Background Information
Soil is often viewed as the skin of the earth -- a remarkable living and breathing natural resource! Soil sustains life as it provides the foundation for growing plants that serve as food, feed, fiber, and fuel, all while filtering and purifying water resources. Iowa is home to some of the best soils in the world -- our landscape was historically covered with a vast tallgrass prairie, which over thousands of years led to the formation of some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world. Today, however, soil is being lost much faster than it can be replenished! Conservation practices that help to hold the soil in place and build up organic matter are of utmost importance.
Vocabulary
Soil: What plants grow in
Erosion: When soil is washed or blown away
Bacteria: Germs
Residue: Dead or decaying plants
Organism: Living thing
Parent Material: Rocks that break down and become soil
Conserve: Save, keep, or protect
Books
Jump Into Science: Dirt by Steve Tomacek
Dirty Gert by Tedd Arnold
Dirt Boy by Erik Slangerup
The Life and Times of the Ant by Charles Micucci
Videos
Adventures of the Conservation Pack
Episode 9 (Video and Worksheet)
Episode 18 (Video and Worksheet)