STEM Dirt Detectives: Exploring the Secrets of Soil

Take your students on a playful underground adventure! Dirt Detectives reveals how soil helps plants grow, provides shelter for tiny creatures, and protects our Earth like a soft blanket. With vibrant visuals and fun facts, kids will discover how dirt feeds our world and why it's a true treasure beneath our feet.

Aligned NGSS Standards:

• Grade 1—Structure, Function, and Information Processing (1-LS1-1): Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

• Grade 1—Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles (1-ESS1-2): Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

• Grade 2 – Earth’s Systems (2-ESS1-1): Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.

• Grade 2 – Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (2-LS2-1): Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

• Grade 2 – Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (2-LS4-1): Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production—Uses recycled materials and promotes sustainable practices.

• SDG 15: Life on Land—Emphasizes the importance of healthy soil ecosystems for biodiversity.

• SDG 13: Climate Action—Helps students understand natural systems that regulate Earth’s environment.