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Soil Unit 2013
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Page 2
Letter from the Editors-Camille
During my two weeks of working in the Soil Unit, I
have experienced truly amazing things, such as
walking through green gardens bursting with color,
seeing wildlife in their natural habitat, or spraying my
friends with a hose. This opportunity has been very
beneficial to my knowledge because I have learned
several new things that I didn’t know before. I studied
worms, trees, and got down and dirty to plant in the
amphitheater. But as I studied things that were
beneficial to the soil, I learned about some unsettling
issues. During homework hours, I found out about
topsoil degradation, loss of soil, and how it is affecting
humans, animals and the environment. It’s like a two-
week science class!
Although this unit has taken up the four main
subjects (math, language arts, science, history), this
lesson is almost like a combination of all of them, and
yet including PE. It includes patterns in nature(math),
reading and writing poems (language arts),
collecting samples in petri dishes (science), learning
about the history of the victory gardens (history), and
even hiking along a steep trail to experience nature
as it is (PE). In the last few days, I have begun to look
at the Soil Unit as teaching one topic through four (or
five) different topics by the teachers.
I would like to thank these teachers for the
wonderful opportunity they have given to experience
this event and for giving the time to share their
knowledge of the earth. I truly appreciate the time
spent to educate us about the world. I would also like
to thank my partners for assisting each other in this
group project, building teamwork and listening skills
not only as partners, but as friends. The Soil Unit has
definitely impacted my educational path, even if it’s
a small effect.
-Camille
Page 3
Letter from the Editors-Penelope
The Soil unit was…………how else could I
describe it? Dirty. But a little dirt doesn’t hurt anyone.
In my opinion, the soil unit was a great way to learn
about the substance that everything grows on; soil. I
also learned more about teamwork, as we all had
to collaborate to create this wonderful soil
magazine. Each of the members of my group
divided the work as equally as we could, and had
to try to see from the eyes of another to respect and
use each other’s ideas along with our own. Packing
a waste free lunch was relatively easy for me,
because at my old school it was required to pack a
lunch everyday, and I often used recyclable
containers. The soil unit also inspired me to plant a
garden of my own, with some native and low-water
using plants that we learned about in it. This unit
opened my eyes in many ways, as I am now more
aware of the wonderful details of the world, after
laying down in the Arlington Gardens and writing
about my surroundings, and how even the smallest
organisms, like the creatures in the soil, can impact
it. In addition, I noticed how it is almost magic that
organisms and animals can work together to create
soil for new plants, from the remains of others, and
how easy it is to turn a barren urban landscape into
a green garden. So basically you can turn anything
into a colorful garden, all you really need is water,
sun and of course, the perfect soil.
Page 4
Letter from the Editors-Sofia F-R
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for reading this issue of The Daily
Decomposer. This has always been my favorite issue
because we get to name organism of the year and
describe its contributions to the Soil world. Soil has a
special place in my heart and this whole experience
that led up to this magazine has been amazing. My
fellow editors and I have been involved in a week long
experience called the Soil unit. The soil unit taught me
that soil plays a huge part in the world we live in. This
experience has been a huge eye opener and before
this, I did not really understand soil like I do now. We did
many things in this unit but my favorite by far was a
series of rotations on Tuesday. People were brought in
to help teach us about soil. We got really hands on.
Some of the things we did were planting an herb
garden, planting and garden in front of MUDD and
making seed balls and newspaper pots. I got to be
really hands on and help people at the same time. We
planted an herb garden which the cafeteria will now
use for fresh herbs and vegetables. We also helped
plant a native gardens and make the grounds
beautiful. Lastly I got to take home a strawberry plant
and poppy plants. This will help me make my house
beautiful and learn about gardening at the same time.
In the beginning of the unit we walked to the Arlington
gardens and helped plant a community garden near
the Ronald McDonald house. I realized that many
people take nature for granted and that is what is
hurting our planet. In the community garden I thought
about how planting and gardening brings people
together. It also makes a difference in the world. Soon
people are going to be relying on this garden for their
nutrition and to keep healthy, I’m glad I could be a
part of making a difference in people’s lives. We
accomplished all this while learning about soil and
what it does for us.
Thank You Again,
Sofia F-R
Page 5
Table of Contents
Letter from the Editors Page 2-
The Base of Our World Page 6-
Fern’s Inspiring Speech Page 7-
Bloomers of the Huntington Gardens Page 8–
Nature in the Descango Page 9-
Poems Page 10-15
Westridge Green Page 16
Propaganda Poster Page 17
Jokes for laughs Page 18
NEW!
Page 6
Soil: The Base of our world
Soil is necessary for us to survive. It provides a platform
for us to walk, live and build on. It gives us jobs, like archae-
ology while regulating carbon dioxide and
greenhouse gases. Many other organisms be-
sides us rely on the soil. It shelters many organisms
and animals such as the mole and worms. Soil
absorbs water which is later transferred to plants.
It houses all our forests, trees and plants. Not only
does it provide us with all these things, it houses
plants which provide oxygen for us. The plants, which can-
not live without soil, provide us with food. In essence without
soil, we would cease to live. Soil plays a huge factor in our
lives. It helps us to survive and provides us with what we
need to live.
Fungi: The Organism of the Year
Page 7
Fern’s Inspiring Speech
“You don’t know how much of an honor this is!” exclaims Fern when
she receives the good news. “I’m just so proud to be Organism of the
Year.” Last night, Fern was named The Daily Decomposer’s Organism of
the Year for her numerous contributions to the soil world. (See page )
“I’m glad that this could be published,”
Fern says solemnly, “not only for the award,
but so I can get the word out about the
problems concerning our soil loss.” All
over the world, soil is being eroded by powerful water and wind. Our
source of food, forests, and wildlife are gradually being taken away.
“Homes are being destroyed! It’s just so sad!!!” Fern says tearfully.
Fortunately, there are solutions to helping prevent soil loss and degra-
dation. The first step is making everybody aware, as Fern has done. This
will be most effective in people who work with soil. Another is to keep
soil in good condition, attracting more organisms to form a good struc-
ture. To get involved, go to soil-net.com for more details. Help the envi-
ronment, whether it’s breaking down matter to form compost like Fern,
or just spreading the word to the world.
Without decomposition, organisms would have an overload of ni-
trogen in them, and would not pass it down to future generations, so no
new plants/organisms will grow. The ground would be completely buried
in plant material, as they would not decompose without the necessary
enzymes needed to break down lignin, which is found in trees. The help-
ful fungus chews through material, and turns it into the rich soil that we
live in. Another reason that we nominated Decomposing fungi for the
Daily Decomposer’s organism of the year is because they can break
down material more easily than fungi can, resulting in faster decomposi-
tion and better soil.
Page 10
Moments
A butterfly dances through the leaves
Leaving whispers of its past
White irises seem to speak
But their voices are caught in their petals
Muffled steps of a small creature call to me
Asking me to investigate further
Leaves are ruffled by the breeze’s shadow
Traces of what the wind once was
One tree stands solitary
The blossoms it carry’s like a mother, are delicate yet
powerful
Colors flash through my mind as I hold this flower
It seems so vulnerable yet at peace
Purple, velvety, light
But when I open my eyes all I see is red
Sounds of distant laughter haunt my past
Yet they make no mark on my future
I lay down my mind revolving gears turning
Wondering what I will do with my last moments
The sky is at its bluest peak for me
To everyone else around me, it seems to be a dull
gray
They see in time
As I rock back and forth all I hear is the faint
squeaking of unoiled hinges
Suddenly a creature lands on my finger
One touch and the moment will shatter lost forever,
like its wings
Its feet flit across my hand
A noise distracts me
I look back and it’s gone
I close my eyes for what maybe the last time
Wondering if I will ever see the clouds again
A moment doesn’t last forever neither did I
I blink open my eyes, A butterfly
Gone.
-Sofia F-R
Page 11
One Wild and Precious Life
By Penelope
Above me, the sprawling grey oak spreads its
branches across my piece of the sky
Rolling April thunderheads shatter the warm silence of
the clear Los Angeles blue
One lonely innocent palm withers and grows tall
against the rest,
With only the chaparral on the mountains to compete
Overpowering is the buzzing sound of a swarm of bees
navigating the maze of poppies
In the distance, some type of woodpecker mindlessly
drills Camphor’s trunk
A hazy sweet scent of purple flowers wafts over the
garden, while the thick and musty smell of gravel lurks
around my ankles
A crusted old flower petal lays rejected against the
pathway sand
Silken red and velveteen Valley poppies glint as I brush
my hand across the shining crimson
On my right a crew of yellow daises is scattered across
the green
A green sycamore’s leaves dwindling when an
unfathomable cold breeze churns up the winter
Now standing tall, an orange and purple Monarch
soars in between the lavender I had just been sitting
in
A vivid green oasis in the center of a gridlock
This is the world as I know it best
Page 12
One Wild and Precious Life
As I scribble with my head bowed over a journal,
I run my fingers through the soft threads tumbling down
from my ponytail.
Above me, two trees overlap,
Forming a roof over my head.
I shift in my seat, and the sun glints high in the sky,
flashing through the leaves that shade me from this orb of
heat.
The shrubs that make up the sea of light green are
speckled with bright orange poppies,
whose smell is wafted by the movement of the laughing
and shrieking girls who approach me on my right.
When I lift my head, I attempt to look far but my gaze is
ended by a neighboring house.
I realize,
This is a getaway island in the middle of the commotion of
the city;
a place of peace.
- Camille
From the structure supporting me beneath my feet,
From the soft, fuzzy grass that I run my rough hands over,
Sprouts green life from which animals subsist.
From which I subsist.
In the brown clay that spreads far beyond,
In the dark mass that sinks into the earth,
Lie discarded cadavers in the fertile soil,
From which the green life I exist from grows.
From the discarded remains of the dead
Rises the fresh, animate living.
-Camille
Page 13
Barbaric Yawp
Penelope
When we walk on the shallow ground
Do you think of all the creatures past decomposed?
Don’t be ashamed if you don’t, as it is a sickening topic
Honestly, I didn’t………….. Until now
When I realized how delicate the world is when every cycle
impacts it
We are the soil
Our strong voices, eager to make change compose back into
the beginnings
Even as the soil contains mites, bacteria and fatality of the world
as we know it
They must come back from the banished shadowy quarters of
our mind, along with our greatest fears, to being new life into the
scene.
You see- Mother Nature has her own way of working magic
Turning a new leaf on what is unpresentable
There is a reason that we have the process of decomposition,
where organisms take the darkness and turn it into the light of
new soil
Where the earth is reborn again
The circle is endless, as we pass on; we turn into a source of new
life
When we scream our last goodbye
With the help of the smallest of creatures, that live in the darkest
of places
A fresh green life can sprout and grow
And we watch it begin again.
Page 14
BARBARIC YAWP
As I lay down I wonder what will become of me
When I close my eyes for the last time
When I have no breath left in me because it was
stolen by time
Will the earthworms find delight in something to
live in
Will the vultures take me
Will the grass wrap me in a blanket
Soft as a bird’s feather and then swallow me
whole
Or will I become part of the earth
Part of the ground that produces the very things
to make us live
The one who hears the crunches of our footsteps
everyday and doesn’t complain
The one who holds all our weight?
Whom we live, breathe and walk on but care
nothing about
But yet still I will live my life on this things called soil
I will live on it and off of it
When I do close my eyes
I will become part of the soil
Plants will sprout through me
I will create shelter to the millions of organisms
I will continue the circle of life and leave my mark
on the world
Without the soil there would be no life
And I will help it create new life
-Sofia F-R
Page 15
She dug the plot on Monday, the soil was rich and
fine
But she forgot to put the dinner on, so out we
went to dine.
She planted roses Tuesday, she says they are a
must.
They really were quite lovely, but she forgot to
dust.
On Wednesday it was daisies they opened with
the sun,
All pinks and whites and yellows, but the laundry
wasn't done.
The poppies came on Thursday all bright and
cherry red,
I guess she really was engrossed, she never made
the bed.
It was violets here on Friday in colours she adores,
It never bothered her at all, the dirt upon our
floors.
Saturday I hired a maid, I'd not admit defeat,
She can garden all she wants now and the house
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