Down to Earth 

The organism chosen for The Organism of the Year!

Read about why Nem-atodes are so im-portant to the soil.

Read thoughtful po-ems by the authors of the magazine.

Learn about why soil is so im-portant to all living things.

Learn about soil loss, and why you should care.

See great photos of beautiful plants, including flowers.

Slide by: Emma L.

This is the face of a cannibal!

S

Nematodes, the Organism of the Year

Nematodes are small round worms that live in the soil. They are

about 0.3 to 1.5 mm long. You can pick up about 1,000 nematodes in one

handful of soil. Our magazine “Down to Earth” chose Nematodes as the

organism of the year because they are very important to the soil. They

are big contributors for having healthy soil. Nematodes eat bacteria, fungi,

other nematodes and sometimes they eat roots of plants. This helps the

soil because they are just being part of the food chain. Once something

dies and is not eaten it becomes part of the soil. Or if something is eaten

once the other organism that ate it leaves their waste, the waste will be-

come part of the soil and fertilize it. Another thing the Nematodes do to

help the soil is they wriggle through the soil and that helps break the soil

down and it makes the soil softer and very fertile.

Slide by: Emma L.

Emma L.

A propaganda poster we made trying to encourage you to grow a family or community garden!

Slide by: Emma L.

Article of my Choice, A Soil Unit Experience

Emma L.

Over the seven days our class spent learning about soil, my favorite moment was working on writing my “One Wild and Precious Life” poem. I really enjoyed the process of writ-ing the poem and the steps we had to take to write it. Before we started the poem we had to sit down in the Arlington Gardens and take notes and notice everything around us. The poem was supposed to tell the reader about how precious and beautiful life was. I sat down on a bench looking at all the beautiful things around me. As I sat there I was taking notes on all the little things that were going on and the small details that people would probably miss. After taking notes for a lit-tle while, I had to leave and go to my next activity, even though I had no idea what my poem was going to be like. Lat-er that day when I got home I decided I would get ahead and do my poem. I sat down on my bed and was thinking about everything that happened day and everything that was going to happen. I became kind-of sad, and then the poem just came to me and it felt like all the words were just flowing onto the computer. As I was writing the poem I felt like I was really telling the reader everything that happened from my experience and when I was finished writing it I felt very cheerful.

Slide by: Emma L.

Flowers at Westridge School….

Slide by: Emma L.

Why does soil matter?

We depend on soil to survive. Most of our food depends on soil. It is home to many organisms and where we find many animals. Without soil our builds wouldn’t be able to stand. Soil grows about one centi-meter in 500 year, so it can’t be easily be replaced.

-Emma L.

Slide by: Emma L.

Soil Loss!!

What is disappearing topsoil?

Disappearing topsoil definition speaks for its self. It means the disappearing of soil. Soil erosion and desertification are af-fecting large amounts of soil worldwide. (Desertification is the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert. This is cre-ated by climate and destructive use of land.) The soil can be-come polluted by acid rain and this makes the soil very un-healthy and toxic. This will cause the plants to die and the or-ganisms to die and the soil will have no way to become fertile. Another way of soil loss is from excessive farming. The soil will be so over used that there will be no organic matter left and the plants will become unhealthy and the organisms won’t be able to do their job. One of the most common topsoil losses is from the wind and the gardeners’ blowers. The richest soil is just being blown away. We need to make sure we use our soil in the correct way so it will last a long time. (Because without soil we couldn’t survive.) -Emma L.

Slide by: Emma L.

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Learning and having classes about soil and the things re-lated to soil for almost two weeks was a not a waste of my time. I thought that this unit was really hands on, and I en-joyed that. I sometimes feel that we would learn about a top-ic and write about it, but we would never really experience it. The difference was that in the soil unit we got to really ex-perience it. For an example I read and learned all about Nematodes and then wrote about them, but I also got to see one in real life, doing its job in the soil. It was also great that we went on so many different field trips. I loved going to the different gardens and being able to plant flowers and other plants, was really special. I felt like I was really doing some-thing to help by going out there, getting dirty, and doing it. Sometimes I will contribute to an organization (like Water for Life) by raising money, but not see how I am helping. The difference with the soil unit was I actually was out there do-ing it myself, and the great thing was that I could see with my own eyes what I had done. I learned a lot over the past week and a half, so I am glad that I can share our experiences with other people!

-Emma L.

Slide by: Emma L.

Life is a Blessing

Emma L.

As I sit down for I moment, I get to stop and breathe.

But why should I breathe and keep living and moving?

If I choose, my life can be the greatest blessing ever to happen.

If only, I would spend it, living in the moment, and living the life that brings me joy to live.

Every creature and thing that is in my presence is unique in its own way.

You just have to slow down and realize every thing that is before you.

Something beautiful could happen and I could just miss it in a blink of an eye. The beat of a butterfly’s wings could flash all different colors in a puddle of water and most people would miss it.

People would just overlook it, and not see the true beauty.

A bird may be chirping in the trees, and if I open my ears I could hear a song of love and dedication to his mate.

Look for a moment, at the flowers of all different colors of pink blowing in the breeze.

As this breeze wipes softly across your face, the smell of the flowers travels with it.

The smell of the flowers makes your straight face turn into a smile.

Small blessings like these happen every day, and if you would experience them every day, every day would be a blessing, and you would realize that your life was the most

One Wild and Precious Life Poem

Slide by: Emma L.

Do you Think the Soil Knows?

Emma L.

Do you think the soil knows who I am?

I hope the soil knows that I care.

I wonder if he knows that I try to spend time each day to lie down in his sweet grass.

I love to feel the earth under my bare feet and that sometimes I can feel small soil creatures crawling around.

I believe the soil knows that I need him.

He knows that everyone and everything needs him.

He knows that I care about him.

He knows that I enjoy my quiet time spent with him.

The moments where I can hear the soil whisper with the help of tall blades of grass are beautiful.

The whispers are quiet and hard to hear, but if you listen hard…

You will hear soft blades of grass rub together softly in the breeze.

As if it were congratulating you for what you have done.

Slide by: Emma L.

Barbaric Yawp Poem

Slide by: Emma L.

Different types of flowers, can be the same color, but in different shades and colors. If you look at the nature around you, you can notice all the similar shades and colors, of the flowers.

The Ranney court tree is called a Camphor tree. It is about 150 years old, 50 years older than the school itself. Camphor trees can grow up to be about 25 to 40 feet tall but there have been some camphor's known to have grown over 100 feet tall! The Ranney court tree has roots that you can see above the ground. The roots branch out for over 10 feet, and the tree starts very thick, getting a little skinnier the farther it goes up. Since the base is thick, everyone likes to climb up the base of the tree and lots of people can go up at a time. Even through all of the wind storms, the tree has never even gotten close to falling down because it is so strong.

Slide by: Emma G.

Above me,

there are two butterflies

Playfully chasing each other.

In the distance, I can see a spot of

Red in a giant sea of Purple. I can hear

The sound of birds chirping, hiding

In the trees and I can hear the

Distant laugh of a small girl. The smell of dirt is

Very strong everywhere but the dust, blowing in the wind is al-

most sweet

Smelling. As I sit, I can feel it. Smooth as a rock yet almost as small as a dollar bill. On my right, there is a

Path that seems to go on forever through a wild forest of plants and trees. The vibrant orange wall from the

bench to the rest

of the people is thick and smooth. The wall creates a space that is excluded from the loud noises made by the

people

right outside of it. The light hits the ground in such a way that it seems to reflect off the sand. I’m sitting

at the bench, where butterflies land, and I am trying to take in all that I can in the

time that I have. I always hear regret wherever I go, and

I am determined not to regret not paying

Attention to Everything.

Slide by: Emma G.

The sun shines in my eyes, only to disappear minutes later.

I too will soon disappear.

But I will not hide behind the mountains

And reappear so that 24 hours later I can just disappear again.

No. I will leave this world to play a different,

Equally important role in this world.

I will be the dirt under your feet, making this world a nicer, greener place.

I will feed the cows.

I will grow crops.

I will disappear slowly, into the ground.

I will sink into the soil and never turn back.

Slide by: Emma G.

Our Disappearing Soil

Soil is extremely important to the world, because it grows the food and stores in it wa-ter, which eventually becomes our drinking water. Soil loss is caused by people mistreating the soil, not enough water, or too much water. Recently, the population has grown very much. It was recorded as 3 billion people in 1960 and had gone up to about 6.5 billion now in 2013. With the population growing so fast, it is becoming more and more important to have good soil for more food and water for the growing population, though in reality, the bigger the population is getting, the soil gets less and less fertile, making it harder to grow crops. People need to start treating the soil better, or else the topsoil will totally disappear, and we would have practically no food left.

Slide By: Emma G.

Editors Letter

Before the soil unit, I really didn’t have any idea how important soil was and what it really did. In our schools soil unit, I learned how soil really affects every-thing because, for one thing, plants need soil to grow, and we need soil to live, be-cause animals eat plants and we eat animals. Over the course of the soil unit, I overcame some of my fears such as, bugs, pointy plants, and worms. This unit really impacted me because I never knew how much soil did and I never knew how top-soil is beginning to disappear. In the soil unit, we took many field trips. We went to Arlington gardens, a garden on Huntington blvd., and we went to descanso gar-dens. At every garden that we went to, there where challenges that we had to do. At the Arlington gardens, we saw how much bacteria was in the air, we did a sort of yoga, and we wrote poems. At the garden on Huntington blvd., we pulled out the weeds that where everywhere. At descanso gardens, we went on a hike right next to the gardens. The whole experience of the soil unit really made me more aware of what is happening, and I am really now going to grow my own vegetable garden. I hope that I can affect the soil and that others will also try to help provent further loss of topsoil.

Slide By: Emma G.

Why Does Soil Matter? Have you ever taken the time to realize that soil is one of the most important re-

sources on earth? Soil provides so many necessities for us, and without it, we wouldn’t have

half of the things we have today. For example, we wouldn’t be able to grow crops without soil,

so that would mean no tomatoes, onions, carrots, etc. Growing a garden in your backyard

helps save money and is healthier, but we wouldn’t be able to grow gardens without soil. Soil

is also the foundation for most houses and buildings. Without soil, we wouldn’t be able to

grow trees. Trees provide oxygen for humans and homes for animals such as birds and insects.

Soil itself is also home to lots of microorganisms and decomposers, including our very own

organism of the year, the nematode! How would we be able to live without soil? Without it,

we wouldn’t have many of the things we have in everyday life.

How is soil formed? Large rocks are broken down into little pieces by weathering and erosion. These pieces

are called bedrock. Plants begin to grow in the bedrock, and their roots break it down even

more. The plants die and create humus, which makes the dirt more fertile for plants to grow

on. The process of soil being formed can take thousands of years.

Slide by: Maddie G.

Growing your own garden is an awesome way to save money, stay healthy, and help the environment! If you want to grow your own garden, but you’re not sure how, read the article, and I’ll tell you how!

-Know when and where you’re going to plant your garden

The best time to plant a garden is during the spring, when it’s not too hot and not too cold. Find a nice sunny spot in your yard and make sure that if it rains, the rain will be able to reach your plants. Your garden doesn’t need to be huge!

-What do you need before you start gardening?

First, you need to make sure that you clear out as many weeds as you are able to. You can use a weeder, but you can also do it by hand. Just make sure you get the roots out! If you don’t, the weed will grow back again. If the soil you’re going to be planting on isn’t in very good condition, you can buy potting soil from your

local nursery. Just lay out the soil in your soon-to-be garden and spread it around with a shovel.

You’re also going to need tools for planting your garden. You can also buy gardening tools at your local

nursery. Here are some of the tools you might want to get.

-A shovel is best used for digging holes to plant your items. Shovels have long handles and a rounded head.

-A hand trowel is best used for planting smaller items such as herbs. Hand trowels have a much smaller han-

dle and a pointed head.

-A rake is best used for clearing leaves and other unwanted objects out of your garden. Rakes have a long pole for a handle with metal rods coming out of it. The rods are bent at the tips.

-A watering can is best used for watering your plants. Watering cans look like a big bucket with a tube com-ing off of it. The head on the end of the tube has tiny holes for the water to come out of.

-A hose is best used for using a greater amount of water to water larger plants. Hoses look like long tubes that

can roll up against the side of your house.

There are more tools that you can use for gardening, but these are the basic ones you’ll need when you’re just starting your garden.

-What do you need to plant?

What you’re planting will usually depend on your climate. If you live in a dry climate, you’ll need to plant

things that need less water. Remember, you don’t only have to plant vegetables and fruits! Flowers and bushes also look very nice in a garden. You can grow whatever you want! You’ll be able to get seeds from any grocery store, but if you want to plant something that is already grown, you can go to your local nursery to get it. If you

didn’t know, a nursery is a place where plants are grown and sold to people who want to grow their own gar-den!

These are just a few things to help you plant your garden. If you want to know more, you can do more research- there are loads of websites and other articles that will help you get your garden growing!

Grow your own Garden!

Slide by: Maddie G.

Things Are Brighter Here

Above me is a surface unlike anything I have ever seen before.

Blue, like the sea,

Scattered with swirls of snowflakes

That have just fallen. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a stone creation. A creation that should be filled with the ocean,

But instead is a desert. I hear a small bird choke out a muffled caw. In the distance, I hear a broken down car attempting to start. Essence of a nearby flower encloses me in its tight fist, While the smell of a tiny piece of rose-mary travels up to me

From the palm of my hand. My fingers fall upon a patch of smooth, skinny stalks. A mountain of dug up soil sits to my right, looking lonely. It takes me a moment to realize that it’s soil,

It can’t be lonely.

Right?

Hm.

A small tree stands proudly in front of me, Its captivating green leaves catching my eye.

The sun is very bright today.

I’d rather not stare at it.

I can feel it, though, With its glittering rays pounding down on my arm. The world really isn’t as small as people want it to be.

-Maddie G.

Below Me

I’ve never really taken the time

To realize that under my feet

Is another world.

A world more puzzling and captivating

Than ours will ever be.

The world below me is alive.

Not just with insects and bacteria,

But alive with feeling,

And freedom.

I’m in captivity.

Being surrounded by the color gray

Will never please me.

When the time comes,

I’ll fall to my knees and let the earth cover

me.

I’ll scream,

“We don’t deserve this.”

I’ll close my eyes

And let myself sink into the soil.

I’ll be gone,

And there’s nothing you’ll be able to do about it.

-Maddie G.

Letter From the Editor Dear reader,

Before this week, I didn’t really understand how important soil really was. After going on trips to Arling-

ton Garden, where we really “became one with nature”, the Pasadena Community Garden, where we learned

more about the science behind soil and actually got to work in the garden, and Descanso Garden, where we

took a nice hike and got to experience the beauty of the different plants in the garden. I’ve experienced many

challenges throughout the week, too- having to face my fears of spiders crawling around in the garden, writing a

poem, and finding the Fibonacci sequence in nature (we found it on lots of different types of plants).

My favorite day of this week was by far the second to last day of our soil unit experience, where we got

to rotate around campus to different stations. We got to work in the school herb garden, the worm bin, the 7th

grade rain gardens, and with our own plants, that we were able to take home and plant on our own. The most

interesting part of the day, though, was when we were led around campus to identify the different types of

trees. The woman guiding us, Ms. Adams, handed us each a book that told us about different types of trees, and

had us identify some of the trees ourselves. We also learned a lot about the Gingko tree, and how it can actual-

ly be female or male! It was also really amazing to learn what type of tree the Ranney tree was (it’s a Camphor

tree!).

Overall, this week has definitely been one of the most interesting weeks of my life. I’m also really proud

of all the work that my fellow editors and I have done! I think that soil is one of the most important resources

for humans on earth, and one of the things I learned is that it’s actually starting

to disappear. I’ve learned a lot about how to stop this, and I believe that we all

actually need to work together to prevent this from happening! This week, I

learned so much about soil, and nature, and just the world around me, and I’m

really excited to keep learning about it in the future!

Sincerely,

Maddie G.