It was carried home on the last day of school with all the careful energy a 6-year-old can muster. It didn’t look like much at first glance: a basic yellow plastic cup, filled to the brim with smooth black dirt. His kindergarten teacher pulled me aside and pointed to the cup. “We had a little problem with that one,” she confessed. “It spilled over today, and we did our best to get the dirt and seeds put back in place. I’m sure it will be all right now.” I nodded. I figured we’d be okay. How much damage can you do to ...