In this interactive, students learn all about soil and how to conserve it. Students are walked through a series of questions and scenarios to help them learn about the connection to the carbon cycle and climate change.

This Lesson will examine the definition of Soil using written and video references.  The lesson will also demonstrate how to identify different soil types by examining the texture of different soil samples.  The lab portion will allow students to collect, evaluate and determine soil texture and type using the hands-on ribbon method.  The lesson is meant to be conducted over a period of two to three days depending on class period length.

Otterbein is in the process of developing a community garden on its newly opened Equestrian Science facility. This facility was a former industrial manufacturing location. The site was redeveloped through the Ohio Voluntary Action Program, the state's Brownfield redevelopment program. As part of the garden development, Otterbein sampled soils in the proposed garden area to verify that no hazardous constituents are present. This exercise challenges students to develop a map showing the location of the gardens and the analytical results.

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Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography highlights freely-available online resources covering various aspects of soil and water conservation, and is designed to be a resource for conservation students and practitioners. The thirteen chapters in the annotated bibliography are grouped into four sections, including History and Fundamentals, Conservation Practices, Conservation Implementation, and Careers. Types of cited resources include extension bulletins, USDA NRCS conservation practice standards, and other government reports and resources. Cited resources are generally concise, easily read, and meant for general audiences. Annotations and images are used to provide context for each resource. Many contributors made Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography possible through their assistance with technical edits, outline development, identifying resources, or writing annotations. Chapter authors are experts and practitioners of soil and water conservation, or students of soil and water conservation who worked under the supervision of the editor, Colby Moorberg. The annotated bibliography is used as the primary text for Kansas State University’s AGRON 635 – Soil and Water Conservation, which is taught by Moorberg.

An Annotated Bibliography

Word Count: 41411

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Word Count: 20163

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Students will be able to describe the types of soil erosion and explain the methods for prevention

K-State Edition, Version 2.0

Short Description:
The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses. The manual highlights the multidisciplinary aspects of soil science with laboratories focused on soil formation, classification, and mapping; soil physics, soil biology; soil chemistry; and soil fertility and management.

Long Description:
The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses. The lab manual highlights the multidisciplinary aspects of soil science with laboratories focused on soil formation, classification, and mapping; soil physics, soil biology; soil chemistry; and soil fertility and management. The lab manual includes 16 different chapters, each one starting with an introduction and pre-lab assignment, followed by in-lab activities, and complimented by a post-lab assignment. In-lab activities involve field trips, experiments, observation stations, or problem sets. Post-lab assignments include online quizzes, problem sets, or laboratory summary reports.

Version 1 of the lab manual was quickly established as a go-to manual for introductory soil science courses, and was adopted for use by hundreds of soils instructors from around the world. Expanded, updated, and reorganized, Version 2 represents a significant revision to the lab manual, and exhibits a completely new design with improved functionality and accessibility. In addition to a PDF, Version 2 is available in MOBI and EPUB eBook formats and as a web book. A new laboratory, the SoilWeb Field Trip, was added to Version 2 along with significant revisions to the Compost Facility Field Trip and Soil Carbon and Respiration laboratories. The recommended readings in each laboratory now include links to free, online resources in place of conventional textbook reading assignments.

The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is used in introductory soil science course at Kansas State University, and is based on the Soils Laboratory Manual, NC State Edition used at North Carolina State University. The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition was originally published by New Prairie Press in 2017, and was included as a supplement to ‘An Open-Source Laboratory Manual for Introductory Undergraduate Soil Science Courses’ in Natural Sciences Education, Vol. 46:170013, https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/nse/articles/46/1/170013. Supporting materials, assignments, and instructor versions of the lab manual are available at open.soilscience.info. The lab manual is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Digital copies of the Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition Version 2.0 are available for download from New Prairie Press at no cost.

Word Count: 72416

ISBN: 978-1-944548-35-3

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The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses, and highlights the many aspects of soil science, including: soil genesis and classification, soil physical properties, soil-water interaction, soil biology, soil chemistry, and soil fertility. The lab manual includes 15 different laboratories, each one starting with an introduction and pre-lab assignment, followed by in-lab activities, and complimented by post-lab assignment. In-lab activities involve field trips, experiments, observation stations, or problem sets. Post-lab assignments include online quizzes, problem sets, or laboratory summary reports.

Students will learn how to collect quality soil samples and how soil testing is done

This lab manual was created for LNT 100: Plant and Horticulture Science at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA by Professor of Horticulture and Design, Holly McMullen.  

These 3 lessons provide examples of labs you can do with your students to better understand the use of soybeans in food production.

These 3 lessons provide examples of labs you can do with your students to better understand the use of soybeans in food production.

This lesson which nutrients plants need, how they are classified into macro- and micronutrients, and identifying plant nutrition in a crop field.  Lesson and activity from Nebraska CASE Soybean Curriculum.

How does the temperature of soybean oil affect the viscosity of the oil? In this lesson, students will determine the viscosity of soybean oil (vegetable oil) at different temperatures. They will use thermometers and the viscosity chart. 

In this lesson, students will taste soymilk and make a smoothie from soymilk with additives. They will observe how soymilk is made as well as discuss the definition of milk.

Students determine the necessity of water on plant survival and growth, consider varying needs for water throughout a plant’s growing season, and describe what happens to the plant when water is plentiful and when water is scarce.  Lesson plan and activity from Nebraska CASE Soybean Curriculum.

In this lesson, students will estimate the yield of soybeans. With that yield, they will determine what food products or other products can be made from one acre of soybeans.

Short Description:
SPACE SYSTEMS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATIONS (SSETO) is our seventh textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS / UUVs. SSETO takes on a new purview of SPACE. UASs (Drones) have a maximum altitude of about 33,000 ft (10 km) because rotating rotors become physically limiting. (Nichols R. et al., 2019) Between 400 ft and 33,000 ft is in the purview of DREAMERS. In the DREAMERS region, Space has its most interesting technological emergence. We see emerging technologies and operations that may have profound effects on humanity. This is the mission our book addresses. We look at the Dreamer region from three perspectives:1) a Military view where intelligence, jamming, spoofing, advanced materials, and hypersonics are in play; 2) the Operational Dreamer Region; which includes Space-based platform vulnerabilities, trash, disaster recovery management, A.I., manufacturing, and extended reality; and 3) the Humanitarian Use of Space technologies; which includes precision agriculture wildlife tracking, fire risk zone identification, and improving the global food supply and cattle management. State-of-the-Art research by a team of fifteen SMEs is incorporated into our book. We trust you will enjoy reading it as much as we have in its writing. There is hope for the future.

Long Description:
SPACE SYSTEMS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATIONS is our seventh textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS/ UUVs. Other textbooks in our series are Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD); Disruptive Technologies with applications in Airline, Marine, Defense Industries; Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land; Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technologies and Operations; Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain: Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 2nd edition; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Cyber Domain Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 1st edition. Our previous six titles have received considerable global recognition in the field. (Nichols & Carter, 2022) (Nichols et al., 2021) (Nichols R. K. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2019) (Nichols R. K., 2018)

Our seventh title takes on a new purview of Space. Let’s think of Space as divided into four regions. These are Planets, solar systems, the great dark void (which fall into the purview of astronomers and astrophysics), and the Dreamer Region. The earth, from a measurement standpoint, is the baseline of Space. It is the purview of geographers, engineers, scientists, politicians, and romantics. Flying high above the earth are Satellites. Military and commercial organizations govern their purview. The lowest altitude at which air resistance is low enough to permit a single complete, unpowered orbit is approximately 80 miles (125 km) above the earth’s surface. Normal Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite launches range between 99 miles (160 km) to 155 miles (250 km). Satellites in higher orbits experience less drag and can remain in Space longer in service. Geosynchronous orbit is around 22,000 miles (35,000 km). However, orbits can be even higher. UASs (Drones) have a maximum altitude of about 33,000 ft (10 km) because rotating rotors become physically limiting. (Nichols R. et al., 2019) Recreational drones fly at or below 400 ft in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, E) and are permitted with prior authorization by using a LAANC or DroneZone. Recreational drones are permitted to fly at or below 400 ft in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. (FAA, 2022) However, between 400 ft and 33,000 ft is in the purview of DREAMERS.

In the DREAMERS region, Space has its most interesting technological emergence. We see emerging technologies and operations that may have profound effects on humanity. This is the mission our book addresses. We look at the Dreamer Region from three perspectives:1) a Military view where intelligence, jamming, spoofing, advanced materials, and hypersonics are in play; 2) the Operational Dreamer Region; which includes Space-based platform vulnerabilities, trash, disaster recovery management, A.I., manufacturing, and extended reality; and 3) the Humanitarian Use of Space technologies; which includes precision agriculture wildlife tracking, fire risk zone identification, and improving the global food supply and cattle management.

Here’s our book’s breakdown:

SECTION 1 C4ISR and Emerging Space Technologies. C4ISR stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. Four chapters address the military: Current State of Space Operations; Satellite Killers and Hypersonic Drones; Space Electronic Warfare, Jamming, Spoofing, and ECD; and the challenges of Manufacturing in Space.

SECTION 2: Space Challenges and Operations covers in five chapters a wide purview of challenges that result from operations in Space, such as Exploration of Key Infrastructure Vulnerabilities from Space-Based Platforms; Trash Collection and Tracking in Space; Leveraging Space for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Bio-threats to Agriculture and Solutions From Space; and rounding out the lineup is a chapter on Modelling, Simulation, and Extended Reality.

SECTION 3: Humanitarian Use of Space Technologies is our DREAMERS section. It introduces effective use of Drones and Precision Agriculture; and Civilian Use of Space for Environmental, Wildlife Tracking, and Fire Risk Zone Identification.

SECTION 3 is our Hope for Humanity and Positive Global Change. Just think if the technologies we discuss, when put into responsible hands, could increase food production by 1-2%. How many more millions of families could have food on their tables?

State-of-the-Art research by a team of fifteen SMEs is incorporated into our book. We trust you will enjoy reading it as much as we have in its writing. There is hope for the future.

Word Count: 111490

ISBN: 978-1-944548-48-3

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This is a page on the Fast Plants website, describing the Standard variety of Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa). This page includes suggestions for investigations and teaching applications using this seed variety, including use as a model organism to teach about the plant life cycle and plant structures and functions.