Peek-A-Boo Flower Pot 5 Newspaper Garden Pots SM WHAT’S GROWING on AGRICULTURE in the CLASSROOM • SPRING 2021 / VOLUME NO
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THIS ISSUE 2-3 Garden Spotlights 4 Peek-A-Boo Flower Pot 5 Newspaper Garden Pots SM WHAT’S GROWING ON AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM • SPRING 2021 / VOLUME NO. 1 Seed, sprout and grow! ardening is an enjoyable activity for all ages, but especially Gfor children, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow while getting their hands dirty. In gardens, students are given a space to reconnect with the world School gardens encourage students to take an interest in where their food comes from, learn the around them and learn importance of a healthy diet and develop learning skills while getting their hands dirty. important lessons about agricultural systems. By children to take pride are assisted by heavy advantages. growing their own fruits in their work, and farming equipment and Because gardens are and vegetables, students garden-based learning advanced technology, much smaller than farms, can discover where their has been shown to most gardening work gardeners can plant food comes from, how positively impact is done by hand and is whatever they want in it’s produced and how it students’ behavioral and labor-intensive. Seeds their plots, while most provides nourishment. educational development. typically are planted farms are limited in the Students also can As students continue individually in small number of commodities learn the importance to learn in the field, quantities in gardening they can efficiently of a healthy diet by they’ll also discover the plots. By contrast, produce. With less land growing their own differences between farmers use drills and to manage, gardeners food. Additionally, growing crops in gardens planters to plant seeds can focus on individual gardening promotes and raising them across hundreds or plants to ensure plentiful physical activity—a key commercially on farms. thousands of acres in harvests, making self- component in fighting While farmers’ efforts their fields. sustenance an achievable childhood obesity. to produce their However, gardening dream for agriculturalists Gardening encourages commodities often doesn’t come without its of any experience level. 2 SPRING 2021 / WHAT’S GROWING ON IN VIRGINIA Garden Spotlights MARIE CULVER – Seatack What advice do you have stock tanks. We were able to find Elementary School, Virginia Q for other teachers looking to a matching grant, and now each Beach start or expand a garden? kindergarten classroom has its own How did your garden begin? My advice is to start small vegetable garden. This year we Q How has it grown? with a big vision. Our garden were awarded an additional grant A to add a tub in which we’ll plant Our garden began in May started as a big dream with six native plants to attract pollinators. A 2016 with six raised beds. It’s raised beds, and now it is the most now a community garden with 27 important part of our school. The What plants do you have in raised beds. We use the herbs and garden not only nurtures plants, Q your garden? Which have vegetables for school lunches, and but also dreams and memories worked especially well? the students’ families also harvest for our school family. One first We begin the planting fresh produce throughout the grader said, "Our garden is my best process in early spring with entire year. friend." A everything that is found in Peter What plants do you have in Rabbit's garden: cabbage, carrots, Q your garden? Which have cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, worked especially well? onions, peas, parsley, radishes and spinach. Our lettuce is the first to Our garden includes apples, crop up and is the last thing that asparagus, basil, blueberries, A we harvest in the fall. The lettuce broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, reseeds itself well and provides carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, us with fresh leaves for many collard greens, dill, figs, kale, lemon months. We also grow miniature thyme, lettuce, mint, okra, oregano, pumpkins starting in July, as soon parsley, peaches, pears, radishes, as the salad veggies have reached rosemary, rutabagas, strawberries, their maturity. The pumpkins did Swiss chard and tomatoes. beautifully this year, and each Our crops are doing well, and kindergarten student picked their our students plant twice a year. Seatack Elementary School students own pumpkin while we are unable Everything is growing despite develop problem-solving skills harvesting to visit pumpkin patches. The occasional pests that we eliminate fruits, herbs and vegetables from the students also were able to use the organically. school’s community garden. pumpkins in the classroom for many learning activities. What has been your best SHARON MOHRMANN teaching moment using the Q – Orange County Elementary What has been your best garden? School Q teaching moment using the The best teaching moments How did your garden begin? garden? come when our students A Q How has it grown? Harvest day is the highlight plant their crops and nurture their Our Peter Rabbit Gardens of each year. In late May, grades’ raised beds independently. A began 13 years ago in raised we are able to harvest all of the The students also are independently A beds that grew more weeds than vegetables that have reached harvesting crops, collecting data vegetables. Four years ago, we their maturity to make a salad for and problem-solving, and are received a grant that has allowed our afternoon snack. Watching becoming confident gardeners. us to purchase 300-gallon plastic the students get their little hands AgInTheClass.org 3 in the soil, carefully clipping the lettuce leaves, picking the small peas and pulling up the bright red radishes—their eyes get as big as the radishes as they pull that surprise from the soil. What advice do you have Q for other teachers looking to start or expand a garden? With many trials, I have A learned that good soil and containers make a world of difference. Also, having a close water source is helpful. I have hauled many gallons of water on hot days. Finding a local garden Students monitor the progress of leafy greens in Orange County Elementary School’s Peter Rabbit Gardens. club or master gardener to assist with obtaining plants or seeds or serving as an extra pair of hands is helpful. The combination of ANGELA MILLS – Oakland The grasses grew quickly classroom lessons and hands-on Elementary School, Suffolk A and excited the students. The experiences make for a very How did your garden begin? carrot, lettuce and pumpkin seeds successful learning environment. Q How has it grown? also grew well, and one pumpkin was harvested. Our garden began after A students harvested pumpkin What has been your best seeds from the class pumpkin Q teaching moment using the and wanted to plant them. After garden? we received a grant that funded The ability for the students to a lighted, indoor growing station, harvest their own pumpkin students could choose to plant A seeds, plant them and see the carrots, flowers, grass, lettuce life cycle of the plant was a very or pumpkin seeds. Our seeds rewarding teaching experience. sprouted and grew very well in our indoor growing station. The What advice do you have balance of the additional funds is Q for other teachers looking to earmarked for benches to provide start or expand a garden? seating for outdoor learning in our The growing station is a garden when school reopens for wonderful way to grow plants students. A indoors during the wintertime. Orange County Elementary School What plants do you have in Bringing the garden inside was students harvest vegetables each May, amazing! while miniature pumpkins are harvested Q your garden? Which have in fall. worked especially well? 4 SPRING 2021 / WHAT’S GROWING ON IN VIRGINIA CONTENT AREA LESSON PLAN 1 SOL: Science: Life Processes Peek-A-Boo Flower Pot Literacy: Vocabulary Objective: for students to: Background Knowledge Germinate a seed. The basic necessities for a seed to grow include light, food and water. Sunlight or an artificial lighting system provides the energy plants need Materials to perform photosynthesis, the process they use to produce their own • Flower pot template: Download food. Seeds have built-in food supplies, and the food located inside them using the QR code below, or at will feed plants once they sprout, or germinate, from the seeds. Once a bit.ly/peek-a-boo-flowerpots plant reaches a certain size, it will begin to absorb nutrients from the soil • Plastic sandwich bags through its roots to help with photosynthesis. Water is essential to all • Cotton balls living things, and plants are no exception. Plants receive water through • Water their roots and veins in the stems and leaves, absorbing water from the soil • Seeds that surrounds them. When the area around their roots becomes dry, some • Tape plants’ roots will continue growing to find a new source of water. • Markers or crayons Ornamental plants and flowers, like the ones that typically are found in pots and other containers, are part of the horticulture industry. Horticulture is an important segment of agriculture and includes cut flowers, landscaping plants, turfgrass and many other plants. Procedure 1. Cut a square in the middle of the flower pot to reveal a window for your seed. 2. Wet a cotton ball. It should be thoroughly wet, but not dripping. 3. Place two to three seeds on the cotton ball, and place it inside the plastic bag. 4. Close the bag, and tape it to one side of the flower pot. 5. Allow students to color and decorate their flower pots. 6. Tape flower pots to a window to allow students to monitor their seeds’ germination and growth. Extension Students will visualize how their plants will look as their seeds sprout and Once students’ seeds begin to sprout, you may remove them from the continue growing.