Environmental Geochemistry Class Project
Carey Gazis, Central Washington University
This is a inquiry-driven class research project on a local environmental geochemistry question that is accomplished during three-hour laboratory sessions each week. Students are divided into groups that will share ...

Soil Ecology Lab
Becky Ball, Arizona State University at the West Campus
Students collect soil samples from places of interest around campus and run a series of basic soil analyses to make conclusions about how soil fertility relates to the biological community and human management.

Basic Chemistry Review
Thomas Meixner, The University of Arizona
This assignment reviews basic of chemistry for students who should have had 2 introductory semesters of basic chemistry prior to enrolling in the Fundamental of Water Quality course for which the assignment is ...

Exploring Cation Exchange Capacity through the use of the Soil Survey
Scott Werts, Winthrop University
This assignment allows students to utilize real soil data/information presented online to learn how the some of the physical properties of the soil influence the chemistry of the soil and health of the ecosystem.

Final Project for Introductory Soils Course
Daniel Hirmas, Texas Tech University
These assignments represent scaffolding for a self-directed final project.

Calcium (Ca) availability to ecosystems: Weathering of limestone, apatite, and Ca-plagioclase (anorthite)
Abir Biswas, The Evergreen State College
Sequence of laboratory activities to develop familiarity with geochemistry bench laboratory experimental methods; demonstration of different weathering rates of different Ca-bearing minerals; connection between ...

Soil Under the Microscope Mini-Workshop
Steven Driese, Baylor University
This mini-workshop is a brief introduction to the use of the polarized light microscope for thin-section analysis of soils, known as micromorphology. It assumes only a rudimentary knowledge of mineralogy and ...

Introduction to urban watershed geochemistry
Vijay Vulava, College of Charleston
The main goal of this multi-part field and lab exercise is to introduce students to practical aspects of soil and water geochemistry. Some of the analyses for this lab are conducted in the field using field ...

Soil Profile Homework
Daniel Hirmas, Texas Tech University
This is one of 4 homework assignments given to students throughout this introductory soils course. The main goal of these assignments are to give the students practice with the mechanics of problem solving, ...

Soil Biogeochemical Cycles
Colin Robins, Claremont McKenna College
This group activity charges students with teaching their colleagues about the biogeochemical cycle of one key soil element (e.g., either C, N, S, P, Ca, or Fe). Students are given a single class period to summarize ...

Living Learning Community: Spaceship Earth Research Course
Penelope Boston, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Freshmen enrolled in the Spaceship Earth Living Learning Community conduct research on a real project that is formulated and conducted during a 2-semester academic year.

Soil analysis for the community garden
Kevin Svitana, Otterbein College
Kevin Svitana, Otterbein University, Westerville, OH Summary Otterbein is in the process of developing a community garden on its newly opened Equestrian Science facility. This facility was a former industrial ...

How to read elemental soil profiles to investigate the biogeochemical processes in Critical Zone?
Lixin Jin, University of Texas at El Paso
In this exercise, students use elemental chemistry data in a soil profile to explore major biogeochemical processes that dominate in critical zone. Data will be provided, and students calculate and graph the mass ...