How Can People Conserve Soil

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How Can People Conserve Soil?
Presented by Stacey Messer Woodhill-3rd Grade
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NCSCS Objectives
Goal 2 The learner will build an understanding
of soil concepts. Obj. 2.01 Properties of Soil
such as color, texture, and
capacity to retain water. Obj. 2.02 Analyze the
ability of soil to support the growth of
many plants, including those in our food
supply. Obj. 2.03 Identify various types of
soil clay, sand, humus
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Today you will learn (EQ Questions)

• What harms soil?
• How soil can be saved?
• What are the Earths Resources?

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Vocabulary

• resource a material found in nature that living
  things use.
• conservation saving resources by using them
  carefully
• strip cropping planting strips of thick grass
  or clover between strips of crops
• contour plowing planting rows of crops around
  the sides of hills instead of up and down.

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What are the Earths Resources?
Water, air, trees, and minerals are resources.
Soil is also a resource and is used to grow food.

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How Soil Can Be Harmed
Plants hold soil in place. When people cut down
too many trees and other plants, the water and
wind will carry away the soil. If trees are cut
down new ones should be planted to help the soil.
with trees
after trees are cut down
Rain Forest
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How Soil Can Be Harmed
Farming on the same land for many years can also
be harmful to the soil. The plants will use up
all the minerals in the soil. Year after year
the minerals are less and less for new plants
that are put on the land.
The rain forest have thin, poor soil. Plants and
crops cannot grow in this soil for long. After
the plants are harvested, there is nothing to
hold the soil in place. The wind and rain washes
it away and cracks are left.
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Ways to Save the Soil
One way to save soil is by conservation.
Conservation is saving resources by using them
carefully. Farmers practice conservation to have
good soil to grow crops.
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Another way farmers save the soil is to strip
crop. Strip Cropping is planting strips of thick
grass or clover between strips of crops. The
thick mat helps keep water in the soil and from
washing it away. Some farmers also use contour
plowing. Contour plowing is planting rows of
crops around the sides of hills instead of up and
down. This way water does not run off in
straight lines and the soil isnt washed away.
strip cropping
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Summary
Growing the same type of crop on the same land
for many years removes minerals. When people
remove plants and tree, soil may be washed away.
Farmers conserve soil by strip cropping, contour
plowing, and other methods.
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Review

• What harms soil?
• How soil can be saved?
• What are the Earths Resources?

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Which of these is a method that farmers can use
to save soil?

• erosion
• strip cropping
• strip resource
• clear-cutting

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Sources

• Harcourt Science Teacher Edition (Harcourt
  School. Publishers) 3rd Grade
• Pictures from Harcourt Science