A
Activities
Analyze Soil, 10
Bacteria Farm, 45
Berlese Funnel, 18
Compost Container, 77
Cow Patties, 53
Cuneiform Name, 39
Drink Up!, 62
Erosion Study, 72
Flower Power, 61
Hand-Washing Experiment, 46
Mud Bricks, 38
Penny Power, 64
Root Window, 63
Soil Mad Lib, 84
Soil Moisture, 30
Soil Runoff Exploration, 70–71
air
aeroponics with, 75
carbon dioxide released into, 24–25, 69
plants needing, 60
animals
carbon dioxide released by, 24
organic matter from dead, 2, 5–6, 11–12, 20, 24, 52
plant damage by, 43
pollution impacting, 67
in soil, 6, 11–13, 16–17, 20, 24, 43, 57–58
atoms and molecules, 15
B
bacteria, 5–6, 12, 15, 22, 40–42, 43–44, 45–46, 48–49, 52, 54–55
C
carbon cycle, 25
Cato, Marcus (Cato the Elder), 51
clay, 3, 4, 33–34, 36–37, 39, 51
Coffey George Nelson, 27
D
dangers to soil, 22, 43, 58–59, 65–72, 76
E
earthworms, 6, 11, 16–17, 57–58
Easter Island, 66
environmental concerns, 22, 25, 43, 58–59, 65–72, 73–76
erosion, 51, 58–59, 65–67, 68, 72, 76
essential questions, 7, 15, 25, 35, 44, 52, 60, 69, 76
F
farming, 32, 42–43, 47–52, 56–60, 67, 73–76. See also gardens/gardening
Fleming, Alexander, 41
food, 43–44, 45, 47–52, 68, 73–76, 78–79. See also farming
forensics, 35
G
gardens/gardening, 42, 50, 57, 74, 76, 78–83. See also farming
H
health, 40–46, 47–52, 56–60, 67–68
I
L
microbes, 11, 44, 52. See also bacteria; fungi
O
organic matter, 2, 5–6, 11–12, 20, 24, 52, 74
P
penicillin, 41
people
clay tablets used by, 33–34, 39
dangers to soil from, 22, 43, 58–59, 65–69, 76
farming by, 32, 42–43, 47–52, 56–60, 67, 73–76. See also gardens/gardening
forensic examination of soil by, 35
pottery made by/for, 34, 36–37
plants
erosion control with, 58–59, 66, 68, 72
gardens of, 42, 50, 57, 74, 76, 78–83
growing in soil, 3, 14–15, 20, 42–43, 49–50, 51–52, 56–64, 66–72, 74, 76, 78–81
growing without soil, 75, 82–83
health of, 42–43, 51–52, 56–60, 68
organic matter from dead, 2, 5–6, 11–12, 20, 24, 52, 74
water for, 42, 52, 57–58, 60, 62
pollution, 22, 25, 43, 67–68, 76
R
recycling, 68, 74. See also composting
S
science journal, 7
shaduf/shadoof, 32
silt, 3
soil
animals and, 2, 5–6, 11–13, 16–17, 20, 24, 43, 47–52, 57–58, 67
dangers to, 22, 43, 58–59, 65–72, 76
definition and description of, 1–7
erosion of, 51, 58–59, 65–67, 68, 72, 76
essential questions about, 7, 15, 25, 35, 44, 52, 60, 69, 76
health of, 41–44, 49–52, 56–60, 67–68
people and, 22, 31–39, 42–43, 47–52, 5–60, 65–69, 73–76
plants and, 2, 3, 5–6, 11–12, 14–15, 20, 24, 42–43, 49–52, 56–64, 66–72, 74–76, 78–83
pollution in, 22, 43, 67–68, 76
water and, 3, 4–5, 6, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21–23, 28, 30, 32, 42, 44, 45–46, 52, 57–58, 60, 62, 67–68, 70–71, 75, 76
W
water
atoms in, 15
flooding by, 67
hydroponics with, 75
irrigation using, 32
pH of, 14
plants needing, 42, 52, 57–58, 60, 62
in soil, 3, 6,11, 20, 21–23, 28, 30, 42, 57–58
water cycle, 22
wetlands, 23