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Goal

The goal of this project will be to encourage students with exceptionalities to experience an inquiry-based science project using soil from our school garden. First, students will make inferences, and form a hypothesis about what they may see from measuring the soil they collect. Then, soil will be tested using a soil testing kit by our students, and this information will be uploaded to a web-based application included in the science kit. Students will conduct research by reading about, and becoming excited about soil, and the importance of the scientific method in reading about, and studying soil from books in our school library. Following our examination of the soil, and the components that make up the soil, (microbiology, microbe study), students will understand the importance of studying energy, microbiology, and how electricity can be generated from soil. Finally, students will write their observations into their own Junior Scientist writing books. They will create, write, and publish their observations about the scientific method, and how this project about soil changed the way they think about the importance of soil in our everyday lives. The goal of this project will also be to engage our students to write more about science-based projects. This project centered around soil, and the scientific method, will help our students become more investigative and curious in their approach to evaluating scientific data collection of soil samples. 

What will be done with my students

Students will each dig one cup of soil from our school garden to make inferences about what each cup of soil contains, and then we will add the soil to a soil/mud analysis kit, which has a digital clock powered by the soil. The clock is activated by the microbes in the soil, and as each day progresses in this science activity, students will observe and understand how soil can be used to generate energy, too. Students will make observations about energy generated from the soil, and then we will work with a web-based application to understand and compare the various parts of the soil, and the role of the microbes within the soil. 

Benefits to my students

Students will become junior scientists in this inquiry-based learning project.
They will also analyze, evaluate, and present scientific data.
Students will also become researchers online, and in the school library, where they will learn more about the importance of microbes and soil in our environment.
Students will also share their improved understanding of soil and its' critical role in our environment through their published science books they create after we complete our experiment. 

Budget Narrative

The costs associated with this grant include enough books for up to twelve students, one soil science testing kit, and an interactive web-based application to examine results of our experiment, and the shipping and handling charges of five dollars for the science soil testing kit, and five dollars for shipping and handing of the writer's hardcover books. 

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