Here are some photos from yesterday of the sixth graders going outside with Kacey Weber from Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District to follow-up on an experiment we’ve been doing since last fall. Back in October, as part of a mini-unit on soil science, we buried four pair of cotton underwear outside in four different locations around the school and nature trail, each with a different soil-profile that were examined and identified by Mr. Dumont’s eighth-grade science classes. The purpose behind this was to explore microbial action within each soil profile by seeing how much of the cotton material decomposed through the fall, winter, and spring. A lot of microbial activity is an indicator of good soil health. As you can see, the school flower garden by the pond is very healthy and full of life, as all that was left of the underwear was the synthetic waste-band and stitching!
Microbial Action Experiment: Sixth Graders Explore Soil Health
