Fred A. Hamilton PS students learn about soil health and conservation
May 8, 2019
GUELPH, Ontario – Science buddies at F.A. Hamilton Public School are learning about soil health and conservation through a cheeky project from the Soil Conservation Council of Canada.
On May 7, students from Mme Tipler’s Kindergarten class and Mme McLeish’s grade 3 class were outside, burying pairs of underwear as part of SCCC’s “Soil Your Undies” program.
The goal of the program is to teach students about soil health by measuring the microbial activity in various soil samples. Participants bury 100% white cotton underwear in the soil and after two months check the level of decomposition. According to the SCCC, “if there’s not much left of the underwear you have good biological activity, which indicates healthy soil.”
On Tuesday, FAH students “planted” six pairs of cotton underwear, three on the school yard and three in the forest next to the school. They chose different locations – sandy, loamy, wetter, drier, sunny, shady and so on.
Students have been exploring composting and how things biodegrade, so this fun activity is a hands-on way to participate in something that aligns with their in-school learning.
The students will dig up the underwear during the last week of school and, so far, have lots of hypotheses about what will happen to the various pairs of underwear.
Categories: News Tags: Experiential Learning • UGLearnGreen