High School Agricultural Science Project

Driving Questions: How do farming and lifestock impact soil systems and soil management? 

Project Elements

Issue Investigation Students analyzed soil maps.  They also investigated which soil types are needed for farming and/or livestock.  

Field Investigation

Students visited Blandy Experimental Farm where they met with a retired member of the National Resource Conservation Service.  He taught them how to analyze soil and why it is so important to do so if you are a farmer.  Students also learned how to read a soil map and collected soil samples which were sent to Virginia Tech for analysis.

Action Project

Students were tasked with developing a soil management plan for a local farm.

Synthesis and Conclusions

Some of the students came from crop or livestock farming families.  Therefore, they were able to take what they learned in class back to their farm and evaluate their soils.  They now understand that to have a successful farm, soil analysis must be done when creating a farming plan.

Resources

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience - MWEE

How to have your soil tested - Virginia Tech

This project was funded by NOAA B-WET grant # NA18NMF4570315

Developing MWEE capacity through systemic, vertically aligned, integrated curricula, grades K-12