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Database Provider

Authors

Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell

Grades

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type

  • Videos, 46 minutes, 37 seconds, CC, Subtitles

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - West, USA - Midwest, Africa, Asia, California, Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota

Kiss the Ground: Educational Version

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Synopsis
  • In this 45-minute documentary (edited specifically for use in schools), students learn about the vital role that soils play in the fight against climate change, examining regenerative agriculture methods that can revive soils, help revitalize the Earth, and bring balance to our climate through examples from North Dakota, South Dakota, and from California in San Diego and Half Moon Bay.
  • Narrator, Woody Harrelson, and science experts explain the basics of the carbon cycle and how soils have the potential to sequester large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.
  • The film also mentions locations such as China, Los Angeles, and Zimbabwe.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • The topic is presented in an engaging format and the celebrity appearances from Woody Harrelson and Ian Somerhalder will appeal to young viewers.
  • Unlike some climate documentaries, this film is presented with a strong message of hope and it highlights many people working to take action for the climate in their communities. 

Additional Prerequisites

  • Teachers must fill out a form with their email address and school name in order to receive a free link to the movie. 
  • This video has closed captioning and subtitles offered in 17 languages to assist students.

Differentiation

  • Biology classes could watch this film as a part of an investigation into the carbon cycle, climate change, and the role that soils play in sequestering carbon. 
  • 4H clubs and gardening clubs could use this film to discuss the importance of soil health, no-till farming methods, composting, and regenerative agriculture.
  • Try pairing this film with this entire Soil Quest curriculum, this lab about soil and the carbon cycle, or this compost experiment. 
Scientist Notes
This is a 46-minute documentary on the role of regenerative agriculture in drawing down atmosphere CO2 concentration. It emphasized how human activities have altered the soil, carbon cycle, and agricultural systems. This has caused a cascading impact on the planet and the key solution is going back to regenerative agriculture, this practice, if scaled up, will address the current climate crisis and restore the planet to become a carbon negative for centuries. There are no contradictions in the video and thus, this resource is ideal for the classroom.
Standards
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
      • MS-LS1-6 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
      • HS-LS1-7 Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.
    • LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
      • MS-LS2-3 Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
      • HS-LS2-5 Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
      • HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
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