A Novel Professional Development Tool for Elementary School Teachers That Couples Inquiry-Based Learning with Fundamental Concepts in Soil Science.

To support active engagement of students in soil science, elementary teachers need a strong grasp of the subject matter coupled with an effective pedagogy to interpret and tailor such information to their classroom. With the documented understanding that teachers are the dominant factor affecting student gain, soil science concepts are particularly problematic for many teachers, as most have received little training in soil science and many professional development programs fall short in deconstructing the pedagogy needed to deliver this content in a learner-centered way. As part of a NSF-funded collaboration of scientists and educators, we developed and field-tested professional development curriculum that specifically focuses on Soils as one of five key concepts of Earth systems. The curriculum is built around core misconceptions in Soil Science and the literacy needs of students, while establishing a community of practice for districts that do not have the resources for professional development and content transfer in this area. We will present this professional development curriculum and facilitators guide with focus on the Soils Module. We will emphasize the process by which this curriculum is developed and tailored to individual classroom needs while addressing misconceptions in scientific understanding that degrade scaffolding of future content. Lastly, we will present data and reflections behind the integration and delivery of the soils content.