For the last few weeks, my students have been engaged in a sustainable agriculture unit I am developing. It has been a very successful venture. After a field trip to hear about STEM related Ag careers, we watched the movie “Biggest Little Farm“. The students were enthralled with the story and the possibilities. We are now in the process of creating a small-scale, urban farm in part of our outdoor learning environment (OLE).
Students created proposals for the urban farm and I used those proposals to develop an overall plan for the spaces we have available. Without complaint, students spent one class period clearing the spaces of weeds and grasses, preparing the area for new soil. A local company donated and delivered all of the soil we need! Our boxes are now full and ready for plants!
We will begin our plants indoors with mini-greenhouses and peat pellets. I bought these over the weekend and am amazed at how much less expensive it is to shop local over shopping online sometimes (seriously 50% less to buy local!). I also purchased organic seeds at the local garden store. I am so excited to bring these into the classroom tomorrow and get the students started on planting the seeds.
In addition to the physical components, I am incorporating curriculum about flowering plants. We will dive into the content more this week as we discuss the needs of plants, the environmental effects on plants, and what we can do to support our new buds throughout their growth and development.
I am so excited to finish up this unit and hope the enthusiasm of the students continues into the harvesting season at the end of the school year 🙂
Talking and Teaching Science 