Lesson

Digging Into Nutrients

In this lesson, students will gain background knowledge of the nutrient requirements of plants, how those nutrients are obtained by the plant, what farmers must do if the nutrients are not available in soils, and current issues related to agricultural production.

Grades
6 – 8
IN: Grades 6 – 8
Estimated Time
Two, 40-minute sessions
Updated
February 2, 2024
Tags
plants growing in soil with with mineral nutrients from soil
Image: Galeanu Mihai/iStock

Background

Lesson Activities

Recommended Companion Resources

Credits

Author

Pamela Emery | California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom

Acknowledgements

This lesson was updated in 2013 with funding from California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program. The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) funds and facilitates research to advance the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use and handling of fertilizer materials. FREP serves growers, agricultural supply and service professionals, extension personnel, public agencies, consultants, and other interested parties. FREP is a part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Division of Inspections Services.

Editor: Shaney Emerson
Executive Director: Judy Culbertson
Illustrator: Toni Smith
Layout and Design: Nina Danner
Copy Editor: Leah Rosasco

Standards

Indiana Content Area Standards

  • English Language Arts.Grade 6.RN.1

    Read a variety of nonfiction within a range of complexity appropriate for grades 6-8. By the end of grade 6, students interact with texts proficiently and independently at the low end of the range and with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

    • Key Ideas and Textual Support.6.RN.2.2: Determine how a central idea of a text is conveyed through particular details; provide an objective summary of the text.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 6.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-level appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.6.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 6.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Comprehension.6.SL.3.1: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
    • Discussion and Collaboration.6.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g.,one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 7.RN.1

    Read a variety of nonfiction within a range of complexity appropriate for grades 6-8. By the end of grade 7, students interact with texts proficiently and independently at the middle of the range and with scaffolding as needed for texts at the high end of the range.

    • Key Ideas and Textual Support.7.RN.2.2: Analyze the development of two or more central ideas over the course of a text; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 7.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.7.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 7.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Comprehension.7.SL.3.1: Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
    • Discussion and Collaboration.7.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 8.RN.1

    Read a variety of nonfiction within a range of complexity appropriate for grades 6-8. By the end of grade 8, students interact with texts proficiently and independently.

    • Key Ideas and Textual Support.8.RN.2.2: Analyze the development of a central idea over the course of a text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 8.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.8.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 8.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Comprehension.8.SL.3.1: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
    • Discussion and Collaboration.8.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.