DLESE description of GLOBE 2003 Teacher's Guide: Soil Chapter

K-12 students from all over the world are participating in the GLOBE program by taking environmental measurements at their schools and sharing their data via the Internet. NASA scientists use GLOBE data in their research and provide feedback to the students. The Soil Chapter of the GLOBE 2003 Teacher's Guide presents information on how to characterize soil profiles and measure soil moisture and temperature. Measurement protocols and data sheets are provided along with background information introducing teachers and students to soil concepts and research questions. Learning activities are also provided along with sections specifically designed to help students use the resulting data to learn about the environment and conduct student inquiry. This chapter includes the following learning activities: Why Do We Study Soil?; Just Passing Through; From Mud Pies to Bricks; Soil and My Backyard; A Field View of Soil; Soils as Sponges; Soil: The Great Decomposer; and The Data Game.