My Students Used a Classroom Garden to Supply Food to Our Cafeteria
At the beginning of the school year, I had an thought: What if my students started a classroom garden that helped supply food to our school cafeteria? The students would have a hands-on, purposeful opportunity to larn about constitute science. Plus we'd assist our food services department cut costs.
I asked my administrators if I could examination out a new found lab garden system from Realityworks. I'k only in my 2nd yr of teaching, but they trusted me, and my request paid off. At present, the whole schoolhouse benefits from nutritious salad greens that my students grow right in our classroom garden.
Engaging Students From the Outset
When students entered my classroom in the fall, the first affair they noticed was the flashy and futuristic-looking equipment. They were immediately curious and excited to learn about this state-of-the-art indoor garden.
The process of growing produce was simple. The starter kit included everything nosotros needed to abound 42 beds of butter lettuce. The kit came with seeds, reusable growing cups, Rockwool, and starter nutrients that have lasted us the whole year so far. It also came with a user guide, LED grow lights, fans, a water pump, and a vii-gallon h2o tank.
Pedagogy the Futurity of Agronomics
Through this easily-on classroom garden project, my students learned exactly how to grow food through a modern system of indoor gardening called hydroponics. Farmland is all around our school, so it'southward hard for my students to imagine that hydroponics is apace condign a pop way of growing nutrient in our state. But this project helped.
In a nutshell, hydroponics is an alternative farming technique that's great for areas that don't have a lot of cropland. Information technology eliminates the demand for soil. Instead, information technology uses a h2o pump to circulate nutrients through Rockwool growing cups that concord plants. This helps grow healthy vegetables just well-nigh anywhere. Plus information technology allows farmers to easily maintain optimum growing conditions for their indoor crops.
Photo Credit: Brent Nelson
Cutting Costs and Serving up School Pride
Even though our Realityworks kit was provided at no cost since we were beta testers, my assistants yet wanted to consider cost savings. We learned that, with just 1 hydroponics unit, nosotros're able to grow plenty lettuce to feed the whole school for one week every month. This is a significant price savings for the cafeteria budget. We just let the cooks know ahead of time so they can suit their food order.
Aside from toll savings, my students benefit greatly from the school garden projection. They appoint in the easily-on lessons, demonstrate pride in providing nutrient for their community, and larn responsibility from following through on their commitments and tending to the garden.
Photo Credit: Brent Nelson
Teaching Nearly the Food System in a Worthwhile Fashion
Learning about hydroponics is peculiarly of import at my school since a big portion of the kids in our community pursue agriculture careers. That said, hydroponics is engaging and worthwhile to learn even for students who don't plan to piece of work in the agricultural manufacture.
Since so much of our nation's farmland has been replaced with cities and growing suburbs, hydroponics helps address concerns about sustainability and nutrient scarcity. Cities around the country are installing floor-to-ceiling gardens—merely similar the ones my students apply but much larger—in warehouses and former big-box stores.
Expanding Our Classroom Garden
My students' new goal is to assist our school eliminate the demand to gild lettuce altogether. To do that, we'll need to invest in one additional hydroponics unit of measurement. Since this offset yr was so successful, my administrators are because it. Hopefully, we'll before long be looking at creative ways to fund our buy.
I definitely recommend that teachers look into using grant coin to help encompass the initial costs of a school garden. That fashion, you can make the cost savings stretch even further.
Want to Start Your Own Classroom Garden?
Whether you only desire to teach students virtually plant science or expand your program to provide food for school lunches, Realityworks' Educational Hydroponics Systems tin assist. Click the orange button below to learn more about how these tools tin help increase pupil engagement and develop valuable skills.
I Want to Learn More than About Hydroponic Classroom Gardens
Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/classroom-garden/
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