Soils Basics Via the Drive-through.

Key fundamental concepts in soil science are best taught with hands-on activities to complement classroom lecture. This is particularly important for students who do not have practical agriculture or environmental science background prior to signing-up for a soil science course. The course Land, Life and Environment is a freshman-level soil science course that does not have a laboratory session. The course requires students to attend four drive-through laboratory sessions designed to provide students hands-on experience and appreciation about soil profile evaluation, soil physical properties, chemical properties and biological process. Drive-through labs are 30-minute activities wherein students go through various prepared set-ups in the laboratory for their observation and/or manipulation. Student survey reveal tremendous contribution of the drive-through activities to student learning and appreciation of key soil concepts.