WCPSS Employee Contributes to Kid's Book on National Display

August 14, 2008 - A substance that isn't talked about much, yet is one of the most prevalent and valuable natural resources the world has to offer is finally receiving attention from patrons visiting a popular museum in the nation's capital. The National Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. has a new exhibit called Dig It! The Secrets of Soil (https://www.soils.org/smithsonian/). This exhibit features a new children's book co-authored by one of our own WCPSS employees.

WCPSS Environmental Health and Safety (EHAS) Supervisor Dennis Osborne, Ph.D, J.D., was one of ten co-authors of Soil! Get the Inside Scoop. Published last month, the 36-page book is written for children ages 9 to 12 and has been integrated into the Smithsonian's Soil exhibit.

We spoke with Dr. Osborne who shared how and why he got involved with writing Soil! Get the Inside Scoop and what he thinks about this new accomplishment.

How did you get involved in writing this new book?

It seems I’ve always been interested in “How do we learn?” Because of that curiosity, about 25 years ago I began volunteering as a science teaching assistant in elementary classrooms and met kids and teachers who thought science was too hard or not fun. I realized that I (as most scientists) had taught myself under the guidance of a master. From classroom work with Kindergarten to ninth grade,  I began to develop science “stuff” that got kids involved in their own education. Others across the state and nation were also interested in the topic and our common interest led us to partner as a community of learners eventually called “inquiry-based” educators.

About 15 years ago, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund awarded a large grant to Duke’s Engineering School to formalize various uncoordinated efforts in the field. As an earth scientist and geomorphologist, I was offered a chance to contribute to the team—developing what became several of the NC competencies about geology, earth science, water, and related plant and environmental topics. I then helped teach teachers from around the state about using new materials in the classroom and one thing we found missing was a book suitable for kids, not just teachers. Some of us raised this need at an annual meeting of the Soil Science Society of America and in essence the Society said, "Go write one and we will sponsor the effort!"

What was your reaction to learning it would be on display at the Smithsonian?

All of us involved as authors were elated. We have long felt that earth science is undervalued as a discipline, so having such a prestigious institution adopt “our” field as worthy of a national exhibit made us feel validated in our careers. The Smithsonian has been developing the exhibit for many years and has a well-earned reputation for creating the best of exhibits, so we were all excited to partner with an organization we felt would present the best possible image of the subject to the country.

Most of us know you as Supervisor of Integrated Pest Management in EHAS, but what some may not know is that you’re also a licensed soil scientist, among other things.

You know, WCPSS is the best place I ever worked, and one reason I feel that way is because everyone I meet in Auxiliary Services has had and continues to have interesting lives doing things outside of their primary responsibility at WCPSS. Not to make light of what we do here by any means, rather I mean everyone here is multi-dimensional and seems to have made contributions outside of work.  We are all part of a professional learning community here. We bring an amazing world of practical experience to Rock Quarry everyday. For instance, EHAS people deal with the widest possible range of basic environmental science questions: water, air, soil, food, and yes, bugs and critters.

I am privileged to be part of that team. In part, I believe my experiences as Raleigh’s first Conservation Engineer in the ‘70’s, a field soil scientist and later a consulting business owner in the 80’s, and as a USDA food safety researcher and educator for the south region in the 90’s fitted me for life in Auxiliary Services and for our constant interactions with teachers and principals.

Who did you work with on the book and what was your role?

Once the Soil Science Society of America decided to sponsor such a book, a committee was formed. A friend of mine in the NCSU Soils Department who was also interested in effective teaching, became the team leader of the project. He issued a national call for those of us interested in the topic. About a dozen of us from all over the United States stuck with the project over the last 18 months to 2 years.

We would have monthly phone conferences to discuss philosophy and format, then draft sections in which we were interested. The writings and photographs were circulated by email and criticized in phone calls and in emails. We continued until we all felt we had a book that satisfied us as being something completely new and very kid-friendly. 

Sometime in May, the Smithsonian contacted us and wanted to produce the final product. This led to their graphic artist compiling the work in a uniform graphic format and in one matched to the exhibit. Talk about a lot of negotiating!  It shows good things can come from a committee.

What do you hope readers will get out of this book?

I hope readers will sense the fun one can have studying soils. Soil scientists are famous among earth scientists for being strongly individualistic. Everyone is welcome so long as they like soils-no race, age, or gender issues amongst soils folks. I hope readers will see that a basic mastery of any of the disciplines of physics, chemistry, math, microbiology, hydrology, and mineralogy will equip someone to be a welcome, contributing member of the earth science community, and work inside or out.

How are teachers using it in the classroom?

The book has been very well received and is being adopted by several states already. Although it was prepared for 9 -12 year-old kids, I assure you it is usable by college students and K- 12. Teachers are using the book as a supplement to or replacement for standard materials on earth science, most of which bore even earth scientists.  I have seen teachers use the material to get kids to develop and answer “Why?” questions and that excites me the most. "Why?" is a great question if you want to learn.