NDVI in Africa for August 1984, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

NDVI anomaly in Africa for August 1984, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

NDVI in Africa for March 2000, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

NDVI anomaly in Africa for March 2000, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

Average NDVI in Africa for the month of August, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

Average NDVI in Africa for the month of March, based off data collected over the 1981-2000 time frame.

The purpose of this resource is to measure the bulk density of each horizon in a soil profile. In the field, students collect three soil samples from each horizon in a soil profile using a container with a measured volume. In the classroom, students weigh the samples, dry them, and weigh them again to determine their dry mass and water content. Students then sieve the dry soil samples and measure the mass and volume of any rocks and material with dimensions greater than 2 mm. Students use the Bulk Density Data Sheet to calculate the soil bulk density for each sample.

Sand covers only about 20 percent of the Earth's deserts. Nearly 50 percent of desert surfaces are gravel plains where removal of fine-grained material by the wind has exposed loose gravel and occasional cobbles. This web page, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, features text and photographs that describe desert landforms, soils, plants, and the role of water in the formation of desert landscapes.

The product that generated these images is the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which measures the health of plant life based on their levels of photosynthesis. The NDVI was developed by Compton Tucker, a senior scientist at NASA-Goddard.

Elementary GLOBE is designed to introduce students of grades K-4 to the study of Earth System Science (ESS). Elementary GLOBE forms an instructional unit comprised of five modules that address ESS and interrelated subjects including weather, hydrology, phenology, and soils. Each Elementary GLOBE module contains a science-based storybook and classroom learning activities. Five (5) books are included in the series: All About Earth; Do You Know That Clouds Have Names?; The Scoop On Soils; Discoveries at Willow Creek; and The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds. An Elementary GLOBE Teacher's Implementation Guide is available and includes tips for using the Elementary GLOBE materials with students, information about inquiry and literacy, and connections to science, mathematics, and geography standards. The Books and the Teacher's Guide are available in English, French and Spanish.

A learning activity for the Scoop on Soils book in the Elementary GLOBE Series. Each student will make predictions about the properties of various soil samples. Then they will examine several types of soils and record their observations. Next, they will learn about soil profiles and horizons by both examining a soil sample in a jar and by creating a soil profile flip chart. The purpose of the activity is to provide the opportunity for students to ask questions and make observations about soil and introduce students to the properties of soil and to the concept of soil profiles and horizons. After completing this activity, students will know about soil's different properties and about soil profiles. Students will know that soils have different properties including texture, color, and size. They will know that soil forms layers based on these properties.

A learning activity for the Scoop on Soils book in the Elementary GLOBE Series. Students will make predictions about what they think they will find in a sample of soil. They will investigate the sample and sort out the various items they find. Next they will spend time outside observing one or more sites to see what they find in the soil. After recording and sharing their observations they will create their own stories about the things they found in the soil. The purpose of the activity is to learn about natural things commonly found in soil and how these things impact how the soil looks and feels as well as to introduce students to the concept of decomposition. After completing this activity, students will know about various things found in soil including rocks, critters, roots, and other organic material. They will also understand that animals and microorganisms aid in the decomposition process that contributes organic materials to soils.

A learning activity for the Scoop on Soils book in the Elementary GLOBE Series. Each student will explore three activities that promote understanding of and respect for soil. They will generate responses to the following questions: "What makes up soil?" and "What lives in the soil?" Next the students will watch a demonstration of how much soil there is on Earth that is available for human use. Last they will create their own soil connection sentences. The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to the importance of soil and why it needs to be studied, to help students understand how much soil is available on Earth for human use, and to help students understand the connection between soil and how it is used by living things. After completing this activity, students will understand the importance of soil science, comprehend the relative amounts of usable soil that exists on Earth, and learn the function of soil as it pertains to animals, plants and humans.

Growing interest in sustainable agriculture has generated a wealth of educational materials on the many social, environmental, and agronomic topics related to this expanding field.

In creating this online resource, we’ve reviewed hundreds of resources—textbooks, popular books, web sites, videos, PowerPoint presentations, and more—to identify the highest-quality and most relevant materials on sustainable agriculture available. Whether you’re teaching a 2-hour community gardening workshop on irrigation or a semester-long college course on the social and environmental impacts of agriculture, this resource will help you locate the best materials to meet your instructional needs.

We’ve also developed a catalogue description and outline for a comprehensive course on sustainable agriculture, appropriate for the community college, state college, or university level). The Course Outline includes topics in social and environmental sciences; plant, soil, crop, and animal sciences; pest management; natural resource management; the adoption of sustainable agriculture; and the growth and development of sustainable agriculture and the organic food industry.

The purpose of the ESS activities associated with the GLOBE 1987 Global Patterns Poster is to help students understand the broader global context for local GLOBE measurements. Students discover patterns in global maps of environmental data, interpret those patterns, and draw conclusions and make predictions based on them; communicate those interpretations and predictions; and develop an understanding that the components of the Earth system interact. By completing this activity, students will gain experience in discovering, analyzing, and interpreting patterns in a graphic display of data, comparison and analysis of mapped data, using a key and finding locations on a map as well as drawing conclusions and communicating those results in several different formats. The year 1987 was chosen for this poster for two reasons. First, the data from a typical year provide a useful case in point which enables students to see individual variability for that year. Thus students comparing their GLOBE data to this poster will find differences due to year-to-year natural variability. Second, there is a relatively large amount of data for 1987 because it was chosen for most of the Pathfinder dataset work done by NASA, NOAA and other agencies.

This site from SERC's Starting Point presents sample Gallery Walk questions about soil morphology. Students explain how the soil forming factors of climate, vegetation, topography, parent material, and time contribute to soil characteristics from various soil locations. Groups may present their analysis as either an oral or written assignment. The questions are organized according to the cognitive level at which students are engaged, using Bloom's Taxonomy.

This site from SERC's Starting Point presents sample Gallery Walk questions about weathering and mass wasting. The questions encourage students to examine soil creep, weathering, erosion, and property evaluation methods for weathering and mass wasting. The activity also uses soil, topographic, and bedrock maps to locate a new subdivision. The questions are organized according to the cognitive level at which students are engaged, using Bloom's Taxonomy.

This is the home page for a geomorphology course for upper level undergraduates and graduate students at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The site contains a syllabus, course goals and objectives, illustrated lecture notes, a course schedule and policies of the class. Topics covered include stream flow, karst landscapes, glacial landforms, soil properties and slope stability.

Getting Dirty on Mars is a fun and interactive way to introduce students to the basics of soil science. Based on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, students will simulate what it is like to collect soil samples just like the Phoenix. By measuring for themselves many of the properties scientists use to characterize soil samples, students will be better prepared to interpret those properties as used in actual applications.