Initial Publication Date: January 13, 2021
Engage: The Smell of Soil
Phenomena: The smell of soil
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Pass a moist soil sample, or root vegetable, such as a beet, around the class and ask students to smell it. Then discuss their associations with the smell of soil.
See the following articles for further details:
The Smell of Living Soil
The Smell of The Soil
What Makes Rain Smell So Good
Petrichor: why does rain smell so good?
Time required: 15 minutes to complete activity and discussion.
Alternate Phenomena:
Students will read the following Atlantic Magazine article describing the discovery of a soil virus that saved a life.
A Dying Teenager's Recovery Started in the Dirt A Dying Teenager's Recovery Started in the Dirt
Time required: 20 minutes to read the article and discuss it.