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
TX: Grades 6 – 12
Estimated Time
Two, 40-minute sessions
Updated
February 2, 2024
plants growing in soil with with mineral nutrients from soil
Image: Galeanu Mihai/iStock

Background

Lesson Activities

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

Texas Content Area Standards

  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1

    The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.B: apply competencies related to resources, information, interpersonal skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and systems of operation in agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.C: demonstrate knowledge of personal and occupational safety, environmental regulations, and first-aid policy in the workplace.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4

    The student explains the historical, current, and future significance of the agriculture, food, and natural resources industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.B: analyze the scope of agriculture, food, and natural resources and its effect upon society.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6

    The student demonstrates appropriate personal and communication skills. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.A: demonstrate written and oral communication skills appropriate for formal and informal situations such as prepared and extemporaneous presentations.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.B: demonstrate effective listening skills appropriate for formal and informal situations.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7

    The student applies appropriate research methods to agriculture, food, and natural resources topics. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7.B: use a variety of resources for research and development.
    • Principles of Agricultures, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7.A: discuss major research and developments in the fields of agriculture, food, and natural resources.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.10

    The student develops technical knowledge and skills related to soil systems. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.10.A: identify the components and properties of soils.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.10.B: identify and describe the process of soil formation.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.11

    The student develops technical knowledge and skills related to plant systems. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.11.A: describe the structure and functions of plant parts.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.11.B: discuss and apply plant germination, growth, and development.
  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 6.1.C: The student is expected to give an organized presentation with a specific stance and position, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
    • ELA: 6.1.D: The student is expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members, taking notes, and identifying points of agreement and disagreement.
  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.3

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

    • ELA: 6.b.3: Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.
  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.5

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: 6.5.G: The student is expected to evaluate details read to determine key ideas.
  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.6

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: 6.6.D: The student is expected to paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order.
    • ELA: 6.6.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 7.1.D: The student is expected to engage in meaningful discourse and provide and accept constructive feedback from others.
  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.3

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

    • ELA: 7.b.3: Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.
  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.5

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: 7.5.G: The student is expected to evaluate details read to determine key ideas.
  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.6

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: 7.6.D: The student is expected to paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order.
    • ELA: 7.6.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 8.1.D: The student is expected to participate collaboratively in discussions, plant agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.
  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.3

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

    • ELA: 8.b.3: Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.
  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.5

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: 8.5.G: The student is expected to evaluate details read to determine key ideas.
  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.6

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: 8.6.D: The student is expected to paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order.
    • ELA: 8.6.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
  • Social Studies: 6.113.18.c.21

    Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 6.113.18.c.21.C: express ideas orally based on research and experiences
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;
    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;
    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.D: use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, weather maps, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals;
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.2

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs.
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.4

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.4.C: research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers.
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.5

    Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.5.A: identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions;