This site describes a contest in which students must correctly characterize the horizons of soils in four different pits within a strict time limit. The site contains photographs of the activity as well as links to the Soil Science Education homepage, links, resources, soil science basics, soil and society, soil and the environment, information on working with soil, soil and agriculture and soil and ... Full description.

This USDA soil-conservation education site has a variety of educational resources related to soil science. Users can follow links to soil facts, resources, organizations and professional development. Information on this site can be adapted for use in college geoscience classes, particularly the wide variety of photos and the GLOBE soil analysis protocols. Full description.

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 ... Full description.

In this lab, students dig soil pits in order to observe, describe and interpret a soil profile. This Starting Point page lays out the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, assessment ideas, references and topics covered. Full description.

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 ... Full description.

In this exercise from SERC's Starting Point, students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain by simple surveying and auguring techniques. This example demonstrates how basic GIS elements can enhance learning by adding spatial context and introducing mapping techniques. GIS elements encourage students to consider the spatial context of field observations, introduce GPS ... Full description.