Lesson 4: The Dirt on Soil in the Sagebrush

This lesson aims to have students dig deeper into soil. Although plants rely chiefly on air and water to grow, which they learned in the previous lesson, soil is extremely important for plants as it provides stability, nutrients, and hold water. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about how a local research scientist uses soil to predict the future of the sagebrush ecosystem as they learn how to test and take samples of the soil. They will learn about the different particle sizes in the soil and how this affects water retention, different layers that can be found in soil, and test the pH. They will then be asked to apply this knowledge to continue the story of their local, sagebrush landscape as they work to gain a better understanding of this ecosystem.