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                   National Agricultural Library


                          
                            U.S. Department of Agriculture
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    External Resources Soils in the Classroom-Unearthed Events at the LibrarySoils in the Classroom-Unearthed
 Celebrating the Discovery and Donation of a Historic Soils Collection 
 On August 19, 2015, the National Agricultural Library hosted an event to celebrate the donation of this “antique” soil samples collection that was tucked away in a classroom cabinet and recently discovered by a science teacher in New Jersey. Below is the text from the original invitation. *"**Important Soils of the United States, U.S. Bureau of Soils,** 1916, is the title of the instructional bulletin that accompanied the thirteen boxes comprising the collection of soils. U.S. Bureau of Soils distributed these collections to schools and colleges for teaching agriculture and physical geography. During the event, the collection will be officially deeded by the teacher, Jill Guenther, to the National Agricultural Library where it will be archived for safekeeping, included in Library exhibits, and available upon request for onsite inspection. What better way to continue the celebration of the International Year of Soils ?  We hope you will join us as we gather to commemorate the discovery of this historic teaching tool and consider the importance of keeping soils education in today's classrooms."* Original invitation to the event, August, 2015 You might also be interested in the International Year of Soils (2015) exhibit. This exhibit focuses on Charles Edwin Kellogg, reknowned soil scientist.
 Photos of the Donated Collection
 USDA Soil Samples Collection
 Vials containing samples of soils from various geographic regions of the U.S.
 Books from the General Collection
 Different kinds of soil
 How is soil made?
 Rocks and soil
 Soil
  Soils: teacher's guide
 The story of soil
 The world beneath our feet; the story of soil
 Items from Special Collections
 Determining the total acreage of each soil by use of the planimeter (Scale of Base 1/31,680)
 Transferring soil data from aerial photographs to base with the aid of a vertical sketchmaster....
 Inking the base map. (Scale of Base 1/63,360)
 Be all you can be--read!
  Stow outdoor classroom (MA)
 Scientist looking through filing cabinets full of soil samples
 Kellogg working at his desk
 Kellogg shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy
  Land capability map for Farm No. SC-SCD-3-C-1110
 Land capability map, Bearskin Lake
 Land capability map for Farm No. SC-SCD-100-X-1
 Charles E. Kellogg's suggested reading list While soil scientists are the target audience for this list, Kellogg opens the first section of the list's introduction, "Reading", with a description of the *general reader*. He closes this section with the line "Thus our soil scientist becomes a general reader!" The list comprises five pages of science publications and seven pages devoted to philosophy, history, and fiction. Examples include: Carroll, Lewis. *Alice in Wonderland.*
Churchill, Winston. *The Second World War.*
Dickens, Charles. *Oliver Twist.*
*Holmes-Laski Letters: Correspondence of Mr. Justice Holmes and Harold J. Laski*
*Lawrence, D. H. Sons and Lovers.*
Machiavelli*. The Prince.*
Moore, Harry T. *The Intelligent Heart: The Story of D. H. Lawrence*
Plato. *The Dialogues.*
Tolkein, J. R. R. *The Hobbit.*
 Reading for soil scientists, together with a library (revised)
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