Episode 17: Soil study and inquiry

What’s the value of learning about soil? How can educators engage their students in soil studies if they lack expertise? Why do so many people feel happier when they get their hands dirty? Here's what else we dove into in this Earthy Chat:

*the differences between soil and dirt

*using storytelling as a tool to spark curiosity

*the remarkable world of microbes in soil

*Megan’s recent research into barriers to outdoor learning

*the necessity of giving learning experiences time to breathe

*enhancing social and emotional skills through soil study and inquiry

*why interest in soils has increased in recent years

Guest:

Megan Zeni is a mum, teacher, master gardener, and researcher of everything outdoor play and learning. Her research interests include developing professional learning networks with in-service teachers to bridge emerging theories with teaching practices that include unstructured outdoor play as a pedagogical approach. Megan piloted a rethink of how we deliver prep time in our elementary schools and has been teaching entirely outdoors in her west coast school garden for the past seven years in all weather and seasons. Megan has over 25 years of experience as an educator outdoors, is a PhD candidate in the faculty of education at the University of British Columbia, and shares her learning as a @roomtoplay independent consultant and on her blog at meganzeni.com.

The Soil Study and Inquiry Kit can be found at the Non-profit Outdoor Learning Store.