Facilitator Information
Welcome to your main resource page for Soil to Seed.
The sidebar menu will take you to each lesson within this program.
Lesson plans include background information, materials lists, printable materials, and step-by-step instructions for implementing the lesson in a regular group setting if you are in a situation that allows you to do so. If you are in a virtual setting, you can modify the lesson by using some of the variations.
Soil to Seed Introduction
From the food we eat, to the water we drink, to the places where we live and play, soil erosion and sedimentation profoundly affects our everyday lives. Erosion is a natural occurrence, shaping sand dunes, creating river deltas, or carving out enormous rock features like the Grand Canyon. The loss of soil from our landscapes and its deposition into our waterways, however, reduce the ability of the land to be productive in supporting plant growth and the capacity of the water to nurture aquatic habitats, host recreation, and have municipal usefulness. This curriculum focuses on the accelerated processes of erosion and sedimentation that transpire as a direct result of agricultural and construction development activities. It is through abuse that our waters and soils are becoming increasingly compromised. With careful management of the soil, however, we can preserve water quality and keep our soil in place for future generations.
Soil to Seed is designed to cultivate high school aged-youth in understanding the principles of erosion and sediment control. Using the 4-H Experiential Learning Model, youth delve into hands-on lessons, working together to solve problems and share reflections on what they learned. The curriculum begins with the fundamental mechanics behind erosion and sedimentation, then teaches students how to assess physical spaces for evidence of these processes, and eventually builds their knowledge base of how to manage and control soil loss and deposition. Students strengthen their connections to these concepts through the process of doing, reflecting, and then applying what they know to other situations in their life. Each lesson is crafted to build life skills that can be used in any context, fostering critical thinking, teamwork, record keeping, collaboration, and communication.
This curriculum is a collaborative project that drew directly from the research of NC State University’s Soil Erosion, Sediment and Turbidity Control program within the Department of Soil Science in partnership with North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program. Throughout the country, each state has a Cooperative Extension organization that brims with knowledgeable people that can provide educators with content support and resources. Soil to Seed will take educators and students on a journey to explore a world that is just a step beyond the boundaries of a building. By understanding erosion and its impact on water quality, we can grow another generation that is engaged in important environmental challenges and deeply motivated to practice strategies that steward our soil and water.
