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3 April 2019 Teaching Authentic Soil & Plant Science in Middle School Classrooms with a Biochar Case Study
Yamina Pressler, Mary Hunter-Laszlo, Sarah Bucko, Beth A. Covitt, Sarah Urban, Christina Benton, Michelle Bartholomew, Amanda J. Morrison, Erika J. Foster, Sylvia D. Parker, M. Francesca Cotrufo, John C. Moore
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Abstract

We designed two NGSS-aligned middle school classroom experiments to investigate the effects of biochar on plant growth and soil respiration. Biochar is a carbon-rich material, produced by heating organic matter under limited oxygen, that is added to soils to improve fertility, to promote plant growth, and as one possible strategy to help mitigate climate change. The experiments offer an ideal case study for students learning fundamentals of soil and plant interactions. Soils and biochar are accessible, are connected to global issues such as agriculture and climate change, and are the focus of ongoing research in soil science. These classroom experiments promote authentic science because students design replicated experiments, collect and analyze data, discuss variability in the data, and interpret their results in the context of recent research.

© 2019 National Association of Biology Teachers. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press's Reprints and Permissions web page, www.ucpress.edu/journals.php?p=reprints.
Yamina Pressler, Mary Hunter-Laszlo, Sarah Bucko, Beth A. Covitt, Sarah Urban, Christina Benton, Michelle Bartholomew, Amanda J. Morrison, Erika J. Foster, Sylvia D. Parker, M. Francesca Cotrufo, and John C. Moore "Teaching Authentic Soil & Plant Science in Middle School Classrooms with a Biochar Case Study," The American Biology Teacher 81(4), 256-268, (3 April 2019). https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2019.81.4.256
Published: 3 April 2019
JOURNAL ARTICLE
13 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
authentic science
Biochar
experiment
plants
soil
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