Introduction

In the previous lesson, you learned about the agents that can cause soil erosion and how human activity can contribute to soil erosion and loss of fertility. Humans depend on soil for many things, such as food production.

You have to consider the concept of sustainability when thinking about soil maintenance. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In the process of using the soil, humans can jeopardize the soil's ability to be maintained as a usable resource. However, we cannot just simply quit using or disturbing the soil. Therefore, humans must learn and implement methods that can conserve the soil's usefulness and vitality.

In this lesson, you will learn about ways that humans can reduce the effects of erosion and about methods that can be implemented in order to create soils that will be usable and productive for future generations.


The soil looks good now, but can we sustain it for future generations?

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • Identify and describe ways of preventing soil erosion.
  • Identify methods that create soil sustainability.
  • Identify and describe the steps in the nutrient cycle.

Enduring Understanding:

  • Soil is the lifeline for our source of food, so we must care for it in order for the soil to be of any use to us and to those who come after us.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: Environmental Science 9, 14, and 15

This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standard: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R10, W1, W2, W3, W4, W7, W9, and W10

 

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