News - North America
Xcite Learning Partnership Hosts GLOBE Air, Water, and Soil FEST: A K–4 Science Celebration
In May 2025, the Xcite Learning Partnership and Waterville Primary School in the Anthony Wayne School District (Ohio) co-hosted the first GLOBE Air, Water, and Soil FEST, an all-school science immersion event featuring the GLOBE Program. Over 400 students in grades K–4 participated in hands-on environmental activities designed to spark curiosity and connect classroom science to the natural world. The event was funded through a state grant.
The full-day event, co-led by Xcite Learning, Bowling Green State University’s Northwest Ohio Center for Excellence in STEM Education, the Toledo Zoo, the University of Toledo's GLOBE Mission Earth, and Lucas County Soil and Water, featured 11 unique science and art activities such as soil composition, water quality, PurpleAir data, and cloud murals. Activity leaders from the partnering organizations brought real-world science into the schoolyard.
Students created a GLOBE Cloudscape, illustrated data from PurpleAir, and learned about soil.
At the festival, the Earth Around Us soil and water tents offered interactive, hands-on science experiences for the students. Sponsored by the U.S. GLOBE Office and the USDA Forest Service, these tents featured engaging activities designed to deepen understanding of environmental science.
In the soil tent, participants explored soil composition through activities like soil texture analysis—sieving soil into particle size groups and using the ribboning method to identify sand, silt, and clay—and soil profile modeling, where students created layered representations using carpet tape and dried soil samples.
In the water tent, students conducted water quality tests, measuring pH and nitrate levels, investigated aquatic ecosystems through macroinvertebrate discovery and identification, and examined water transparency and temperature to assess overall water health.
Students observed macroinvertebrates in the Earth Around Us water
tent and documented their observations in a field journal.
Leading up to the festival, teachers implemented Elementary GLOBE curriculum units—including water, soil, and air quality investigations—through hands-on kits and monthly data collection projects. Activities like “Color a Pixel” traced the Maumee River’s path and highlighted local watershed connections. Students also practiced data collection in the cafeteria using mock instruments to measure air and soil temperature and precipitation.
This festival extends from professional development sessions for all Waterville Primary educators in February and April when they were trained in GLOBE. The festival highlighted the power of preparation, collaboration, and joyful learning and served as a model for embedding real science into early education.
Xcite Learning shared about their soil and water tents and this festival at a recent U.S. GLOBE Watercooler.
Story and photos courtesy of Xcite Learning.
The GLOBE Partnership Earth Around Us Tents development was made possible by support from the USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region (Agreement Number 21-CS-11090100-035).
News origin: United States of America