Biology and Chemistry of Soil

In this essential life science activity, students supply plants with different amounts of key macronutrients and observe how the presence or absence of these chemicals affects plant growth. The Lab-Aids Mini Greenhouse was designed for small, controlled investigations and this easy-to use apparatus allows students to readily observe plant physiology, particularly root development. Additional...

All materials do not decompose at the same rate nor do all materials decompose. In this activity students explore how the rate of decomposition is affected by the substrate in which the material is being decomposed and the chemical make-up of the material. Different student groups prepare different combinations of substrate and material then...

In this activity students use specially designed Lab-Aids Nematode Extractors to isolate and collect nematodes from a variety of environments. They then examine and try to identify different types and various internal and external structures. Nematodes are regarded as one of the most successful groups of animals because of their huge populations and the...

In this activity, students use a specially designed, reusable Lab-Aids Organism Extractor to isolate and collect organisms found in soil samples. A teaspoon of soil may contain billions of living organisms. Plant health, soil fertility, and soil development depend on these organisms in many ways. Soils contain organisms that perform activities such as decomposing...

In this simulation activity, students model how hydrangea plants are affected by soil pH. Agricultural lime (mostly CaCO3) is often used to adjust soil pH. Soil pH is a factor that influences the color of hydrangea flowers and the health of the plant. Below a positive threshold pH, hydrangea flowers are blue, above this...

Students investigate the quality of water that passes through soil. They first test unfertilized soil and fresh water for the presence of nitrates then add fertilizer to the soil and test both the fertilized soil and the runoff water for nitrates. They construct an explanation about how fertilizer use effects water quality and natural...

In this introductory kit, students perform four activities during which they observe several different earth materials with a magnifying lens and describe what they see. Their observations, including metric measurements, are used to help them understand how these materials are classified and identified. Students then apply the skills and understanding developed in the first...

In this companion to kit # 1101, students continue their exploration of soil. In the first of three activities, students describe a soil sample, then identify the similarities and differences between their group's descriptions and those of other groups and develop a primary definition of soil. Activity 2 expands the investigation of soils by using a...