Dirt! The Movie

Gr 7 Up—The premise of this documentary is that planet Earth has a living, breathing skin called dirt. Live-action footage from across the globe, humorous animation, and conversations with experts including anthropologists, biologists, and eco-designers, offer an historical perspective of humans' relationships with dirt. An appropriate musical background, excellent visuals, and superb editing create an innovative lesson that covers the gamut from the science of dirt filtering water to organic farming to using dirt to build homes to the need for creating green spaces in urban areas. Viewers also learn about man's abuse of dirt, such as mountaintop mining for coal and monoculture farming. Nutrients stripped from the soil increase the need for herbicides and pesticides which then leach into the water and cause another series of problems. The time is now to revitalize our soil, one of our most important resources. Several innovative programs are featured, such as rooftop gardens and composting. The message is that each individual must be responsible for making the Earth better. This inspiring, informative program can be utilized in classes across the curriculum.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel