OUTCOMES: Students will learn how to plan a vegetable garden. Each student will take responsibility for growing one vegetable from seed, to transplanting the seedling into the soil, and providing the plant with light, moisture, temperature and healthy soil. Students will learn basic gardening vocabulary. They will demonstrate how to use garden tools and how to compost. At the end of the project (over a three to four month period) students will harvest their crops for take home as healthy food and for sale at a school "Farmers Market."
OUTCOME: Students will learn the conditions necessary to grow healthy plants from seed. They will map or draw a garden plot for an outdoor area in their school.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
1.) Teacher asks class to identify four concepts that are essential for growing vegetables. Students list these on overhead or large poster paper:
· Light
· Moisture
· Temperature
· Healthy soil
*(Healthy soil is a separate lesson on Composting.)
2.) Teacher and students then go outside and identify an area that meets all four essentials for a healthy garden. Once the area is identified, students take responsibility for measuring the plot and taking soil samples.
3.) In class, teacher asks students to identify what food plants they will plant. Students must consider:
· Season
· Space
· Irrigation
· Kind of soil
4.) Teacher breaks class into four large groups for each of the above items. Each group will be responsible for providing the entire class with research that will enable the class to integrate all four concepts in the planning of the vegetable garden.
Activities:
· Seeds/Plants - research what vegetables can be planted in particular season. Use Internet, Master Gardeners, Gardening Books, Botanical Gardens in the Bay Area. Bring in sample seed packets of vegetables that can grow in school's climate.
· Space - this group must determine how much space each crop will require and how to integrate it with the other crops
· Irrigation - How close will the garden be to a water faucet so that water is available to the plants. What plants require more/less water.
· Soil - What is the soil type? Clay, sandy, rocky? Is the space in a flat area? Will there be a drainage problem during heavy rainstorms?
5.) After groups have presented their findings, class must decide on three to four vegetable plants to grow based on the above conditions of their plot. Once the students have chosen the vegetables, they may begin mapping or drawing the plots for each vegetable in the garden area. Students may use the computer to "draw" their garden or they may use paper and pencil and color the vegetables they draw.
6.) The four groups now must each choose one vegetable and assume responsibility for:
· Reading the seed packets to find out if the plant must be started from seed indoors or if the seed can be put directly in the soil
· Assigning members of each group the responsibility for starting a seedling tray, i.e. use Styrofoam cups filled with potting soil to plant seed
· Starting a daily record for measuring growth, water needs
· For seeds ready to go directly in the soil, members of each group must take responsibility for preparing the soil, digging a row to the required specifications on seed packets.
7.) Gardening Tools and Equipment - Activities:
Vocabulary: Teacher asks students to list all the tools and equipment they need for gardening. Final list to be put on overhead for students to copy in their Journals should include: Spades, rakes, hoes, watering cans, hoses/nozzles, trowels, twine/string, pruning shears/scissors, spading forks, shovels, stakes, clippers, wheelbarrows, compost bin, worm box.
Safety training: Teacher establishes the rules for students using the tools. Stress safe tool use and model how to handle tools, how to clean them and how to safely hand them to another student.
CONDITIONS: This lesson extends over several days.
MATERIALS: Journals, tape measure, rulers, pencils, colored pencils, masking tape, poster paper, computer, gardening books, seed packets, sampling of garden tools.
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: Vocabulary and measurement and mapping/drawing using the Academic Rubric.Group activities using the Life Skills Rubric.
MODIFICATIONS/ACCOMODATIONS: Use the "three minute pause" ask the students to turn to each other and tell what they just heard during the Safe Use of Tools Training.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED: Language Arts Word Analysis and Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Social and Health Sciences, grade 9-10.