To borrow any of the conservation education resources listed below, please contact the District office for availability and check-out procedures:
Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District
1974 NW Copper Oaks Circle
Blue Springs, MO 64015-8300
PH: 816-228-1161, X3
Fax: 816-229-2384
email: linda.struewe@swcd.mo.gov
VHS Video Cassettes
LINES ON THE LAND. Explains soil conservation practices as they appear in the landscape. Ideal for individuals unfamiliar with soil and water conservation practices and structures. Grade 6-adult. 10 minutes.
SAVING OUR SOIL. Produced in Missouri, this video introduces the subject of soil and its conservation. Addresses Missouri Show-Me Standards. Grade 4-adult. 30 minutes.
SOIL--WE CAN'T GROW WITHOUT IT. Stresses the importance of soil and significance to plants, animals, and people. Also available in slide/tape format. Grade 3-adult. 15 minutes.
WATER--WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT. Shows how water supports wildlife and people. Highlights threats to clean water. Also available in slide/tape format. Grade 3-adult. 14 minutes.
THE MISSOURI ENVIROTHON. An overview of the State Envirothon experience with scenes from a recent state event plus commentary from teacher and student participants. Available in DVD and video cassette format. Grade 9-adult. 9 minutes (DVD), 5 minutes (VHS).
CONSERVATION ON YOUR OWN. A "how to" video highlighting numerous conservation practices including contouring, strip cropping, field windbreaks, residue measurement, and more. Grade 7-adult. 60 minutes.
MDC CONSERVATION SERIES. Fourteen video tapes produced by the Missouri Department of Conservation on various conservation themes. Titles include: Creating an Urban Oasis, Forests for the Future, Landscaping for Wildlife, Improving your Forests, Blooming Secrets, Grandin...Big Mill and Tall Timber, Streams...the Force of Life, Fishing Missouri, Fishing a Missouri Stream, The Key to Duck ID,Quail Country, The Snakes' Tale, Missouri's Tallgrass Prairie, Birding for Beginners, and Time Shadow: Encounters with the Whitetail. Grade 4-adult. 9-24 minutes.
THE CONTINUING FOREST. Presents facts on the timber industry and needs for its products. Highlights renewable resource management and benefits of timber for soil, water, and wildlife conservation. Grade 4-adult. 29 minutes.
EXPLORING MISSOURI WETLANDS. Highlights numerous wetland sites in Missouri, several of which are accessible to teachers and students. A short segment is devoted to the Fire Prairie Wetland near Buckner in Jackson County. Grade 4-adult. 30 minutes.
THE WEALTH IN WETLANDS. Presents interviews with 5 farmers who are preserving and using wetlands. Also details wetland losses in the United States, restoration methods, and sources of wetland conservation expertise. Grade 7-adult. 23 minutes.
FABULOUS WETLANDS. Provides an informative and entertaining look at wetland ecology, flora and fauna, and environmental benefits of wetlands. Grade 4-adult. 7 minutes.
EXPLORING SCHOOL NATURE AREAS. Presents ideas on how students can help create their own school nature study areas to reinforce science, social studies, math, art, and other subjects. Grade 4-adult. 13 minutes.
WORLD POPULATION. Graphically traces the population growth on the Earth from the year 1 A.D. through 2050. Grade 7-adult. 7 minutes.
THE SOIL--FOUNDATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT. Illustrates the limited extent of soil resources on earth through the apple demonstration. Produced by science resource teacher and students at Osage Trail Junior High School. Grade 4-adult. 4 minutes.
LEWIS AND CLARK. A two-video set including Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery in Missouri and Missouri 1804 plus a companion publication Lewis and Clark's Journey Across Missouri that present an overview of flora, fauna, and natural resources of early America. Grade 7-adult. 27 minutes.
Slide/Tape Programs
LIMITS. Focuses on the use and abuse of soils in the United States from a historical prospective. Traces the growing awareness that our natural resources of soil, water, wildlife, etc. are not unlimited. Grade 3-adult. 15 minutes.
WHAT IS SOIL EROSION? Presents an overview of the types, processes, and consequences of soil erosion. Highlights soil conservation practices and structures to reduce erosion. Grade 6-adult. 10 minutes.
Electronic Media
HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND SOILS. A comprehensive soil science resource, in CD format, developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Contains information on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil plus useful and interesting information such as soil quotes, state soils, soil surveys, and much more. Grade 7-adult.
THE LIVING LANDSCAPE. An interactive computer visit to a farm. Allows students to explore the effect of various farm management practices on environmental quality. Mac or Windows, requires CD-ROM drive. Grade 4-adult.
HABITACTICS. A computer game where players match species with habitats. Presents conservation challenges to be solved by habitat management and biodiversity. Requires CD-ROM drive. Grade 3-adult.
Reference Books and Literature
SOIL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR PACKET. An instructor manual plus student guide highlighting the evaluation, interpretation, and management of soils primarily from an agricultural prospective. Excellent Envirothon soils reference. Grade 9-adult. 187/104 pages.
NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF SOILS, by Nyle C. Brady. A comprehensive basic soils text providing reference on all aspects of soil science. 621 pages.
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOIL SCIENCE, by Henry D. Foth. General reference text covering many soil-related topics. 360 pages.
EARTH: THE STUFF OF LIFE, by Firman E. Bear. A view for the layman of soils, their importance to mankind, and past and present threats to soil resources. 318 pages.
DIG IN! A hands-on soil investigation manual with 12 activities to guide children (grade K-4) in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration. 129 pages.
SOIL SURVEY MANUAL, U.S.D.A. A technical overview of the physical properties of soils to aid in soil classification and mapping. 503 pages.
WATER QUALITY INDICATORS GUIDE: SURFACE WATERS, U.S.D.A. Provides a simplified approach for rapid assessment of water quality. Helps identify possible sources of water quality problems. 128 pages.
SOIL SURVEY OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI, U.S.D.A. Contains characteristics of local soils and predictions of soil behavior for many land uses. Highlights soil limitations and the impact of selected land uses on the environment. Also available on CD. Free of charge. 143 pages.
THE TERRESTRIAL NATURAL COMMUNITIES OF MISSOURI, by Paul W. Nelson. A compendium of terrain types and associated flora and fauna found in Missouri. Exquisite photography. Excellent Envirothon resource. Grade 9-adult. 550 pages.
THE WONDERS OF WETLANDS. An educator's guide providing background material and stimulating activities for teaching wetland ecology in indoor and outdoor classroom settings. 330 pages.
IN FOCUS by Jim Rathert. A collection of photographic images and insights from the Missouri Conservationist's longtime nature photographer. Hundreds of striking photographs plus photo and nature commentary. Grade 7-adult. 114 pages.
BOTTLE BIOLOGY. An idea book for biological science experiments using lo-tech, household materials. Project ideas explore soil erosion, texture, density, water holding capacity, composting, and more. 127 pages.
Other Conservation Education Resources
MUNSELL SOIL COLOR CHARTS. A set of color charts for making precise classifications of soil color. 7 charts, with notebook.
SAMMY SOIL SAVER SOIL CONSERVATION ACTIVITY. A puppet kit including the puppet, script with conservation message, worksheet, and activity book. Grade K-3.
SOIL FORMATION KIT. A display kit containing 36 samples of common rock-forming minerals, rocks from which soils are derived, products of soil forming agents, soil minerals, and soil samples.
CHEMICAL SOIL TEST KIT. A kit to run simple tests for soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Includes soil science guides. Requires precaution and adult supervision. Grade 9-12.
THE TOPSOIL TOUR KIT. A hands-on test kit and mini curriculum for exploring basic soil fertility and plant nutrition. Requires precaution and adult supervision. Grade 4-8.
SOIL TEXTURE KIT. A kit to make determinations of sand, silt, and clay content of soil samples. Requires precaution and adult supervision. Grade 9-12.
CONSERVING SOIL. A teacher's guide to soil and water conservation featuring background information, color transparencies, and masters for photocopying. Grade 6-9.
DIRT--SECRETS IN THE SOIL. An interactive video/teacher guide/activity book that brings fundamental lessons of soil science from the countryside to the classroom. Grade 3-6.
Student Materials
WONDERS OF SOIL. An introduction to soil, in comic book format, including soil facts, activities, experiments, and word games. Grade 2-3. Limit 5, please.
A FISH STORY. A simple introduction to water quality in story format. Can be used as a coloring book. Grade K-2. Limit 5, please.
CONSERVATION CHOICES. A booklet highlighting 30 conservation and environmental stewardship practices for use on agricultural land to protect soil, water, plant, and animal resources. Contains a photograph and details of each practice. Grade 6-12. Limit 5, please.
FROM THE GROUND DOWN. A general soils primer with emphasis on use and interpretation of soil surveys. Grade 9-12. Limit 5, please.
SOIL FORMATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN MISSOURI. A comprehensive soils booklet containing an overview of numerous soil topics including the importance of soil, formation, components, soil geography of Missouri, properties of soil, horizons, soil conservation, and more. Also contains lesson plans, a word game, and test. Grade 9-12. Limit 5, please.
Additional resources are available from the Conservation Education Resource Library.