Digging Deep: Project-Based Learning to Explore Soil & Soil Degradation with Science and Literacy
- ambersocaciu
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
If you're looking for a meaningful way to engage students in science and literacy while fostering inquiry, problem-solving, and critical thinking, project-based learning (PBL) might be exactly what your classroom needs.
PBL provides students with real-world problems and invites them to actively engage in finding solutions. It supports deeper understanding by giving students a purpose for learning, making content more relevant and motivating.
One of the best ways to implement PBL is through the 5E Model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This instructional framework blends explicit instruction with student-driven discovery, helping learners build both knowledge and skills across disciplines.
Why PBL for Science and ELA Integration?
In subjects like soil science, students benefit from opportunities to explore authentic questions. They investigate current issues (like soil degradation), build understanding through research and discussion, and apply their learning by proposing solutions.
But it’s not just science content they’re developing—this approach also strengthens key literacy skills like:
Reading for information
Summarizing and organizing research
Building academic vocabulary
Writing explanatory and persuasive texts
This integration allows students to engage in science as readers, writers, thinkers, and creators.
Check out "Fine-Tuning your PBL Projects" by Myla Lee and Suzie Boss with ISTE -Improving PBL by paying attnetion to equity, inquiry, and literacy.
About the Unit: Exploring Earth’s Soil & Soil Degradation PBL
This Science and ELA integrated Soil and Soil Degradation PBL brings learning to life for students. It gives them a purpose for learning and motivates them to design their own solutions.
It’s ideal for upper elementary or middle school learners and can be used in traditional classrooms, small group instruction, or homeschool settings. Whether you use it in whole group instruction or in learning centers, the unit is designed for flexible implementation over 1–4 weeks.
What’s Included:
Guided Lesson Plans (5–10 days, editable Google Doc)
Digital WebQuest – Scaffolded research with linked resources
Google Slides Unit Guide – Daily pacing and learning targets
Product Choice Board & Rubric – Student voice in project design
Student Resources (note-taking tools + Wakelet for research)
Teacher’s Guide – Suggestions for whole group, centers, or partner work
How It Works: The 5E Model in 4 Stages
This PBL is designed using the 5E’s of inquiry-based learning and implemented in four clear stages. As a teacher or facilitator, you’ll guide students in building knowledge and applying their understanding through writing and creation.
Stage 1: Launch – Engage: Begin by introducing students to the real-world issue of soil degradation. Use class discussion or a video to spark curiosity and get them asking questions about soil and its importance to ecosystems and human life.
Stage 2: Build Knowledge, Understanding, and Skills: This stage includes three parts:
Explore:Â Students use the digital WebQuest to collect information and record their findings.
Explain: You’ll teach explicitly with articles, anchor texts, and vocabulary discussions while giving students time to reflect and collaborate.
Explore Again: Students brainstorm and investigate possible solutions—either designing something new or improving on existing ideas.
Stage 3: Develop and Critique – Elaborate: Students now apply their learning by writing an explanatory problem/solution essay. This phase is focused on organizing their research, using academic language, and preparing to communicate their ideas clearly.
Stage 4: Present Products – Evaluate: Using a product choice board, students select a final format (poster, model, presentation, video, etc.) to share their solution. They’ll evaluate their own work using the rubric, while you assess for content mastery, communication, and creativity.
How You Can Use It in the Classroom or Homeschool Setting:
Whole Group:Â Guide students through each stage using shared texts, group discussion, and modeling.
Partners or Small Groups: Students can collaborate on research, writing, and project creation—sharing responsibility and learning from each other.
Learning Centers:Â Use materials like the WebQuest and choice board in a science center or independent research station to extend your unit or offer enrichment.
Why It Works
When students explore science through a problem-solving lens, they become active participants in their learning. They're not just reading about science—they’re thinking like scientists, writing like researchers, and presenting like communicators.
Whether you teach in a classroom or homeschool environment, this PBL unit supports both academic standards and 21st-century skills—making learning relevant, challenging, and fun.