March 11, 2015-Amy Densborn, a teacher at Lewis Cass Junior and Senior High School in Walton, IN was selected as the recipient of a $1,500 grant from Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) to attend the National Science Teachers Association meeting in Chicago, March 12-15.

The award is part of SSSA’s celebration of the International Year of Soils. Densborn will share how she integrates soils education in her classroom as part of the SSSA’s presentation, “Getting Your Hands ‘Dirty’ in a STEM Classroom.”

NSTA grant winner Amy Densborn with AP Environmental Science class. Photo Credit Toby McGehee and Noah Byers. 

“Come dig in the dirt—get your hands in it, explore, be tactile; see and feel,” Densborn advises. “It helps students get excited and understand. We can talk about the horizon of soil but if you take them out and show them, it has that meaning and application.”

Densborn teaches Biology, Earth Science, and AP Environmental Science. “Soil science is embedded throughout the science classes I teach,” she said. “Without soil, nothing would exist—it’s the foundation for everything.”

“The school where I teach is very rural and surrounded by corn and bean fields. This stimulated me to think of ways to bring more soil studies into my class. I am trying to design most of my lessons around soil in the classes I teach. I have discussed calculations of mass, volume and density using soil as my examples.”

However, Densborn maintains studying soil isn’t just for rural Indiana students. “This is a global concern, not just Cass County, Indiana. We talk about the Great Dust Bowl and (the movie) Interstellar--what has happened in the past and what can happen in the future if we don’t practice soil conservation.”

Densborn advises girls in particular to get involved in science. “If you’re excited about something, you’re going to be fine. That’s what paves the way for you.”

Densborn is also an Indiana Master Naturalist, member of Environmental Education Association of Indiana, Indiana Go FishIN instructor and a member of the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc.

As part of their celebration of IYS, SSSA is developing educational materials that can be found at www.soils.org/iys. They also developed a series of twelve 2-minute videos hosted by Jim Toomey. He authors the environmental cartoon, Sherman’s Lagoon. The videos can be viewed at https://www.soils.org/iys/monthly-videos.

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.

Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA_Soils. SSSA also has a blog, Soils Matter, at http://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/. Additional soils information is on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12th grade, www.soils4kids.org.