Regenerative Soil & Healthy Food

Regenerative Soil Action PBL: Design and Presentation Rubric

This rubric evaluates both your design solution and your presentation. It assesses your understanding of soil health concepts and regenerative agriculture principles, how effectively you apply those ideas in your solution, and the creativity and feasibility of your design. In addition, the rubric considers how clearly you communicate your ideas, the strength of the research and evidence you include, and the potential impact your solution could have on supporting healthy soil and sustainable food systems

 

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:

Rubric for Soil to Solution: Regenerative Agriculture PBL Challenge

Description:

This rubric will guide students as they design their solution to answer the driving question, and evaluators will also use it to provide feedback.

Target Grade Level: Grades 6-12 Discipline: Physical Science, Earth Science, Life Science,  Environmental Science, Biology, Agriculture, CTE, Sustainability, CivicsTime Frame: 15-minute session Suggested Grouping: Pairs or groups of 3-4

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

Educator Prep:

Students should be provided with this document before beginning the challenge.

Recommended Student Background Knowledge and Skills:

  • Students should have completed all activities, watched all videos, and read all articles incorporated into the Module.
  • Students should receive direct instruction and the opportunity to practice utilizing word processing programs (Microsoft/Google) and graphic design programs (Canva, Google Sheets, PowerPoint, or Slides).

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

Remote Learning Adaptations:

This activity is appropriate for remote learning; no adaptations or modifications are necessary. Consider sending printed copies of materials to students at home.

STUDENT CONTENT BELOW THIS LINE

 

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?

This rubric will guide you through the evaluation process for your solution. Evaluators will also use it to provide feedback on your plans.

Reread Article - Regenerative Soil Action PBL: Design a Solution Challenge Guidelines before you review this rubric.

Scoring Guidelines for the Evaluator:

Review the description of each requirement identified in the following table and compare the students' work to these expectations. For each Requirement, assign a score of 1 to 4. Use the key below to provide feedback to the team in the last column.

  • 4: All requirements are met with a high degree of quality.
  • 3: All requirements are met, but there are a few errors or areas for depth.
  • 2: Some requirements are met, and/or there are significant errors or missing components.
  • 1: Few requirements are met, and/or there are many significant errors.

Section 1: Soil, Food Systems, and Community Problem

Requirements Score (1-4) Feedback
Problem Identification
  • Clearly explains a soil health issue.
  • Connects soil health to food systems and human health.
  • Explains why the issue matters to the community (local, regional, etc.).
    
Research & Source Quality
  • Uses a variety of reliable resources.
  • Correctly cites sources.
  • Includes both qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Evaluates sources for credibility and bias.
    

Section 2: Food System Stakeholders and Systems Thinking

Requirements Score (1-4) Feedback
Perspective & Reasoning
  • Identifies multiple stakeholders in the food system.
  • Explains different stakeholder perspectives clearly.
  • Demonstrates how stakeholders are connected.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of cause and effect.
  • Explains how a change in one part of the system will impact the other parts.
  • Explains how decisions impact soil health, food access, and the well-being of the community.
    

Section 3: Ideation & Design

Requirements Score (1-4) Feedback
Ideation Process
  • Brainstorm multiple possible solutions that improve soil health and support healthier food options.
  • Identifies root causes.
  • Includes short-term and long-term strategies.
    
Solution Design
  • Clearly defines the target audience.
  • Clearly defines the intended impact on soil and food systems.
  • Includes a science-based explanation (How/Why does it work?).
  • Explains how the solution improves both soil health and food access.
  • Describes how impact could be measured (yield, moisture, etc.).
  • Includes a realistic call to action.
    

Section 4: Product Development and Quality

Requirements Score (1-4) Feedback
Content and Clarity
  • Clearly explains the issue.
  • Presents research and evidence effectively.
  • Includes stakeholder perspectives in the final product.
  • The final product is clearly organized and understandable.
    
Quality and Creativity
  • Demonstrates creativity and originality.
  • Grammar, visuals, layout, and editing are accurate and appealing.
    
Soil Science Concepts
  • Accurately applies soil science concepts (organic matter, water retention, etc.).
  • Includes a system model or visual showing the relationship between soil health, food production, and community.