Particle Size Analysis, Soil Texture, and Hydraulic Conductivity

Joseph Asante, Oberlin College

This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Peer Reviewed Teaching Activities collection.

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are

Scientific Accuracy
Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
Pedagogic Effectiveness
Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
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This page first made public: Jun 6, 2013

Summary

Lab: Particle Size Analysis, Soil Texture, and Hydraulic Conductivity

Water cycle/groundwater-surface water interface, Unsaturated ...(more) | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

undergraduate hydrogeology course

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Prior to this lab activity, i talked with students in the lecture class about Porous materials properties and subsurface flow (unsaturated). In these lectures all the important terms in this lab activity are explained.

How the activity is situated in the course

This is their second lab activity and i try to coordinate it with the lecture component of the course. This lab is due after one week.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

The students: performing particle size analysis; determine soil classification; estimate soil water retention parameters, hydraulic conductivity of soil, and infiltration rate