Events in a community can lead to valuable learning experiences in science. By the end of the summer of 2001, the Green Knoll Fire had burned almost 4000 acres of forest south of Wilson, Wyoming. This article describes how students at the Journeys School of Teton Science Schools participated in a collaborative project with the United States Forest…

An investigation is described that would be suitable for A-level or first year degree Biology or Environmental Science students. Crop plants were grown in different concentrations of lead chloride and lead nitrate. French beans, carrots and Brussels sprouts were all inhibited at concentrations over 0.01 mol dm[superscript -3] showing stunted root…

Soil science education is lacking in terms of accommodations for persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are often excluded from soil science activities in school, and from soil science careers. GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on primary and secondary school-based education and…

Mr. Nam, the vice chair of a village in Dak Lak province of Vietnam, was keen to protect farmers in his village from the sharp decline in prices of coffee ("Coffea canephora" Pierre ex Froehner). He did this by encouraging farmers in his village to plant cacao ("Theobroma cacao" L. subsp. "cacao"). Cacao was suitable…

This instructional packet introduces students to soil biology, ecology, and specific farming practices that promote sustainable agriculture. It helps students to discover the role of earthworms in improving the environment of all other soil-inhabiting organisms and in making the soil more fertile. The activities (classroom as well as outdoor)…

Prepared by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) staff and volunteers, this annotated bibliography provides a list of 85 recently published books pertaining to sustainable agriculture. AFSIC focuses on alternative farming systems (e.g., sustainable, low-input, regenerative, biodynamic, and organic) that maintain agricultural…

Included are seven lesson plans for secondary school students: (1) soil investigations; (2) water investigations; (3) forest investigations; (4) investigating some animals and their environment; (5) a land use simulation; (6) investigating the human community; and (7) developing environmental investigations. Each lesson plan has seven components:…

Study carrels, tape recorders, slide projectors, and other materials were used to create structured learning and training environments (SLATEs) that individualized study situations for a university soil sciences course. Four lectures and a two hour laboratory each week were replaced by one lecture, one discussion or quiz period, and a three to…

To identify present and emerging farm occupations and necessary competencies, personal interviews were conducted by teachers of agriculture with a random sample of 329 farm operators in 11 selected counties in Kentucky. Slightly more than 75 percent of the operators interviewed were owners living on a farm. Some population characteristics were:…

Following a two-page summary of a project conducted to develop course outlines for the approved vocational agriculture courses taught in the State of Washington high schools, this document presents course outlines and lists of recommended instructional materials for the following courses: Production Agriculture (including Agriculture…

Ten professional geography research papers presented at the Geography Section of the 1974 annual meeting of the Ohio Academy of Science are provided. Six of the papers may be considered to fall under the broad classification of human geography, two others are about physical geography, while the remaining two seek to improve the craft of modern…

The GLOBE Program is a worldwide, hands-on educational program for elementary and secondary school students. GLOBE aims to increase student achievement in mathematics and science, awareness towards the environment, and improve science process skills through network technology. This teacher's guide provides an overview of the GLOBE program and…

Presents a visual aid designed to generate an image of water movement among soil particles using an overhead projector to teach the physical phenomena related to water status and water movement in the soil. Utilizes a base plate of thin transparent plastic, opaque plastic sheets, a plate of glass, and a colored aqueous solution. (AIM)

Presented is an activity that illustrates the relationship between the soil found in containers and soil in the ground including the amount of air and water found in each. Sponges are used to represent soil. Materials, procedures, and probable results are described. (KR)

Compared are the estimates of students and professional field soil scientists. Results indicate that with three weeks of practice and the availability of good reference samples, students can attain a level of proficiency comparable to professional soil scientists. Suggestions for grading evaluations are provided. (Author/CW)