AG330:
The basic concepts and components of soils will be examined in this course. How these principles relate to plant growth and human existence is of importance for society. The principles and practices of soil and water conservation, methods and technologies used in conservation and management of natural resources will be studied. Laboratory introduces students to analysis of soils and soil classification as well as a demonstration of RUSLE.
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
This course meets in person three times per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:20–11:05 AM. Class sessions will include a mix of lectures, discussions, group activities, videos, and presentations.
In addition to lecture, there is a mandatory laboratory component that meets on Mondays. Students are required to attend their assigned lab section:
Section 1: 1:00–2:50 PM
Section 2: 3:00–4:50 PM
Lab sessions will provide hands-on experience with core soil science techniques and reinforce concepts introduced in lecture.
Students are expected to actively participate, come prepared having completed any assigned readings, and engage with both instructor-led and peer-led components of the course. While most course content will be delivered during scheduled sessions, supplemental materials and assignments will be posted to Blackboard, where students should check regularly for updates.
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course...
1. The student will be able to outline soil properties and how they affect plants and animals.
2. The student will be able to identify at least 10 commercial grain and forage crops grown in the US.
3. The student will be able to use a computer to create a crop budget and present results to a group.
There is no required textbook for this course. All readings, peer-reviewed articles, and supplemental materials will be provided by the instructor and posted on Blackboard. Students are expected to check Blackboard regularly for updates, reading assignments, and class resources.
Describe the key functions and importance of soils in ecosystems and agriculture.
Explain how soils form from parent materials and develop distinct horizons.
Identify and interpret basic soil physical properties such as texture, structure, and color.
Classify soils using USDA Soil Taxonomy and interpret soil survey data.
Measure and analyze soil moisture, pH, and organic matter.
Summarize the role of soil organisms and organic matter in soil health and fertility.
Recognize causes of soil degradation and evaluate sustainable soil management practices.
Perform basic field and lab techniques for soil sampling and analysis.
Use the Web Soil Survey to gather and interpret soil series information.
Communicate soil science concepts through lab reports, group projects, and presentations.
Tentative Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Assignment |
1 | 18-Aug | Soils Around Us | |
20-Aug | Soils Around Us | ||
22-Aug | Soils Around Us | BB Assignment #1 | |
2 | 25-Aug | Formation of Soils from Parent Material | |
27-Aug | Formation of Soils from Parent Material | ||
29-Aug | Formation of Soils from Parent Material | BB Assignment #2 | |
3 | 1-Sep | Labor Day Holiday- No Class or Lab | |
3-Sep | Formation of Soils from Parent Material | ||
5-Sep | Formation of Soils from Parent Material | Quiz #1 | |
4 | 8-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | |
10-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | ||
12-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | BB Assignment #3 | |
5 | 15-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | |
17-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | ||
19-Sep | Soil Architecture & Physical Properties | Quiz #2 | |
6 | 22-Sep | Glacial Geology and Ohio Soils- Andy Nash | |
24-Sep | Soils Classification | ||
26-Sep | Soils Classification | BB Assignment #3 | |
7 | 29-Sep | Soil Compaction & Tillage Impacts | |
1-Oct | Soil Compaction & Tillage Impacts | ||
3-Oct | Soil Compaction & Tillage Impacts | Quiz #3 | |
8 | 6-Oct | Soil Water, Characteristics and Behavior | |
8-Oct | Soil Water, Characteristics and Behavior | ||
10-Oct | Soil Water, Characteristics and Behavior | BB Assignment #4 | |
9 | 13-Oct | Fall Break | |
15-Oct | Soil Organic Matter | ||
17-Oct | Soil Organic Matter | Midterm | |
10 | 20-Oct | Soil Organic Matter | |
22-Oct | Soil Organic Matter | ||
24-Oct | Soil Organic Matter | BB Assignment #5 | |
11 | 27-Oct | Soil Temperature | |
29-Oct | Soil Temperature | ||
31-Oct | Soil Temperature | Quiz #4 | |
12 | 3-Nov | Soil Erosion | |
5-Nov | Soil Erosion | ||
7-Nov | Soil Erosion | BB Assignment #6 | |
13 | 10-Nov | Soil Ecology- Dr. Tvisha Martin | |
12-Nov | Soil Biology | ||
14-Nov | Soil Biology | Quiz #5 | |
14 | 17-Nov | Soil Chemistry | |
19-Nov | Soil Chemistry | ||
21-Nov | Soil Fertility | Dessert Project | |
15 | 24-Nov | Soil Fertility | |
26-Nov | Thanksgiving Break | ||
28-Nov | Thanksgiving Break | No BB Assignment | |
16 | 1-Dec | Soil Contaminants | |
3-Dec | Soil Contaminants | ||
17 | 8- Dec | Final Exam (10:15AM-12:15PM) |
| Week | Date | Topic | Assignment |
1 | 18-Aug | Lab 1: Lab Safety | Lab Report #1 |
2 | 25-Aug | Lab 2: Some Basic Lab Techniques/Soil Moisture | Lab Report #2 |
3 | 1-Sep | Labor Day Holiday- No Class or Lab | |
4 | 8-Sep | Lab 3: Collecting Soil Samples | Lab Report #3 |
5 | 15-Sep | Lab 4: Soil Color | Lab Report #4 |
6 | 22-Sep | Lab 5: Glacial Till Field Trip- Andy Nash | Lab Report #5 |
7 | 29-Sep | Lab 6: Soil Structure | Lab Report #6 |
8 | 6-Oct | Lab 7: Soil Organic Matter | Lab Report #7 |
9 | 13-Oct | Fall Break | |
10 | 20-Oct | Lab 8: Soil pH | Lab Report #8 |
11 | 27-Oct | Lab 9: Soil Texture | Lab Report #9 |
12 | 3-Nov | Lab 11: Soil Erosion | Lab Report #10 |
13 | 10-Nov | Lab 11: Soil Biology | Lab Report #11 |
14 | 17-Nov | Lab 12: Soil Organic Matter | Lab Report #12 |
15 | 24-Nov | Lab 13: Web Soil Survey Activities | Lab Report #13 |
16 | 1-Dec | Lab 15: Make Up Lab | Make Up Lab |
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be given every other Friday during class. Each quiz will consist of multiple-choice and true/false questions, with a 25-minute time limit. Quizzes will cover material from both the current and previous week’s lectures and readings. All quizzes are closed book and closed notes.
Blackboard Assignments
On weeks when quizzes are not scheduled, students will complete a Blackboard Assignment. These are short, open-book and open-note assignments designed to reinforce the week’s material and encourage reflection. Blackboard Assignments are due by Friday at 11:59 PM and will alternate with quiz weeks.
Midterm Exam
The midterm will take place in person during class and will be administered through Blackboard. It will consist of multiple-choice and true/false questions, and will be open book and open notes.
Final Exam
The final exam will be held during the designated final exam period. It will be open book and open notes and will consist of multiple-choice and true/false questions covering selected topics from across the course.
Laboratory Reports
You will submit a lab report for each lab session. Instructions for each report will be provided during lab meetings.
Dessert Soil Profile Project
In this creative group project, students will design an edible soil profile that mimics a real-world soil series. Working in groups of three, students will select a soil series, create a dessert (e.g., cake, gelatin, muffins, pie) representing its horizons, and give a 10-minute class presentation.
- Each group will also submit a 2-page written report including:
- A description of the selected soil series
- The recipe used and labeled photos of the group preparing the dessert
- A brief explanation of how each dessert layer represents a soil horizon
- This project combines creativity with applied soil science knowledge.
The grading scale will be as follows:
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Quizzes (5 total) | 100 |
| Blackboard Assignments (6 total) | 100 |
| Midterm Exam | 100 |
| Final Exam | 100 |
| Laboratory Reports (13 total)* | 100 |
| Dessert Soil Profile Project | 50 |
| Total | 550 |
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range |
|---|---|
| A | ≥ 95.99% |
| A− | 95.98% – 91.00% |
| B+ | 90.99% – 88.00% |
| B | 87.99% – 85.00% |
| B− | 84.99% – 82.00% |
| C+ | 81.99% – 79.00% |
| C | 78.99% – 76.00% |
| C− | 75.99% – 72.00% |
| D+ | 71.99% – 69.00% |
| D | 68.99% – 65.00% |
| F | < 65.00% |
Instructor Course Policies
Regular attendance is expected and strongly encouraged in this course. While attendance is not graded directly, it is often required to participate in and earn points for in-class activities, group discussions, lab exercises, and other collaborative assignments. These activities typically cannot be made up outside of class.
If you must miss class due to illness, family emergency, or other extenuating circumstances, please notify me as soon as possible. In some cases, alternative arrangements may be made at the instructor’s discretion. However, frequent or unexcused absences may significantly impact your ability to succeed in the course.
Make-Up Lab Policy
One make-up lab session will be offered at the end of the semester for students who missed a lab due to a documented illness, family emergency, or other approved reason. Make-up opportunities are limited and are not guaranteed for unexcused absences. Students are responsible for contacting the instructor to schedule their participation in the make-up session.
Please refer to the current Student Handbook for the college's full Attendance Policy, including guidelines for excused absences.
All students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. This means submitting your own work, properly citing sources, and collaborating only when explicitly permitted. Acts of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating on exams, falsifying data, or unauthorized collaboration, will not be tolerated.
Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action, which may include a zero on the assignment, failure in the course, or referral to the college’s academic conduct board. If you are ever unsure about what constitutes appropriate collaboration or citation, please ask before submitting your work.
See the current Student Handbook for the college's Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.