DOI

https://doi.org/10.62812/NQKE2921

Document Type

Curriculum Resource

Publication Version

In Review

Publication Date

Summer 6-10-2026

Keywords

Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Testing, iNaturalist, Kindergarten. Soil Health, Regenerative Agriculture, Project-Based Learning, Kindergarten Science, Environmental Stewardship, Hands-on Learning, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Lakota Language Integration, Schoolyard Ecology, Mulching, Soil Conservation

Description

In this lesson, Kindergarten students in Norris, South Dakota, become "Soil Detectives" to investigate the health of Maka (the Earth). By using their hands to touch, squeeze, and compare local schoolyard soil, students learn to identify Maka Wasté (Healthy Soil) and Maka Puza (Thirsty Soil). This lesson utilizes communal storytelling and Lakota terminology to ground scientific inquiry in local Indigenous knowledge and South Dakota land history. Students apply Regenerative Agriculture principles by providing a "cure" protecting the soil with a natural blanket—and conclude with a Wóglaka (Reflection Circle) to share their experiences as young stewards of the land.

Pages

8

Type

Lesson Plan

Format

PDF

Language

English

Publisher

Open Prairie, South Dakota State University

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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