The soil to educate

Description

• Age of pupils: 6-10 years

The purpose of the activities in this project was to approach soil in early ages and create awareness on its importance to sustain life on earth. Because of the lack of focus on soil in the curricula, the risk is that students miss to see soil as a living resource we must care for. The project was designed for six to ten years old and divided into four steps. The first step was about the origins of food where chocolate and cocoa were used as examples to discuss diversity of food in the world, why some foods can be produced locally, and others must be imported. In the second step, the students met with a local farmer.

The students looked at different plant families and grain plants typical to the mountain area, and the development from seed to plant was in focus. The third step was about soil as a system and the ecosystem services it provides. Through a theatre about a soil worm, they explored soil and how the earth worm’s life was impacted by challenges like erosion and deforestation. In the last step, nations and their resources were explored through a simulation game. Problems and sustainable growth were in focus on a global scale.

Chocolate was used as an example again, and the aim was for students to know the origin of some resources to produce chocolate, the production conditions, and to identify a country with which their country has trade.