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CCOG for CSS 200 Spring 2024

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Course Number:
CSS 200
Course Title:
Soils and Plant Nutrition
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
20
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Examines soils and plant interrelationships. Introduces soil development and terms, physical, biological, and chemical properties, and the use of organic and inorganic means to provide optimum environment for plant growth. Recommended: MTH 60 or instructor permission. Audit available. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Perform field and basic lab tests to determine existing soil properties.
  2. Analyze existing soil conditions to determine fertility and capacity to support plant growth.
  3. Recommend and make modifications to existing soil conditions to provide for optimum plant growth.
  4. Present data, analysis, recommendations and modifications for specific landscape sites in verbal, visual, and written format to clients in a professional manner.
  5. Use sustainable practices to protect, correct and improve the health of soils, reducing costs, resource consumption and environmental impact.

Course Activities and Design

lecture

lab activities including group work, independent student work

videos

class project and presentation

Outcome Assessment Strategies

exams

weekly lab sheets

project and presentation evaluation

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

-soils and plant interrelationships

-physical, biological and chemical properties of soils

-the use of organic and inorganic means to achieve optimum plant growth

-soil sampling and analysis