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Session 1. Earth's Solid Membrane: Soil
Soil from Lincoln, MA
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Learning Goals
During this
session, you will have an opportunity to build understandings
to help you:
- Describe the complex nature of soil and how soils form
- Comprehend soil’s place in Earth’s structure
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Video Overview
Dirt… earth… soil… it forms where
Earth’s rocky
crust meets the atmosphere. Although it is common to everyday experience,
people are often surprised at the complex nature of soil. In this
session, participants will explore the processes of soil formation
by examining
how soil appears on a newly formed, barren volcanic island.
Video
Outline
What is soil? How does it form? To answer these questions,
this video takes us on a journey that begins at a farm and ends
on the “big
island” of Hawaii. During our journey, we visit with soil scientists
Dr. Elissa Levine, Dr. Andy Kurtz, and Dr. Oliver Chadwick to learn
more about that important substance under our feet.
Dr. Levine
describes the nature of soil, which leads to a consideration of
the physical and chemical processes involved in soil
formation.
Dr. Kurtz and Dr. Chadwick, who conduct research on soil development
in the
volcanic islands of Hawaii, examine the place of soil in Earth’s
structure. Next, we visit Tim
Mackey and his fifth graders in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, and watch as they generate ideas about the thickness
of the soil layer and what lies beneath it.
Throughout the video,
we watch elementary school children being interviewed as they reveal
their ideas about soil. The children’s
ideas represent starting points that lead us to consider the complexity
of soil, which can be observed in soil
horizons, and the role of
soil in Earth’s processes. Finally, we check back with Tim Mackey’s
students as they analyze the components of different soil samples
and try to determine the types of environments from which the soil
was collected. View the video ==>
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