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Soil formation

New Zealand has a wide variety of landscapes. A day’s sightseeing journey might include volcanic plateaus, rolling hills, river basins and coastal lands. It is easy to notice how the scenery ...

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ARTICLE

Professor Richard McDowell

Positions: Professor – Lincoln University, Principal Scientist – AgResearch, Chief Scientist – National Science Challenge: Our Land and Water. Field: Soil and water quality. Professor Richard ...

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ARTICLE

The phosphorus cycle

Phosphorus is a chemical element found on Earth in numerous compound forms, such as the phosphate ion (PO₄^3-), located in water, soil and sediments. The quantities of phosphorus in soil are ...

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ACTIVITY

Nitrification and denitrification

In this activity, students explore chemical processes that occur within the nitrogen cycle. In a simple experiment, students use a jar of sand to follow the transformation of ammonium to nitrate ...

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ACTIVITY

Visual soil assessment

In this activity, students learn about soil quality and soil properties by conducting a visual soil assessment (VSA). The activity involves digging up a 20 cm cube of soil to examine the soil ...

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ACTIVITY

Investigating soil moisture content

In this activity, students find the moisture content of a soil sample and compare it to soil samples from different locations around the school. You can record your data and share it on a soil ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Myrtle Rust Reporter

Myrtle rust is a serious biosecurity threat, and help is needed to monitor its spread. This citizen science project aims to gather information on the location, hosts and intensity of this fungal ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Wild Sourdough

Capture wild microbes and turn them into bread – for science! This is a project you could do with your students in the classroom or they can do at home. Microbes are found in every environment on ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Infection Inspection

Help this global project to develop a faster test for antibiotic resistance by looking inside bacteria that have been treated with antibiotics. This will improve healthcare for patients with ...

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TEACHER PLD

Junior science

These science resources – written specifically for the junior school (level 1 and 2) develop science ideas about water; melting and freezing; solids, liquids and gases; bubbles; earthquakes ...

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TEACHER PLD

Science for juniors

In this online PD session recorded on 17 March 2016, Barb Ryan from the Science Learning Hub, explores resources suitable for children working at Levels 1 and 2. We look at resources from our ...

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TEACHER PLD

Planet Earth and Beyond – Soil

Soil – it’s much more than dirt. Soil keeps us alive. Without soil, we would be hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless and breathless. Soils differ from location to location and are a range of colours ...

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VIDEO

Soil formation

Professor Louis Schipper from Waikato University briefly explains the five factors involved in soil formation. Point of interest: At the end of this video, see if you can name the five factors ...

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VIDEO

Phosphorus

Dr Ross Monaghan from AgResearch at Invermay in Otago explains the importance of phosphorus and then talks us through phosphorus cycle. Jargon alert Ross mentions that phosphorous is adsorbed to ...

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VIDEO

Fertilisers

Dr Ross Monaghan from AgResearch at Invermay in Otago talks about fertilisers – what they are and why they are used on farms. Point of interest: Ross talks about using a nutrient budget for ...

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SLIDESHOW

How much life is there in a bottle of seawater? – ...

This slideshow shows the process of sampling water and looks at the different microorganisms found. Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the ...

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INTERACTIVE

The terrestrial nitrogen cycle

An interactive showing the main components of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle. Select one of the buttons to find out more. Go here to view the full transcript and copyright information.

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INTERACTIVE

Measuring soil moisture – data collection form

Use this form to record your soil moisture data.

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