Regenerative Soil & Healthy Food

Regenerative Soil Action PBL: Design a Solution Challenge Guidelines

Analyze the challenge expectations and explore how regenerative agriculture improves soil health, strengthens food systems, and supports healthier communities. Identify problems related to soil health or food access that you could help address.

Driving Question:

How can we, as environmental scientists and agricultural innovators, design solutions that improve soil health and support healthier food options in our community?

Activity Title:

Soil to Solution: Regenerative Agriculture PBL Challenge Guidelines

Description:

Students investigate how soil health affects food production, access to nutritious food, and environmental sustainability. They will investigate real-world soil challenges, analyze the causes and impact, and design a solution that improves soil health and supports healthier food options in their community.

Target Grade Level: Grades 5-8 Discipline: Physical Science, Earth Science, Life Science,  Environmental Science, Biology, Agriculture, CTE, Sustainability, CivicsTime Frame: 45-minute Intro (Full PBL 2–3 weeks) Suggested Grouping: 3-4 students

Key Vocabulary: Advocacy, Erosion, Food systems, Impact, Nutrients, Organic matter, Regenerative Agriculture, Root Causes, Soil Health, Solution, Stakeholder, Sustainability

Educator Prep:

This activity serves as the launch point for the PBL. During this session, students will review the challenge, explore possible problem areas, and begin generating ideas.

Example Timeline Structure (~2–3 weeks):

  • 1 Day: Launch
  • 3–4 Days: Research
  • 2–3 Days: Analyze
  • 3 Days: Design
  • 3 Days: Create
  • 2 Days: Present

Extension Ideas: Invite guest speakers (farmers, environmentalists), visit local farms or community gardens, or share solutions with local stakeholders.

Educator Directions:

  • Identify areas of challenging language based on student needs.
  • Establish discussion norms and establish sentence frames for academic conversations.
  • Model how to share ideas and disagree using evidence from text.
  • Monitor student-generated "Need-to-Know" questions to guide future mini-lessons.
  • Use Supporting Material - Regenerative Soil Action PBL: Student Checklist to help students stay organized as they progress through the PBL.

Recommended Student Background Knowledge:

  • Completion of preceding module articles (soil systems, regenerative practices, etc.).
  • Basic understanding of the research process and data interpretation.

Special Population Accommodations:

  • Recommendations for supporting English Language Learner (ELL) students: Follow district guidelines for supporting ELL students.  Consider sensory supports such as physical movement or podcasts.  Use graphic organizers, anchor charts, and visuals to support and scaffold. Offer sentence frames and/or academic discourse stems for tasks such as explaining reasoning or comparing and contrasting ideas.  Pre-teach vocabulary within the content.  Pair with a peer buddy and assign a bilingual or high-proficiency English-speaking peer for support. Create opportunities for multiple ways to demonstrate understanding, such as through visual, oral, or written means.  Model thinking out loud to showcase reasoning and problem-solving skills.
  • Recommendations for supporting Gifted & Talented (GT) students: Follow district guidelines for supporting GT students.  Gifted students thrive when given choices and opportunities to explore the complexities of the content. Encourage students to explore across disciplines. Allow for opportunities for self-directed inquiry and research.  Encourage reflection on learning strategies and thinking processes used.  Provide executive functioning support and check-ins as needed. 
  • Recommendations for supporting students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504s: Follow the required accommodations based on the student's IEP or 504 plan.  Provide small-group and individualized instruction as needed. Reduce cognitive load through chunking, scaffolding, and visual supports. Offer feedback frequently. Allow for extended time. Allow for breaks as needed.  Provided modeled examples and clear single-step instructions prior to students engaging in independent or group work.  Review evidence-based interventions providing support in small groups or individualized support as needed.

Remote Learning Adaptations:

This activity is appropriate for remote learning; no adaptations or modifications are necessary.

STUDENT CONTENT BELOW THIS LINE

Are you ready to begin a real-world environmental challenge? In this project, you will investigate how soil health affects food production and access to nutritious food.

It all begins with healthy soil. Healthy soil supports plant growth, stores nutrients, and helps produce fruits, vegetables, and grains that communities rely on every day. Soil can become damaged through erosion, pollution, or even farming practices that do not sustain the soil over time.

Driving Question:

How can we, as environmental scientists and agricultural innovators, design solutions that improve soil health and support healthier food options in our community?

Your challenge is to explore these problems and, with your team, design a solution that will improve soil health and help your community have access to healthy food.

Materials:

Safety Notes:

  • Engage in safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology. This applies to devices (hardware), applications or programs (software), and interactions with others.
  • There are no anticipated physical safety risks associated with this activity.

Before You Begin:

Today, you will explore the challenge guidelines and begin thinking about your project. This is the first step in a larger Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience.

This project will take place over the next 2–3 weeks, giving you time to research, design, and present your solution.

The lessons and activities you completed before this challenge – including learning about soil systems, plant growth, regenerative farming, and food systems – are essential. You will use that knowledge to:

  • Understand the problem
  • Ask strong questions
  • Design a meaningful solution

PBL Overview:

Choose a soil problem that will impact the food system or environment. Investigate the problem so that you can understand the following:

  • Why is this happening to the soil?
  • Who is affected?
  • How does it impact food and communities?
  • Who are the stakeholders involved, and what are their perspectives?

Your team will research and design a solution that improves soil health and supports healthier food options. This is a multi-day project that will take place over several class periods.

Project Parameters:

Complete all parts of the PBL Challenge:

  • Identify a soil problem that affects a food system and/or the environment.
  • Research the issue using reliable sources.
  • Analyze causes and stakeholders.
  • Design a realistic solution that improves soil health and supports healthier food options.
  • Present your team’s solution to a real-world audience.

Product Choices:

Use a digital tool (Google, Canva, etc.) of your choice to educate the audience about your team’s solution.

Product Formats:

Website Social media campaign PSA or documentary-style video Podcast Infographic 3-D model Community garden design Prototype of your design Product approved by your teacher

Step One: Ask Questions and Choose a Focus

With your team:

  1. Discuss environmental or food challenges connected to the soil.
  2. Brainstorm problems that affect soil health and access to healthy food.
  3. Choose one specific issue your team would like to explore further.

Issues may include:

  • Soil erosion
  • Nutrient loss in soil
  • Overuse of pesticides
  • Fertilizer overuse
  • Lack of composting
  • Food waste
  • Limited access to food
  • Loss of pollinators
  • Lack of biodiversity in soil

Your Chosen Issue:

Use the table below to guide your thinking as you focus on your chosen issue.

Step Two: Ideate and Design

Ideation is the creative process of generating new ideas. With your team, brainstorm possible solutions, create a mind map of root causes, and ask for feedback on whether your solution is realistic and will make an impact.

Step Three: Create Your Solution and Decide How You Will Share Your Ideas

Develop your solution as a product. As you share your ideas, clearly explain the original issue, present your research, include evidence and stakeholder perspectives, and state your Call to Action for the audience.

Step Four: Present and Reflect

Tell the story of your issue and why it matters. Share your design process, your learning, and your call to action. How did this challenge help you to understand the need for healthy soil and access to healthy food options?