Summary

Hands-on environmental science lessons that connect soil and water to ecosystem health. Students explore soil components, formation, and texture, then investigate soil biodiversity by collecting samples and using a Berlese funnel to observe decomposers in the soil food web. Water activities model eutrophication and algal blooms driven by excess nutrients, and map stormwater runoff and watersheds to show how impervious surfaces affect flooding and pollution. A wetland lesson explains wetland indicators and demonstrates how wetlands filter water, trap sediment, and reduce floods.