. Links http://www.zone10.com/tech/AandL/SoilTesting.htm Top