Kathryn Baldwin (EWU) Jennifer Dechaine (CWU) Rodger Hauge (EWU) Gary Varella (WSU) Soils and Society An InTeGrate Module for Preservice Elementary Teachers

Preservice elementary teachers (students) will apply geoscientific data, inquiry practices and systems thinking to analyze a relevant societal issue in the context of soils. Students will design, develop, and present a standards-based K-8 soils unit, incorporating a locally and broadly relevant societal issue that integrates scientific content and inquiry practices.Goals

Activity 1 o Discuss science relevancy, soils role in society Activity 2 o Analyze soil properties and characteristics in stations Activity 3 o Create a Soils and Society “Kit” (SSK) NGSS-aligned K-8 lesson (3+) sequence Supporting materials: images, maps, graphs, artifacts, books, etc. o Present their Soils and Society Kits Supplemental Activities o Images as data o Maps as data o Additional required background information Unit Framework

A series of guided discussion questions Activity 1 - Discussion Science relevancy Local societal issues Soil relevancy

StudentSocietal IssueLocal Importance Global Importance (Grand Challenges) Questions 1 Overfertilization of agricultural land Contamination of water supply and soil degradation Environmental degradation How does using fertilizers affect the quality of soil? What are safe alternatives? 2LandfillsUsed to collect trashSoil contamination How is the soil around a landfill contaminated? Activity 1 - Examples

Activity 2 - Stations Soil Composition Parent Material pH Pore Volume Particle Size Water Retention Soil Erosion Capillary Action Soil map (Google maps)

Supplemental Topics – Analyzing Maps

o Relevance – Grand Challenge o Lesson Plans for a 3+ Lesson Sequence 1+ NGSS systems standard 1+ quantitative data collection 1+ interdisciplinary and/or integrated with other sciences and subjects o Standards and Objectives o Assessment Plan o Resources and Materials 6-10 images/media artifacts 2+ maps, charts, tables, graphs Readings, books, resources Activity 3 – Soils and Society Kit