I was very pleased that this unit had been selected by Dan Flores for inclusion in the OAH Magazine of History , Spring 1996 issue. If its success with my students is any indication of how successful it will be in other classrooms, with other students, the relationship between soil and history will be well on its way to finding a permanent place in the curriculum. Using a new perspective in all my science and language arts classes has become inevitable, yes, even inescapable. Students learn how Native Americans in their region used the soils years ago. Students contrast this use with our present use.
Students research how soils have influenced the history of the United States.
Grades 5-12 Earth Science, Ecology, American History, Sociology. The time required is two class periods 45-55 minutes each or as long as a week or two. Handout sheets and reference materials. How People Have Used Soils Students will discover the relationship of early Native Americans to the environment, the land, and the soils. Students will describe ways that modern technology can alter the land and the soils in both beneficial and detrimental ways.