DIGITAL NEW ONLINE TOOLS HELP STUDENTS LEARN SOIL NUTRIENT BASICS By Peg Zenk T he students in Cheryl Lykowski’s second-grade class learn the basics of plant growth and food production from the ground up. But for their introduction to soil science, little fi ngers often start with swipes across a screen and not through the dirt. Planting actual seeds in real soil comes later in the unit on plants, but at Monroe Road Elementary, in Lambertville, Mich., online modules developed by the Nutrients for Life Foundation and Discovery Education give Lykowski an interactive option to teach kids about soil properties and plant growth. “The online tools allow me to cover things with the whole class and manipulate the content as we go,” she says. “The digital format lets students try diff erent things and make mistakes they can learn from, without the hassle and expense of having actual lab materials for all the 50 students I teach in two class sections.” Kids Love Technology Kids are drawn to technology, says Lykowski, who’s taught preschool and elementary grades for 26 years. “My students can’t wait to use iPads — they’re really the ‘swipe generation.’ Sometimes they even forget when they’re using desktop computers and try to swipe on the screens. “I want to take advantage of that enthusiasm for learning by using a wide variety of teaching materials and online resources. Discovery Education has some great content, such as 'The Science of Soil' module,” she says. In 2014 the Nutrients for Life Foundation (NLF), a charitable arm of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), partnered with Discovery Education (affi liated with the Discovery Channel) to produce an online destination, “From the Ground Up: The Science of Soil.” Designed for middle-school students, the modules use kid-friendly interactive strategies to illustrate the importance of soil, nutrients and the science behind sustainable agricultural practices. They provide lesson plans, interactive tools, family activities in English and Spanish, and agricultural career profi les. The fi rst module, “Not All Soils Are Created Equal,” uses interactive maps to show how soil types diff er across the United States and how the diff erences impact a farmer’s crop choices and management decisions. In the second module, “Explore Plant Nutrients,” students make choices about an on-screen corn crop that illustrate how water, sunlight and nutrients aff ect plant growth. "These fact-based materials do a great job of telling the farmer's story." The latest module, “Your Day With NPK,” allows students to navigate through soil testing and fertilizer application calculations to grow a prize-winning crop. “These fact-based materials 18 MARCH/AP RIL 2017 CHSINC.COM
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Digital Dirt
Peg Zenk
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