Conservation Education

Soil and S. K. Worm  

S.K.Worm, the official annelid, or worm, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service answers questions about soil.  The S.K. stands for "Scientific Knowledge." 

Activities

The activities on this page require Microsoft PowerPoint, Acrobat Reader, or Microsoft Word

Conservation Activity Book (PDF; 489 KB)
SK Worm PowerPoint presentation (PPT; 1.21 MB)
Worms Help Us coloring page (DOC; 31 KB)
Know Your Worms quiz (DOC; 32 KB)
Top Soil coloring page (PDF; 584 KB)

Agricultural Activities and Information

  Nevada Ag in The Classroom - Commodities Map

Copies of this map are available by calling:
Liz Warner at 775 857-8500 x105

Agricultural Map

NV Agricultural Commodities Map (PDF; 2.43 MB)

Ag Games

Know Your Counties (PDF; 792 KB)
Food Pyramid (Making the Connection) (PDF; 1.16 MB)
Where Does Our Food Come From? (PDF; 1.11 MB)
Rangeland Management (PDF; 721 KB)
Match The Products and the Commodities (PDF; 568 KB)
Agricultural Word Search (PDF; 879 KB)

Agricultural Map and Games Combined! (PDF; 2.4 MB)

Teacher's Edition of the Nevada Agricultural Commodities Map (PDF; 3.1MB)  Attention Teachers -- this version contains some lesson plans to help you teach your students about Nevada agriculture!

Agricultural Education Links

•     Nevada Ag in the Classroom
•     California Ag in the Classroom (2008 Teacher Resource Guide; great activities and lesson plans for K-12 grade!)
•     Beef By-products
•     Corn Education
•     Pork 4 Kids

Soil - Dig In!

Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration.

To purchase copies, visit the National Science Teachers Association Web site at http://www.nsta.org/store/search.aspx?action=quicksearch&text=dig%20in.

Copyright © 2001 by the National Science Teachers Association. Permission is granted in advance for reproduction for purpose of classroom or workshop instruction. To request permission for other uses, send specific requests to: NSTA Press 1840 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22201-3000 www.nsta.org.

• Table of Contents
• Glossary, Resources and Agencies/Organizations
• Section I:  What is Soil?
• Lesson 1:  Soil Searching
• Lesson 2:  Scenic Soil
• Lesson 3:  Soil Supreme
• Section II:  Who Uses Soil?
• Lesson 4:  Lofty, Level, and Lumpy
• Lesson 5:  Life on the Land
• Lesson 6:  Plant a Plant
•         Story:  "The Trees Speak"
• Section III:  What Lives in Soil?
• Lesson 7:  Animal Apartments
• Lesson 8:  Living Links
•         Story:  "Sara, Queen of Corn"
• Lesson 9:  Watching Worms
• Section IV:  Where is Our Soil Going?
• Lesson 10:  Going, Going, Gone
• Lesson 11:  Soil Scientists
• Lesson 11:  An Outdoor Learning Center

Conservation Activities and Information Web Sites

• Backyard Conservation
• NRCS Tidbits for Teachers and Students
• On the Prairie (A Web site by the Bell Museum and the University of Minnesota. Try the Build-A-Prairie activity.)
• Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration - Clean Water. (This Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Web site includes Flash cartoons developed for kids to learn about farming and ranching practices as well as water treatment options.)
• USDA Education and Outreach Youth Resources
• The Dirt on Soil. (This virtual tour and field guide of the soil under our feet is available on the Discovery School Web site.)
• Dig It, the Secrets of Soil. Produced by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

Water Conservation

• Water Conservation: Every Little Drop Counts
• Reduce Your Water Use -- No Excuse!
• Water Conservation Tips
• Water Conservation - Ten Ways that will Save the Most
• World Water Day
• Conserving Water in Your Home