Down to the Roots: Teaching Soil Health to 1st Grade Students.

As the rural population declines and generations become further separated from agriculture, educational outreach will become increasingly important to decrease the miscommunications and misconceptions of food production and natural resources. The University of Nebraska- Lincoln Agronomy Club developed three interactive learning stations for 1^st grade students to learn about soils and food production. The activities developed were aligned with Lincoln Public School soils learning outcomes. The activities were presented by seven Agronomy Club members to four classrooms of 1^st grade students (total students = 80) at Kloefkorn Elementary School. Each 1^st grade class was divided into groups of 6-8 students that completed each station in rotation. The first station focused on soil texture and its effect on water movement. Students compared a soil's ability to hold water to a sponge. The second station demonstrated the diversity of soil life. Students were able to see roots of different plants and find insects. In the third station, students matched seeds and plants used to produce different products such potato chips or a cotton t-shirt. Agronomy Club members agreed that the activities were engaging and related to topics the students have discussed with their teacher. A future improvement includes increasing collaboration with the teachers to create additional activities aligned with the curriculum.