DOI
https://doi.org/10.62812/NCHQ7607
Document Type
Curriculum Resource
Publication Version
In Review
Publication Date
Summer 6-6-2026
Keywords
Soil health, soil texture, soil pH, Three Sisters, traditional ecological knowledge, food sovereignty, regenerative agriculture, soil stewardship, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, Rosebud Reservation
Description
In this lesson, students will build on the previous lesson (reading and analyzing the Three Sisters chapter from Braiding Sweetgrass) by experimenting on soil in their schoolyard. Students will collect soil samples from multiple locations around their school grounds and evaluate soil texture, structure, infiltration, color, organic matter, and pH. Students Through field observations and laboratory analysis, students examine how soil characteristics influence plant growth and ecosystem health. Students connect modern soil science with Indigenous agricultural knowledge, particularly the Three Sisters planting system described in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. By exploring how healthy soil supports sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and food production, students gain a deeper understanding of soil stewardship, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability on the Rosebud Reservation.
Pages
12
Type
Lesson Plan
Format
Language
English
Publisher
Open Prairie, South Dakota State University
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Mara Johnson, Jiyul Chang and Madhav P Nepal (2026). Lesson 2. Soil Health Analysis. I-LEARN Teaching Resources, 8(1), 332-343. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62812/NCHQ7607
Included in
Agricultural Education Commons, Botany Commons, Education Commons, Other Food Science Commons