Getting the Dirt on Soil:
Macro and Microbiological Biodiversity in Soil
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Juan William Rivera |
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I teach Social Studies and Science at the Urban Peace Academy. A former instructor for North Carolina Outward Bound School, I have channeled my interest in the outdoors by pursuing a certificate in Horticulture at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Plans also include studying Field Botany through the New York Botanical Garden and field work in native plants. I would love to write a book on how to decipher "the story" of the woods. An experienced teacher in social studies, I'm grateful to expand my knowledge of science by participating in the Woodrow Wilson Biodiversity Institute. |
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Organization
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Overview Everything in nature has a story. Soil is an important character in the development of life. Lichens, bacteria, and other microorganisms may be able to live on bedrock, but life definitely got more interesting with the development of soil. And soil has gotten more interesting through the development of life. Both microorganisms and larger life forms contribute to the complexity of soil. In this unit, involving lab experiences, museum visits, and readings junior high school students will appreciate and experience the biodivesity that can be found within the soil. Philosophy/Inspiration This project was developed at Pace University and the American Museum of Natural History. We were given a couple of afternoons in the computer lab to develop projects, which might interest our students and us. This is the beginning of an exploration, meant to inspire further thinking, not a definitive and conclusive factor. Soil: The So-What Factor Like an actor shooting a film, before I design a new teaching unit, I always think, “what’s my motivation?” If I cannot find some inspiration in my material, I will definitely encounter or create resistance amongst my students. I discovered three quotations and sources that inspired me. Each of these quotes and resources could serve as a springboard for units of study. Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth by Richard Fortey. An excellent book that provides a well-researched narrative of the development of life on earth. In one short section explains the interdependence of soil and the life forms that depend on it, specifically minute arthropods that appeared during the Devonian period: “If the spring tails were to undergo a mysterious demise altogether with the mites that live in the soil and the minute fungi upon which they feed, quite soon there would be an ecological crisis of a magnitude we can scarcely imagine. Nutrients would become locked away, the soil would become progressively impoverished, larger plants would die, and soon animals would follow suit.” (p. 148-149). Forest Primeval: The Natural History of An Ancient Forest by Chris Maser Maser chronicles the natural history of one forest in Oregon over thousands of years. He highlights the interplay between the varieties of soil and the diversity of life that can thrive upon it. This relationship is not static. “As the plants grow, they gradually change the chemistry and structure of the soil; lupines for example, contain small nodules on their roots that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria. . . .The vegetation is not only a mirror reflection of the soil’s ability to grow it but also a determiner of which animals can live there.” P.24. Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on EarthA well-illustrated text that provides a look at the variety of microbial life and their relationship to the functioning of life. A rich variety of topics including microbial role in disease and fighting disease. One discovery that I made was that scientists are engaging in “microbial safaris” in the soil, searching for microbial adaptations that may help to create new antibiotics. One dramatic example is provided of Ukrainian scientists who are “hunting” through the dramatically altered soil around contaminated Chernobyl site. Project The sequence described here is for an elective class designed to combine horticulture and science topics. Projects throughout the year will include basic botany answering the question, “What did a plant ever do for me?” and lead up to designing and installing a garden on school grounds. Pre-knowledge Activity #1 Pass around several vials or baggies of soil. Ask students to respond to the following questions: What is this? What is it made up of? How did it get this way? Why did it matter? Discuss questions in a group. Give information through handouts or lecture, explaining the role of soil and how it can take hundreds of years to form soil. NASA Soil Education web page has a lot of background readings such as the following which explains the factors involved in soil formation: THE FIVE SOIL FORMING FACTORSSoil formation and the properties of the soil are the result of five key factors: 1. parent material: The material from which the soil is formed. Soil parent material could be bedrock, organic material, an old soil surface, or a deposit from water, wind, glaciers, volcanoes, or material moving down a slope. 2. climate: Heat, rain, ice, snow, wind, sunshine and other environmental forces break down the parent What material and affect how fast or slow soil processes go. 3. organisms: All plants and animals living in or on the soil (including micro-organisms and humans!). The amount of water and nutrients ,plants need affects the way soil forms. Animals living in the soil affect decomposition of waste materials and how soil materials will be moved around in the soil profile. The dead remains of plants and animals become organic matter, which enriches the soil. The way humans use soils affect soil formation. 4. topography: The location of a soil on a landscape can affect how the climatic processes impact it. Soils at the bottom of a hill will get more water than soils on the slopes, and soils on the slopes that directly face the sun will be drier than soils on slopes that do not. 5. time: All of the above factors assert themselves over time, often hundreds or thousands of years. Post-Activity: In your own words describe the different factors that make soil different. Activity: Soil Profiles Materials Needed: notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, shovels, measuring tape, plot of land close to school In one part of an open space of the school (check with the grounds crew)
dig a hole 2ft or 3ft deep. It
may be necessary to pre-dig the hole. Ask students to describe, draw and catalog the
soil. Back in the classroom discuss and explore: What do the different layers of the soil tell us about the story of the soil? Where do most life-processes (plant growth, animal life,etc) seem to be taking place? Getting the Dirt on Dirt: A Museum Investigation Juan William Rivera Summer 2002: Woodrow Wilson Commuter Institute on Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Introduction Next year, I will teach a course that combines horticulture and basic science concepts. This course will be part of an after-school program, which students can take for credit. The students at Urban Peace Academy are inner-city youths with a variety of strengths but who may lack gardening experience or exposure to basic science concepts. On average, students at the Urban Peace Academy read on a 5th grade level. At the most< I will be teaching 15 students. I want to begin with soil, because it is crucial to understanding both gardening and the chemical requirements of life. I will take students to the New York State Environment Hall, which demonstrates various aspects of soil, its interaction with and importance to the environment. Content and Standards I want to focus on soil as an ecosystem, on which plants and animals depend, and which in turn is changed by the plants and animals in its vicinity. Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. Performance Indicator 1.1: Explain how diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems. Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment. School Resources: textbooks, lab equipment, and school lawn. Pre-Visit PreparationThe sequence described here is for an elective class designed to combine horticulture and science topics. Projects throughout the year will include basic botany answering the question, “What did a plant ever do for me?” and lead up to designing and installing a garden on school grounds. Pre-knowledge Activity #1 Pass around several vials or baggies of soil. Ask students to respond to the following questions: What is this? What is it made up of? How did it get this way? Why did it matter? Discuss questions in a group. Give information through handouts or lecture, explaining the role of soil and how it can take hundreds of years to form soil. NASA Soil Education web page has a lot of background readings such as the following which explains the factors involved in soil formation: THE FIVE SOIL FORMING FACTORSSoil formation and the properties of the soil are the result of five key factors: 1. parent material: The material from which the soil is formed. Soil parent material could be bedrock, organic material, an old soil surface, or a deposit from water, wind, glaciers, volcanoes, or material moving down a slope. 2. climate: Heat, rain, ice, snow, wind, sunshine and other environmental forces break down the parent What material and affect how fast or slow soil processes go. 3. organisms: All plants and animals living in or on the soil (including micro-organisms and humans!). The amount of water and nutrients ,plants need affects the way soil forms. Animals living in the soil affect decomposition of waste materials and how soil materials will be moved around in the soil profile. The dead remains of plants and animals become organic matter, which enriches the soil. The way humans use soils affect soil formation. 4. topography: The location of a soil on a landscape can affect how the climatic processes impact it. Soils at the bottom of a hill will get more water than soils on the slopes, and soils on the slopes that directly face the sun will be drier than soils on slopes that do not. 5. time: All of the above factors assert themselves over time, often hundreds or thousands of years. Post-Activity: In your own words describe the different factors that makes soil different. Activity: Soil Profiles Materials Needed: notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, shovels, measuring tape, plot of land close to school In one part of an open space of
the school (check with the grounds crew) dig a hole 2ft or 3ft deep. It may be necessary to pre-dig the
hole. Ask students to
describe, draw and catalog the soil. Back in the classroom discuss and explore: What do the different layers of the soil tell us about the story of the soil? Where do most life-processes (plant growth, animal life,etc) seem to be taking place? ReadingsAny textbook readings on the nitrogen cycle, soils, and biodiversity within the soil. I like to have students turn some readings into illustrations, after we discuss the readings. Each of the following sentences can be discussed and illustrated. The reading is from the NASA Soil Education Homepage. For my students, I need to rewrite these sentences or provide a vocabulary page.
Visit to the New York State Environment Hall Museum Worksheet
Soil Profiles Look at the three soil profiles. Draw and label each profile. How are they different than the soil profile of our garden? Why are the different? What are the clues that reveal the differences.
Loams What four materials used to distinguish between soil types: What kind of soil combination is the best for: Wheat? Corn? Potatoes? Relationship of Plants to Geology and SoilList and describe the six soil types in this exhibit. Include the species of plants that can grow in each type: Type #1 Type #2 Type #3 Type #4 Type #5 Type #6 Life in the SoilDescribe how different animals use the soil in the forest and the farmer’s lawn. How does it change from season to season? Farmers lawn: Woodland edge: Fertilizers in the SoilCompare the fertilized and unfertilized patches of land in the display case and describe here: Describe how soils “depend” on red clover and alfalfa to become more fertile? Life on the Forest FloorList all the life forms in the display case? In what ways does the soil benefit these organisms? In what ways do these microorganisms benefit the soil? Post-Visit Activities · Do Berlese Funnel experiment to extract micro and macroorganisms from leaf litter and soil from the school grounds. Catalog, draw, and describe. Study smaller organisms under the microscope. · Take soil sample, create an enrichment and culture and study the microorganisms that come out of the soil under the microscope. · Begin several composting experiments, using various materials and compare. How does the presence of worms change the experiment? · Grow plants under composted soil and non-composted soil and note the differences. · Read about soil microbe hunters, who use the biodiversity of microbes discovered in soil to develop new antibiotics and medicines. Resources/Links Soil Science Society of
America Soil Glossary USDA—National Soil Survey Center Soil Science www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/educ/Edpage.html USDA –K-12 Educator Resources www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/educ/edu_k-12.htm Dr. Soil—Soil Education Home Page www.teachearth.com/resources/Dr_Soil_Science.html Other Soil Links www.agri.upm.edu.my/jst/soilinfo.htm How Forensic Geologists Use Soil in Investigations http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/forengeo/secret.htm Yahooligans Soil Links http://www.yahooligans.com/science_and_nature/the_earth/farming/soil/ Field Museum’s Virtual Tour of Underground Life http://www.yahooligans.com/science_and_nature/the_earth/farming/soil/ S.K. Worm Answers Questions http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/education/squirm/skQstns.html Books and Other Resources From NASA Web Page Activities in the Earth Sciences by Helen J. Challand, Ph.D., Childrens Press, Chicago, IL Adventures in the Underworld: Book One-Herma Builds a Tunnel by Anna Scott Droper. Terra Publishing, 1988, Dunville, ON, Canada The Amazing Earthworm by Lilo Hess. Scribner Publishing, 1979, New York The Amazing Dirt Book by Paulette Bourgeois. Addison-Wesley, 1996, New York, NY Annelida the Wonder Worm by Katie Diepenbrock. Berkeley: Sagittarian Press, 1991 (to order call 510.525.7039) Compost Critters by Bianca Lavies. Dutton Children's Books (Division of Penguin), 1993, New York, NY Dear Garbage Man by Gene Zion. Harper Collins, 1988, New York, NY Discovering Worms by Jennifer Coldrey. Bookwright Press, 1986, New York, NY Earth (Eyewitness Science Series) by Susanna Van Rose. Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., 1994, New York, NY Earthworms by Keith Pigdon and Marilyn Woolley. Modern Curriculum Press, 1989, Cleveland, OH / Toronto, ON, Canada Earthworms, Dirt and Rotten Leaves: An Exploration in Ecology by Molly McLaughlin Atheneum, 1986 , New York Exploring the World of Geology by George Burns. Franklin Watts Publishing (Division of Grolier Publishing Co.), New York , NY , ISBN: 0-531-20121-X The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia. Slack Inc., 1982, New York, NY Garbage Delight by Dennis Lee. MacMillan, 1977, Toronto, ON, Canada Give Peas a Chance: Organic Gardening Cartoon-Science by Peter Barbarow. Happy Camp, CA: Naturegraph Publishers, 1990 A Handful of Soil by Seymour Simon. Hawthorn Books, Inc New York, NY, 1970 The Hidden World: Life Under a Rock by Lawrence Pringle. MacMillan, 1977, New York, NY In a Pumpkin Shell by Jennifer Storey Gillis. Storey Publishing, 1992 , Pownal, VT Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni. Astor-Honor, 1962 , New York, NY Incredible Earth-Insider DK Guides, by Nick Clifford. Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., 1996, New York, NY It Could Still Be a Rock by Allan Fowler. Childrens Press, Inc., 1993, ISBN: 0-516-06010-4 (Beginner -Intermediate) Kids Gardening; A Guide to Messing Around in the Dirt by Kevin Raftery & Kim Gilbert Raftery. Klutz Press, 1989, Palo Alto, CA Let's Compost by Nancy Hansen. Alberta Ecotrust, 1994, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (to order call 403.282 6956) Lots of Rot by Vicki Cobb. J.B. Lippincott, 1981, New York, NY P3,The Earth Based Magazine for Kids, PO Box 52, Montgomery, VT 05470 Pee Wee and the Magical Compost Heap by Larraine Roulston, 1992. Recycling Council of Ontario, #504 - 489 College Street Toronto, ON M6G lAS (to order call 416.960.1025) Rocks and Minerals by Illa Pondendorf. Regensteiner Publishing Enterprises, Inc., 1982, ISBN 0 516-01648-2 (Intermediate) Squirmy Wormy Composters by Bobby Kalman & Janine Shaub. Crabtree Publishing Co., 1992, New York, NY A Toothy Tongue and One Long Foot: Nature Activities for Kids by Diane Swanson. Whitecap Books, 1992 , Vancouver, BC Twist, Wiggle and Squirm: A Book About Earth Worms by Lawrence Pringle. Crowell, 1973, New York, NY The Wump World by Bill Peet. Houghton Mifflin, 1970, Boston, MA Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof Flower Press, 1982, Kalamazoo, MI Worms Eat Our Garbage; Classroom Activities for a Better Environment by Mary Appelhof, Mary Francis Fenton and Barbara Harris. Flower Press, 1993, Kalamazoo, MI Zebo and the Dirty Planet by Kim Fernandes. Annick Press, 1991, Toronto, ON, Canada The Kids Nature Book :365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities and Experiences by Susan Milord.Williamson Publishing Co., P.O. Box 185 Charlotte, VT 05445 (1.800.234-8791) ISBN 1-885593-07-4 Resource Materials for Teachers: CompostingCafeteria Composting Guidelines from the Division of Solid Waste Management Agency of Natural Resources, 103 S. Main St. Laundry Building, Waterbury, Vermont 05676 (to order call 802.244.7831) Green Teacher Magazine 95 Robert Street Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 2KS ( to order call 416.960.1244) El Mundo en Peligro (text in Spanish) by Margarita Beltran Martinez De Castro. Fernandez Editores, Coyoacan, Mexico GrowLab A: Activities for Growing Minds. Grow Lab B: A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom. National Gardening Association, 180 Flynn Avenue, Dept. B Burlington, VT 05401 (to order call 802.863.1308) The Incredible Heap; A Guide to Compost Gardening by Chris Catton and James Gray. St. Martin's Press, 1984, New York, NY The Real Dirt; The Complete to Backyard, Balcony and Apartment Composting by Mark Cullen and Lorraine Johnson. Penguin Books, 1992 , Toronto, ON, Canada The Rodale Guide to Composting by Jerry Mennich and Marjorie Hunt. Rodale Press, 1979, Emmaus, PA Schoolyard Garden Designs: A Guide to Gardening with Children by John O'Brien. Praying Mantis Press, 1992, Rochester, NY (to order call 716.271.4007) Soil Science Simplified by Milo I. Harpstead, Francis D. Hole, and William F. Bennett. Iowa State University Press, 1988, Ames, Iowa 50010 ISBN: 0-8138-1514-2, 2nd Edition, (Advanced) Worm Digest Newspaper , P.O. Box 544 Eugene , OR 97440-9998 Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof. Flower Press, 1982, Kalamazoo, MI Worms Eat Our Garbage; Classroom Activities for a Better Environment by Mary Appelhof, Mary Francis Fenton and Barbara Harris. Flower Press, 1993, Kalamazoo, MI The Growing Classroom: A Garden-Based Science and Nutrition Curriculum For 2nd through 6th Grades by Jaffe, Cadoux and Appel. Three Volumes, 1982. Life Lab Science Program 809 Bay Avenue, Suite H Capitola, CA 95010 Let's Grow! : 72 Gardening Adventures With Children by Linda Tilgner. Garden Way Publishing, 1988 Storey Communications, Inc. Pownal, VT 05261 USA Let it Rot: The Home Gardener's Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell. Storey Communications, 1990, Pownal , VT Nature Eagles, Evergreens & Everyone by Shirley Blackstaff. 3E Publications, 1990, Ladysmith, BC Keepers of the Animals: Native Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchnac. Fifth House Publishers, 1991, Saskatoon, Seskatchewan, Canada Nature for the Very Young: A Handbook of Indoor and Outdoor Activities by Marcia Bowden. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1989, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore. ISBN: 0-471-62084-X The Kids Nature Book -365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities and Experiences by Susan Milord. Williamson Publishing Co. P.O. Box 185 Charlotte, VT 05445 ( to order call 1.800.234-8791) ISBN 1-885593-07-4 Trails, Tails, and Tidepools in Pails published by Nature Nursery Walks, 1440 Harvard Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Approved by the Parents' Choice Foundation. (to order call 1.800.597.6799) ISBN: 0-9632753-2-1 SoilConsider the Earth, Environmental Activities for Intermediate Students by Julie M. Gates. Teacher Ideas Press, 1989, Englewood, CO. ISBN: 0-87287-734-5 Dirt- The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan. Riverhead Books, 1996. The Berkelely Publishing Group, 200 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016. ISBN: 1-57322-546-0 The Nature and Properties of Soil by Nyle C. Brady and Ray R. Weil, Prentice Hall, Inc., Hardcover - 881 pages 12 edition (June 15, 1998) Prentice Hall; ISBN: 0138524440 12th Edition. Planet Earth Activity Book and Teachers Guide for Grades 4-6th Milliken Publishing Company, 1984, St. Louis, MO Soil Science Simplified By Milo I. Harpstead, Francis D. Hole, and William F. Bennett. Iowa State University Press, 1988, Ames, Iowa 50010. ISBN: 0-8138-1514-2, 2nd Edition, (Advanced). VideosIt's Gotten Rotten (1996) VHS, color, 20 minutes. $250 plus shipping/handling (call for teacher discount prices). Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19457. 800-543-3764 . http://www.bullfrogfilms.com or by email: bullfrog@igc.org. My Father's Garden (1995) VHS. $250 plus shipping/handling (call for teacher discount prices). Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19457. 800-543-3764 . http://www.bullfrogfilms.com or by email: bullfrog@igc.org. On American Soil (1983) VHS. $49 plus shipping/handling (call for teacher discount prices). Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19457. 800-543-3764 . http://www.bullfrogfilms.com or by email: bullfrog@igc.org. Rocks and Soil (1997 Bill Nye Science Guy episode), VHS, color, 26 minutes. closed caption. Write or call for price information: Disney Educational Productions, 1200 Thorndale Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. 800-295-5010. Video # 68A52VL00. Soil- A Medium for Plant Growth (1993) VHS, color. $40 plus shipping/handling. Visual Education Productions, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA. 800-235-4146. Wormania! A 26 minute video and teaching guide by Mary Appelhof. Flowerfield Enterprises, 10332 Shaver Road Kalamazoo, MI 49002, (to order call 616.327 0108)
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