The environmental science class is responsible for the care of multiple crops at the farm across the street, from the time of planting to harvesting. In the short time I've been at with them (January to May), the students have prepared garden beds for planting, mulched garlic, weeded in the garden, planted flowers and lettuce, and made and then removed cages from around the trees in the orchard (deer protection). The school has a unique relationship with the farmers at the CSA, which is an excellent example of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and sociocultural learning (as cited in Bransford, et al., 1999), as teachers and students collaborate with and learn from the farmers as we work and learn together to care for the produce at the farm.
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In the early spring, students and teachers planted a bed of lettuce. Prior to planting lettuce, students were introduced to the taxonomy of lettuce as well as its needs and its nutritional benefits (to people). Click here to read more.
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Gardening is an excellent teaching tool, as it provides an opportunity to learn many soft skills, such as collaboration, problem solving, hard work, and persistence, in addition to improving their gardening skills. The garden is a unique setting for learning science practice skills, including asking questions, collecting data, and making conclusions. It provides a space for teachers to talk with students about their knowledge of pollination, transpiration and the circulatory systems of plants, as well as the science involved in pest control, planting, and harvesting. Growing plants is a natural segue to various environmental issues like erosion, ecological degradation, and algal blooms, as well as social issues such as hunger, food deserts, and nutrition.
In an interview with Dottie Baumgarten, the sustainable science teacher at the Montessori School in Drescher, PA, she expressed her beliefs about applied learning, saying, "If they can't do it, they have no clue." And students "Have to be able to do it outside." She also commented that, "Science practices are infused with what we're doing." The school invited Ms. Baumgarten to join their school as a sustainable science teacher in order to give students more opportunities for experiential learning. With her help, students are able to connect their knowledge from more traditional science classes to real-life settings, including the garden, the wooded area behind the school, and the niche of their school in the surrounding ecosystem.
Although my students are not always thrilled about the farm labor, they have all expressed appreciation for this partnership and more than half said they would like to garden after graduation.
In an interview with Dottie Baumgarten, the sustainable science teacher at the Montessori School in Drescher, PA, she expressed her beliefs about applied learning, saying, "If they can't do it, they have no clue." And students "Have to be able to do it outside." She also commented that, "Science practices are infused with what we're doing." The school invited Ms. Baumgarten to join their school as a sustainable science teacher in order to give students more opportunities for experiential learning. With her help, students are able to connect their knowledge from more traditional science classes to real-life settings, including the garden, the wooded area behind the school, and the niche of their school in the surrounding ecosystem.
Although my students are not always thrilled about the farm labor, they have all expressed appreciation for this partnership and more than half said they would like to garden after graduation.
