OCR Text |
Show PREFACE Soil and water are recognized as our basic natural resources. The way we manage these resources and their products- plants and animals- is important in determining our present and future welfare. Conservation and wise use of soil and moisture on croplands, grasslands, and woodlands is the key to keeping our land productive, our people healthy, and our Nation strong and beautiful. How well this is done doesn't depend entirely on land owners and operators; we all have a share in the job to be done. It is too important a job to be bypassed by anyone. There must be a universal awareness of its importance. This awareness can be developed most effectively by teaching conservation in the schools throughout the Nation. On this teachers and conservationists agree. As an aid to busy teachers, this publication gives some practical suggestions to help them in carrying out activities and observations in the classroom and out- of- doors. Teachers can modify the activities according to the interests or needs of their students. Not all the steps needed in developing, carrying out, and analyzing the activities are given. These will depend on the conservation projects undertaken and on how the teachers and students plan together. Procedures can be planned as the work progresses, usually in connection with a larger activity or curriculum unit that draws on all subjects. In the beginning stages of teacher- student planning, teachers may find it helpful to follow a few planned activities such as those given here. After the students have carried out a few of these activities, they will want to move ahead creatively and independently- to see problems, to ask questions, and to plan new studies or activities to get answers that satisfy them. Both science and social- studies teachers can find suggestions that will help them guide their students in understanding the resources around them. Such possibilities are limited only by teacher ingenuity, school curriculums, community soil and water conservation problems, and opportunities for field trips and for practical application of resource use and conservation to the schoolgrounds and elsewhere. Each activity is presented in two parts: A how- to- do- it part and an interpretation. The how- to- do- it part is written in a language and style for presentation to students. The interpretations are addressed to teachers to give readily available background information. The need for this publication became apparent in conferring with leading educators in the field of conservation education in all parts of the country. In addition, many teachers and leaders of youth groups have continued to request the how- to- do- it type of information presented here. All programs and services of the Soil Conservation Service are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap. |