Post on 30-Mar-2016
description
Organism Magazine
Read more
from Cover Sto-
ry inside!
The Scoop
on commu-
nity Gar-
dens!
Photos of Na-
tive Plants!
Amazing na-
ture draw-
ings
Mite May 2013 Special Edition
Micro-organism of the year; The Mighty Mite
Soil is very important to life on
Earth for many reasons. Soil
is home to many microorgan-
isms, including Mites. In the lab comparing Micro-organisms, it proved that even
the smallest pinch of dirt can contain many different organisms. Micro-organisms
are part of the process of decomposition, which is the breaking down of organic
matter into fertile soil. Without soil, there would be no place for mites to decom-
pose to produce more soil. Also without soil because the mites would die off from
absence of shelter, the food chain would be thrown off without decomposers. Not
only can the lack of soil affect micro-organisms such as mites, but also humans.
One way soil can be significant and useful to humans is it can be used as the foun-
dation of buildings. Soil can also help with maintaining the ecosystem. Soil poten-
tially has the ability to reduce climate change. The surface of the soil captures car-
bon dioxide preventing the carbon to be released into the atmosphere and therefore
reducing climate change. Also, because the surface of the soil holds water, it saves
water because the plants can absorb water as needed naturally. Even though soil
may seem an inert substance that only has the ability to grow plants, it has many us-
es that can be vital to humans.
Right now, something is happening to all of our precious soil. Much of our
topsoil, about the top two inches of soil with the most nurturance, is disappear-
ing and it is our fault.
When farmers get pieces of land, they usually chop down all the trees and
take out all of plants so they can plant crops. Because there are no more roots to
hold the soil, and because there is no more organic matter to be made into hu-
mus, the soil becomes less compressed.
This also happens when they plow the field. This means it is much easier
for the wind or rain water to blow or wash the soil away.
Why does this matter? Well, the earth doesn’t have unlimited soil, and you
might not have heard that it takes about five hundred years for soil to be made.
That means we might soon run out. With the soil gone, all that’s left would be a
wasteland of bedrock. Winds would pick up the soil and create huge dust storms,
blotting out the sun. We would also not have anywhere to farm or any place for
trees. All in all, it would be very bad.
Mites are arthropods that are extremely helpful to the soil. Each mite is an
invertebrate, meaning they have no spinal cord, and their legs are jointed together.
They can greatly range in size, from microscopic to large. So large, that if one
crawled up your leg, there would be a very high level of freaking-out. They help
soil decompose. They do this by breaking up organic material, and then mixing
those pieces into the soil. This also mixes in air, so water can get into the soil.
These smaller pieces help small organisms perform the decomposition process.
There are many different types of mites, and the ones beneficial top soil is named
soil mites.
By Emily, Catherine, and Sophia
Which compost worked it best?
A contest of the plants...
20%
15% 65%
Winner!!!
See the Hottest New Film
Spring Flowers
The “Organism” staff decided to visit a real community
garden in Pasadena, CA, so that we could give our read-
ers an inside look on what is really going on. We were
educated by the amazing staff at the garden. They told us
the efforts that they had put into the garden. The commu-
nity had decided (3 years ago). And since then, they have
been working on the plan and design. But the process is
long, and finally, a year they found a location. It as a large
lot owned by caltrans. They are now starting to make their
creation come true, and they are getting the community
and volunteers together to start creating this small slice of
earth in the center of the city. It is really incredible what
they are planning to create, a beautiful, lush,
crop-filled garden. It is so nice to see that a community
can come together to create something so beautiful. It is
such a pretty and great place to be.
Community Gardens: The REAL Scoop
By Sophia F.S.
They require less water. Living in Southern
California which is the desert, water shortages are
becoming more frequent.
They have developed a resistance against pests and
diseases. By reducing the bad pesticides, it lets
natural and good pesticides take over to produce a
healthy plant.
By planting native plants, they will attract native
pollinators and animals. The native pollinators will
make the native fruit taste and grow better and the
native animals such as insects and birds will keep
away mosquitoes and plant-eating bugs.
Also by planting native plants, we can help to restore
ecosystems destroyed by development.
-Emily B.
The Importance of Native
Plants
http://nativeplantsocietyneohio.org/
Native Plants
Underground Sapling World
Catherine S.
My piece is drawn about what we learned during the soil unit. It is
called Underground Sapling World because it depicts all the tunnels and
roots under the ground. It also shows all the organisms living there like
the worms, ants, and red mushrooms. It is like a whole different world
down there.
Images from:
(http://en.allexperts.com/q/Entomology-Study-Bugs-665/2008/8/Tiny-round-shiny-black.htm http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponics/197410-tiny-black-bugs-my-roots.html )
Emily B.
Letter from the Editor
By Emily B.
My experience in the soil unit was very positive. Along the way, we
learned many facts about soil, exploring concepts such as “Why is soil im-
portant?”, “How is soil formed?”, and “What is soil degradation and why does
it matter?” We also learned about the benefits of having a garden and visited
places such as Arlington Gardens, the Pasadena Community Garden, and
Descanso Gardens as inspirations of planting our own garden!
The first day of the Soil Unit we focused on the concept “Whey does soil
matter and how is it formed?” By researching
our soil organism of the year, mite, and learn-
ing about the im- portance of a Victory Gar-
den, we were learning the importance of soil to
both of these things. Without soil, the mites
would have nowhere to live and the Victory
gardens wouldn’t be successful because there
would be nowhere suitable to plant food.
The second day we learned more in depth,
how soil is formed. We also went to the Ar-
lington Gardens and acquired an understand-
ing of why it is good to plant Native plants
in California. Native plants require less water,
which helps to save water, something that is
very important in an effort to reduce the water
shortage. By observ- ing nature using 5 differ-
ent senses, we changed our perspective to how beautiful nature really is. Then
using our qualitative observations from nature, we wrote a Wild and Precious
poem. The next day we visited the Pasadena Community Garden and learned
about the different types of soil and that here in Southern California, we have
sandy soil. For the last couple of days, we concluded the soil unit, by tying
everything together that we learned, and created this, our soil magazine!
Nature at its Peak
By Emily B.
Above me the gentle hum of a large bird with inert wings soars ever so fluidly
Circular bulbous balls of light mimic the contour of Orange Grove Blvd.
Wind whistling through the dense growth alludes to increasingly growing footsteps
The fresh hint of the watery succulent compliments the deep, Earthy scent of the dirt scattered
among the musty crumpled leaves worn by climate and time
The unique foreign texture of firm yet smooth, waxy skin brushes my arm
This work of art is the center of attention surrounded by a force field of clearance with a radius of 7
feet
The harsh sun lashes down upon the delicate environment finding its way into every nook and cran-
ny
Our shadows stand out against the arid compacted soil
The components of the ecosystem work in different ways, but unite as a solitary active form
We are lucky as to experience this raw, pure, natural form of nature before our society takes over
We are the Earth By Emily B.
The earthy soil cakes my feet still wet from April showers
The Marigolds hesitantly poke their colorful heads above the ground, while the tulips eagerly push
their heads out from beneath
The wind roughly blows through the grass, but their strong roots keep them grounded
We are direct citizens of the Earth
We strongly cling to people, so attached to them
Some of us are shy and self-conscious, while others are avid to put ourselves out there
Even though something may go wrong, our family and friends are always there to support us
We are each individual plants living and acting as one whole ecosystem
Returning back from where we originated, sprouting ideas to make the place we live a more fertile
ecosystem
Letter from the Editor
.
The soil unit was really fun and I actually learned a lot from it. I learned
all about the or- ganisms in the soil, about
types of plants, and soil itself. It wasn’t what I
learned about soil that made this experience so
amazing, though, one of the best things was
visiting the gardens.
On the second day, we went to the Arling-
ton Gardens. The garden was amazing. Most
of the flowers were in bloom, and there were
bees and butterflies. It was so calming and re-
laxing, and I could see why so many people vis-
ited. Over the week, we visited many more gar-
dens, like the Pasa- dena Community Gardens,
and found out why soil was so important. These
trips also allowed us to see how bad it would
be without soil.
Another of my favorite things to do was make the cover of our magazine
and our propaganda poster. It was fun because I love doing art projects. Our
group worked very well together and finished them in no time. In doing so, we
had to do a lot of research about the mite. I learned how needed and important
any organism is, no matter how it looks.
This week and a half has been so much fun. By the end of the second to last
day, we had planted about three gardens that day. We have weeded, found
bacteria, written two poems, walked a labyrinth, mulched, written, cut, glued,
researched and in doing so, had more fun than the soil in Westridge.
Catherine
Mother Soil
Made from the dirt,
You and I.
From the soil,
We are grown.
We are born,
And we feed on all the riches
The soil brings.
We make shelter
And are blessed with
Scenes of rolling hills
And thick green forests.
When is it our turn to give back?
We will get old,
And the soil still stands,
Helping, mothering,
Nurturing us.
We will return to our mother,
The one who fed us,
And sheltered us,
Disappearing into the ground.
-Catherine S.
My Oasis
Above me,
Leaves sway slowly as a breeze
Presents an oasis in a desert of sun.
The sharp cry of a bird cuts through the sky overhead.
Far away,
The silhouette of a palm tree stands
High over everything.
All around,
Leaves and twigs rustle gently with the breeze
As bees buzz around
And seemingly ages away, cars wiz on by.
Nearby,
I smell the slightly sweet, airy scent
Of poppies that burn light fire
And the sweet and lightly sour scent
Of clovers scattered like sand,
And the damp, earthy smell
Of the soft ground.
Right beside me,
The silky soft petals of the poppies
Brush my hand
Like the giant, fluffy clouds in the sky.
To my right,
A tree sits silently,
An umbrella from the sun
For animals and people.
In front of me,
A ladybug saunters on by,
With a shell like flames,
And spots like the night sky,
And wings like stained glass.
Everywhere,
The poppies fade into a giant orange bonfire,
The clovers into a sea of green,
The ladybug, just a spot,
As I walk by.
The sun is high in the sky
As I leave my oasis.
Just how long will this oasis stay?
Sophia F.S.
Letter From the Editor
.In this soil unit, we have been
learning about all the benefits
of soil to our community and in our
lives. We have learned about garden-
ing, nature, and the affect soil has
had on our history and culture. We
learned about victory gardens,
which were gardens planted to
keep people healthy and fed
around WWII. We also
learned about community gar-
dens. There is such a long process to
make one, and it takes the whole
community to come together. We
learned about trees and gardens around our school, and how they are benefi-
cial.
This unit was fun and challenging, filled with hands on activities and les-
sons. We learned how nature is in math and science. We wrote poems, and
learned about history. And there was a lot to learn and see. I am proud of all
the mini projects and magazine that my group worked hard on. I liked having
all the visitors come and teach us about their experiences with soil. And I am
proud of the poems and writing reflections that I put effort into throughout the
unit.
Barbaric Yawp Poem
By Sophia F.S.
I run down the hill, screeching to the birds above.
The sound of gravel sliding pierces through my ears.
My veins run under the trees, under the houses, under the cities.
I am quiet and not to be seen,
Yet I pity those who do not respect me.
I shout my barbaric yawp from the center of the earth to the air you breath.
I am walked all over, yet I am unfazed.
For without me the world would be in feculence.
For you need me.
One Wild and Precious Life Poem
I squint in the warm glaring sun, cascading a golden shadow across my hairline.
I see a sea of green, like a painted canvas, with violet flowers splattered throughout.
Above me, the scent of warm caramel.
Purple petals fade into trees. They smell like a warm beach at dawn.
To the right is a bunch of vines, covered in magenta flowers, and encasing a wood bench.
I slowly put my hand along the rim of the bench, to feel the smooth surface.
I slide in and gaze at the garden, filled with green leaves and red flowers.
The smell of fresh peeled oranges fills my mind as I inhale, and the sound of my friends
at my side vanish as I close my eyes.
The sound of the wind hitting the dark soil echo's in my ears.
My hands run over the leaves falling onto my clothes, felling the rough and soft edges.
I slowly blink my eyes open to immediately spot a far away tree, each leaf spotted with
sun.
But this mirage is slowly disappearing.