1 From Garden to Classroom Activity and Resource Guide MUN Botanical Garden Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7 (709) 864-8590 Fax: (709) 864-8596 www.mun.ca/botgarden [email protected] November, 2011 From Garden to Classroom MUN Botanical Garden, Memorial University of Newfoundland 2 Foreword MUN Botanical Garden is committed to providing research and education which supports the conservation of plant diversity and its sustainable use. Integral to the research and education is a knowledge, understanding, and concern for plants, their habitats, and the threats they face. Yet it is evident that as our world becomes more modern, our relationship with the plant world weakens. Within communities around the world, local skills and knowledge of plant lore, including its uses, properties, and even basic identification are all but disappearing. This fact is alarming, considering that the implementation of biodiversity conservation and sustainability depends upon an informed, concerned community of citizens promoting these principles. How many of us think of plants when we eat? Yet all the food we eat, directly or indirectly is derived from plants. Our air, medicine, clothing, and building materials depend on plants. Today, more than ever, our leisure and recreation is linked to our natural environment. Simply put, will the children of today grow up to be a generation of policy makers and decision- makers that neither know nor care about our environment? Will they be unaware of the link between human survival and sustainable development? Unfortunately, the answer could be yes unless our attitudes on plant education change drastically. While it is acknowledged that the need for change starts in the classroom, what steps have been taken to effectively enhance and increase botany in the curriculum? More importantly are teachers, particularly early childhood, primary and elementary, adequately trained in this field of science? Feedback from teachers, youth group leaders and even parents indicate that they are not. School administrators are already faced with such overwhelming concerns as decaying infrastructures, teacher shortages, overcrowding and loss of music and art programs. Plant education is just not a priority. As educators, what can we do? Start with the basics. Utilize activities that can teach us, the teachers, and open the eyes of many students, from pre-school onward. This From Garden to Classroom Activity & Resource Guide was created through funding provided from a grant awarded through the PromoScience program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). The following activities and resources, which have been a mainstay of the Botanical Garden’s education program for almost 40 years, were researched and tested over a three-year period and compiled in a guide for educators. The activities and resources are easy, simple, inexpensive, and can use materials recycled from home, work or school. While using these activities in the classroom may not make a budding botanist out of every student, it will certainly be a good first step in creating a generation of conservationists. Anne Madden, Education Coordinator, Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden November, 2011 From Garden to Classroom MUN Botanical Garden, Memorial University of Newfoundland 3 Acknowledgements From Garden to Classroom Outreach Education Program is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) PromoScience funding program. We would like to acknowledge the staff of the MUN Botanical Garden for help with making this project possible over the three years of the PromoScience Funding Program: Madonna Bishop, Research Liaison Todd Boland, Research Horticulturist Christine Byers, Environmental Educator Joy Carter-Barfoot, Education Assistant Hannah Dickson, YMCA Eco-Intern Jaimie Farrell, Public Outreach Assistant Anne Madden, Education Coordinator Diane Pelley, Visitor Services Supervisor Heather Reid, YMCA Eco-Intern Wakwaya Seda, Intern Tim Walsh, Nursery Manager Carl White, Head Gardener Summer Student Staff of 2009-2011 A sincere thank you to all the teachers and students who have participated in a Botanical Garden education program. Our education programs could not happen without you. From Garden to Classroom MUN Botanical Garden, Memorial University of Newfoundland 4 Introduction Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 7 A. Program Objectives ............................................................................................................ 8 B. Program Content & Curriculum Connections .................................................................... 9 our Thumb our 2. How To Green Your Thumb...................................................................................................... 11 A. Making Soil – Composting 101 ......................................................................................... 11 i) Getting Started - Nature: The Great Recycler .................................................................. 12 ii) Why Compost? The Benefits of Composting ................................................................. 13 HowY Green to iii) The Compost Bin ............................................................................................................ 15 iv) Building Your Compost Pile ............................................................................................ 18 v) Using Your Compost ........................................................................................................ 23 vi) Making Soil in the Classroom – Vermicomposting ......................................................... 25 vii) Common Compost Critters ............................................................................................ 31 viii) Compost Glossary ......................................................................................................... 34 ix) Useful Composting Resources ........................................................................................ 49 B. Growing Plants - Propagating in the Classroom .............................................................. 50 Botany for theBotanyfor Classroom i) Sprouting Seeds ............................................................................................................... 50 ii) Dividing ............................................................................................................................ 56 iii) Cutting ............................................................................................................................ 57 C. Be A 3R Gardener ............................................................................................................. 58 i) Newspaper Flowerpots .................................................................................................... 58 ii) Recycling other containers .............................................................................................. 60 3. Botany for the Classroom ........................................................................................................ 63 A. Grocery Store Botany ....................................................................................................... 65 Trees AreTrees Terrific Program i) What Am I Eating? ............................................................................................................ 68 ii) Grocery Store Flyer Activity ............................................................................................ 75 B. Grow My Lunch ................................................................................................................ 78 i) Snack Time Botany ........................................................................................................... 80 C. Get Growing Activities ..................................................................................................... 81 i) Root .................................................................................................................................. 81 Teacher Resources ii) Stem ................................................................................................................................ 83 Summary From Garden to Classroom MUN Botanical Garden, Memorial University of Newfoundland 5 Introduction iii) Leaf ................................................................................................................................. 84 iv) Flower ............................................................................................................................. 85 v) Fruit ................................................................................................................................. 86 Thumb Your HowGreen to vi) Seed ................................................................................................................................ 88 vii) Seedling ......................................................................................................................... 90 D. Wild Edible Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador ......................................................... 96 i) Introduction .................................................................................................................... 96 ii) Do’s and Don’ts of Plant Foraging ..................................................................................