AGY 240 Introductory Soil Science
SYLLABUS
Instructor:
E-mail:
Phone:
(Office)
Address:
James O Owino, PhD
james.owino@d11.org
719 328 2151
719 271 6310 (Cell)
Early College High School
R J Wasson Academic Campus
2115 Afton Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
CREDIT HOURS: 4 Credit Hours
PREREQUISITES: Discipline recommended competency level: ENG 060, MAT 030, REA 090
COURSE TIME LIMITS:
Semester-based Courses: All Semester-based courses follow a 16 week calendar as detailed in
the Course Schedule.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Required Textbooks:
1. SOIL SCIENCE & MANAGEMENT
Author: PLASTER
Publisher: DELMAR
Edition: 6
ISBN: 9780840024329
2. SOIL SCIENCE & MANAGEMENT LAB MANUAL
Author: PLASTER
Publisher: DELMAR
Edition: 6
ISBN: 9780840024343
Other Supplies: Basic office supplies such as pens, pencils and note pads.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Introductory Soil Science focuses on formation, physical properties, chemical properties, and
management of soils emphasizing conditions that affect plant growth. This course is one of the
Statewide Guaranteed Transfer courses.GT-SCl.
Introductory Soil Science will explore the basic concepts of soil science and management, with
the primary objectives following these four primary purposes: 1) To identify and explain the soil
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AGY 240 Introductory Soil Science
and water resources of the United States to enable a full appreciation of the importance of these
resources; 2) To present soil science theory tied to the practice of those that use the soil; 3) To
stress the sustainable management of soil and water resources by devoting the detail to such
subjects as soil and water conservation, conservation tillage, nutrient management, Best
Management Practices (BMP), and sustainable agriculture; and 4) The treatment of soil in
nature, with special emphasis of soils in natural ecosystems.
STANDARD COMPETENCIES:
I. The student will be able to analyze the main soil forming factors and determine how a soil is
formed and what its characteristics might likely be.
II. The student will be able to recognize the various soil physical properties and determine their
effects on other soil characteristics.
III. The student will become familiar with soil, plant, and water interactions and how the
physical properties of the soil relate to these interactions.
IV. The student will familiarize themselves with the factors involved in wind and water erosion
and their control. Tillage systems to minimize erosion and special urban problem topics should
also be analyzed.
V. The student will demonstrate a basic understanding of soil microbiology and how soil
microbes interact with plant and animal material in the soil.
VI. The student will identify the two soil colloids and how they relate to soil fertility including
isomorphic substitution and cation exchange capacity.
VII. The student will grasp the principles behind soil pH and the causes for high and low soil pH
ranges and remedies for these situations.
VIII. The student will grasp the principles of soil salinity problems concentrating on saline,
sodic, and salinesodic soils, and their reclamation or methods of dealing with these problem
soils.
IX. The student will become familiar with the seventeen essential elements, their interaction with
the soil and plants, and common fertilizer products for their supplementation.
X The student will be able to determine the basic soil types used in agricultural production
around the world, their use and extent, as well as the classification of soils for agricultural use.
XI. The student will become familiar with common environmental concerns facing agriculture
and look for solutions to solve these problems.
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AGY 240 Introductory Soil Science
CONTENT OUTLINE / SCHEDULE (SPRING 2015)
Week and Date
Course Topics
Week 1 (01/07 – 01/09)
1. Overview of class requirements, agenda, class procedure and
schedule
2. Review Lab 1 Laboratory Health & Safety Procedures
3. Formal Lab Writing
Lecture: Ch. 1- The Importance of Soil
Lecture: Ch. 2 - Soil Origin and Development
Lab # 1 (Chap 1): The Importance of Soil
Lab #2 (Chap 2): Soil Origin and Development
Lecture: Ch. 3 - Soil Classification and Survey
Lab #3: Soil Classification and Survey
Lecture: Ch4. –Physical Properties of Soil
Lab #3: Soil Classification and Survey (Cont.)
Lecture: Ch5. – Life in the Soil
Lab #4: Physical properties of soil
Lab #5: Life in the Soil
Lecture: Ch6. – Organic Matter
Lab #6: Organic matter
Lecture: Ch7. – Soil Water
Lab #7: Soil Water
Lecture: Ch8. – Water conservation
Lab #8: Water conservation
Lecture: Ch9. – Drainage and Irrigation
Lab #9: Drainage and Irrigation
Week 2 (01/12 – 01/16)
Week 3 (01/20 –01/23)
Week 4 (01/26–01/30)
Week 5 (02/02 – 02/06)
Week 6 (02/09 – 02/13)
Week 7 (02/17 – 02/20)
Week 8 (02/23– 02/27)
Week 9 (03/02 –03/06)
Mid-semester Exam
Week 10 (03/09 – 03/13)
Week 11 (03/16 – 03/20)
Lecture: Ch10. – Soil Fertility
Lab # Soil Fertility
Lecture: Ch11. – Soil pH and Salinity
Lab #11: Soil pH and Salinity
Week 12 (03/23 –03/27)
Spring Break
Week 13 (03/30 –04/03)
Lecture: Ch12. – Plant Nutrition
Lab #12: Plant Nutrition
Lecture: Ch13. – Soil Sampling and Testing
Lab #13: Soil Sampling and Testing
Week 14 (04/06–04/10)
Week 15 (04/13 – 04/16)
Week 16 (04/20 – 04/24)
Lecture: Ch14. – Fertilizers
Lab #14: Fertilizers
Lecture: Ch15. –Organic Amendments
Week 17 and 18
Reviews and Final Exam
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AGY 240 Introductory Soil Science
GRADE DISTRIBUTION AND SCALE:
Grade Distribution:
Assignments
700 points
Labs
750 points
Midterm Exam
150points
Final Exam
150 points
Total
1,750 points
Grade Scale:
1,575-1,750 points
90-100%
A
1,400-1,557.5 points
80-89%
B
1,225-1,382.5 points
70-79%
C
1050-1,207.5 points
60-69%
D
Less than 1,032.5 points 59% and below
F
40 % of grade
43 % of grade
8.5 % of grade
8.5 % of grade
100%
ADA STATEMENT:
Students who need special accommodation to complete this class should consult the instructor and the
Early College High School Counselor as soon as possible.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized possession or disposition of academic materials, or the falsification or
fabrication of one’s academic work will NOT be tolerated. Any offense will result in a zero for the exam
or exercise in question and will result in failure of the course.
CLASS EXPECTATIONS
Rules:
1. Come to class ready to learn.
2. Treat everybody with respect
3. Healthy snacks and Water are permitted but only when we are not working with
chemicals.
4. Cell phones and MP3 players and other electronic devices can only be used with my
permission.
5. Do your own work and avoid plagiarism.
6. Observe lab safety practices
Absences:
If you are absent it is your responsibility to check and find out what you have missed. Frequent
absences may contribute to your earning less than a “C” in this course. (Please remember, per your
Concurrent Enrollment agreement that any grade that is less than a “C” is considered failing, and all
the tuition, fees, and book expenses in a course failed must be reimbursed to District 11 and the State
of Colorado.)
Tardies:
If you arrive between 1-5 minutes after class begins, you will be marked tardy. If you arrive after
the 5 minute mark, you will be marked unaccounted for in Q. After three tardies, a parent phone
call will be made or email sent. If tardies continue beyond that, disciplinary action will ensue. If
you arrive tardy, you should enter the room with minimal disturbance to the other students.
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AGY 240 Introductory Soil Science
Supplies:
You must bring the following to class every day:

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Binder / Folder to keep papers
Composition book or Notebook
Pens, pencils, colored markers/pencils, ruler, and
Calculator
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Please return the bottom portion to Dr. James Owino
______________________________________________________________________________
I have read and understand the course description and class expectations
Student Name (Print) ____________________________________
Period___________________
Student Signature ________________________________________
Date____________________
Parent(s) Name _______________________________________
Parent(s) signature ________________________________________ Date
___________________
Phone Contact Number _______________________ Parent Email________________________
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