Initial Publication Date: January 13, 2021

Explore: Soil Nutrients

Note: if you haven't already done so, create a free log-in to download the materials teaching in PDF. Nourishing the Planet High School Materials

Part A. Sources of Essential Elements

Key Point: Soil is the source of the majority of nutrients needed by both plants and animals.

Return to Nourishing the Planet – Lesson 1, Activity 2: Sources of Essential Elements. Begin the lesson with a short but important review of the source of nutrients for plants.
Use the Activity Master 1.5 "Source of Essential Elements" to guide your discussion.

Time required: 2- 3 class periods

Part B. Nutritious Nitrogen

1. In this part of the lesson, continue Activity 2 from the Nutrients for Life materials. Use Activity Master 1.6 "Using Nitrogen" to review the nitrogen cycle as an example of a chemical process in our soils. 
2. Then share the multimedia interactive from the University NM Nutritious Nitrogen to explore how nitrogen is used in agriculture. 
3. Finally, assign student teams to explore one of the two other key nutrient cycles in soil. Use the nutrient cycle posters found on the Nutrients for Life site. (Note: these will need to be downloaded and printed before class) Nutrient Cycle Posters 
Nutrients included: Potassium, Phosphorus, Nitrogen.

Time required: 45 minutes for teams to review cycles and present to one another. Preparation could be done as a homework assignment.

Part C. Everything is Chemical

Return to the Everything is Chemical video shown in the engage section of the module and ask students to expand upon their answers from their first viewing.

Time required: 10 minutes to review the video.

Part D. Crops and Nutrition

Handout the reading, What are the types of crops based on Nutrition or another similar reading assignment. 
Ask the following questions:

  1. What is the difference between a macro and micronutrient? Give examples and sources of each.
  2. What is meant by a "balanced diet" and how does it improve our health?


Give students time to read the article and to discuss it in small groups or pairs. 
Note: this reading and writing could be done as homework.
Time required: 20 minutes to read and answer questions