Fall 2016 Projects.
Plants That Teach History.
Cowpeas, also known as field peas, have been a source of food for many cultures. During the summer of 2016 two cowpea varieties, Tohono O'odham and Iron & Clay, were planted in the Butterfly Bed. Tohono O'odham peas are named for a Native American tribe in southern Arizona that first grew them. Iron & Clay peas, brought over from Africa in slave ships before the American Revolution, were carried in the pockets of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
Cowpeas, also known as field peas, have been a source of food for many cultures. During the summer of 2016 two cowpea varieties, Tohono O'odham and Iron & Clay, were planted in the Butterfly Bed. Tohono O'odham peas are named for a Native American tribe in southern Arizona that first grew them. Iron & Clay peas, brought over from Africa in slave ships before the American Revolution, were carried in the pockets of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
The left row are Iron & Clay plants; the right row are Tohono O'odham.
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Mature pea plants.
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Pea pods and blossoms.
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DiStephano's class play with peas.
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Which to pick--pea pods or beautiful blossoms?
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Gonzalez' ESOL students show their harvest.
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Some pods grow high on the vine.
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Both types of peas were allowed to grow to maturity and/or dry on the vines before harvesting. Students in Ms. Williams fifth grade class pulled both green and dry pods and shelled the peas before sending them on to the school cafeteria for taste comparisons.
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Mr. Elder's home-cooked pea lunch.
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Teachers interested in cowpea recipes received electronic versions of George Washington Carver's cowpea cookbook published in 1908.
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Map-Based Garden Scavenger Hunt.
The first week of class all five of the second grade classes went outside and used a map to explore the garden. On the map were outlines of the five raised beds, the blueberry bushes, and the deer fence. Also on the map was a list of things in the garden--such as the animal logos painted on the corner of each bed and the vegetables growing there. When the children found an item, they drew a line from the word in the list to the spot on the map where it was located. |
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Finding the Beans.
The children in the Sprouts (Pre-K) classes dug into a big pile of Chinese yardlong bean vines so they could pull out the bean pods. The thinner pods had pale green beans inside but the bigger pods were filled with maroon and black beans.
The children in the Sprouts (Pre-K) classes dug into a big pile of Chinese yardlong bean vines so they could pull out the bean pods. The thinner pods had pale green beans inside but the bigger pods were filled with maroon and black beans.
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One bean could make a meal.
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Bug Hunt.
Using a picture chart as a guide, kindergarten classes searched the raised beds for a variety of creatures commonly found in the garden. Some of the animals discovered were insects, but some of them were not. Children spotted Southern green stinkbugs, millipedes, caterpillars, slugs, crickets, Eastern leaf-footed bugs, wasps, bumblebees, spiders, and butterflies.
Using a picture chart as a guide, kindergarten classes searched the raised beds for a variety of creatures commonly found in the garden. Some of the animals discovered were insects, but some of them were not. Children spotted Southern green stinkbugs, millipedes, caterpillars, slugs, crickets, Eastern leaf-footed bugs, wasps, bumblebees, spiders, and butterflies.
The hunt began with a demonstration of bright orange and black milkweed bugs.
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Standing still can help you spot little animals.
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After finding an animal, hunters move to another part of the garden.
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Teachers and gardeners help children find things.
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Children check off the animals they find.
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Some creatures require close inspection.
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Pollinating wasps and leaf-footed bugs were easy to spot in the cowpeas.
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One Eastern leaf-footed bug.
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Some discoveries are worth sharing!
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A Hands-on Lesson about Compost.
Fourth graders in Mrs. Randers' and Mrs. Hornung's classes explored the piles of composting materials resulting from last year's plant debris. At one pile students used a sifting screen made of hardware cloth to separate finished compost from the still-decomposing material. In the other compost pile students looked for organisms that help the decomposition process. They discovered crickets, earwigs, pill bugs, fungus, and other creatures that transform dead plant matter into the compost that gives life to new plants.
Fourth graders in Mrs. Randers' and Mrs. Hornung's classes explored the piles of composting materials resulting from last year's plant debris. At one pile students used a sifting screen made of hardware cloth to separate finished compost from the still-decomposing material. In the other compost pile students looked for organisms that help the decomposition process. They discovered crickets, earwigs, pill bugs, fungus, and other creatures that transform dead plant matter into the compost that gives life to new plants.
Getting to compost underneath the debris pile.
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Compost falls through the sifting screen onto a tarp.
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Decomposers live in the bottom of the debris pile.
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How to Harvest Nuts That Aren't Nuts.
All five second grade classes took a walking field trip across the street to the Hopewell Community Garden where a bed of peanut plants were ready to harvest. Peanuts are legumes, not true nuts (which grow on trees). Peanuts develop underground on little stems called "pegs" that grow down from the blossom to penetrate the soil.
Children gathered around the peanut bed and watched the teachers lift up each plant to show peanuts dangling from the plant. Because the harvest had been delayed, some of the peanuts had sprouted and the white root of a new peanut plant was dangling from the peanut shell. After the field trip, several sprouted peanuts were provided to each class in case anyone wanted to try growing a peanut plant.
After the peanuts were pulled out of the ground, they had to be dried in the sun for several days before they could be roasted or boiled and eaten. After a week, each participating classroom received a small bag of dried, raw peanuts from the plants they had harvested.
All five second grade classes took a walking field trip across the street to the Hopewell Community Garden where a bed of peanut plants were ready to harvest. Peanuts are legumes, not true nuts (which grow on trees). Peanuts develop underground on little stems called "pegs" that grow down from the blossom to penetrate the soil.
Children gathered around the peanut bed and watched the teachers lift up each plant to show peanuts dangling from the plant. Because the harvest had been delayed, some of the peanuts had sprouted and the white root of a new peanut plant was dangling from the peanut shell. After the field trip, several sprouted peanuts were provided to each class in case anyone wanted to try growing a peanut plant.
After the peanuts were pulled out of the ground, they had to be dried in the sun for several days before they could be roasted or boiled and eaten. After a week, each participating classroom received a small bag of dried, raw peanuts from the plants they had harvested.
Trekking a half block to the community garden.
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Gathered around the peanut patch.
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Mrs. Santiago enjoys peanut picking.
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Peanuts! How awesome!
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Mrs. Barkoot lifts up a plant.
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Laying the plant upside down to dry the peanuts.
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Rah, Rah, Radishes.
Because radishes are the fastest growing vegetable in any garden, Mrs. Glass and Mrs. Mueller decided to have their kindergarten students plant radish seeds. Children lined up on either side of the raised bed and, one person at a time, placed one radish seed above the inch mark on a yardstick and another radish seed below the inch mark on the yardstick. Each child used his finger to push each seed into the soil to the depth of their fingernail.
To mark where they had planted their radishes, the children decorated a wooden craft stick and placed it next to their seeds.
In less than a week, radish plants had popped up from the soil.
Because radishes are the fastest growing vegetable in any garden, Mrs. Glass and Mrs. Mueller decided to have their kindergarten students plant radish seeds. Children lined up on either side of the raised bed and, one person at a time, placed one radish seed above the inch mark on a yardstick and another radish seed below the inch mark on the yardstick. Each child used his finger to push each seed into the soil to the depth of their fingernail.
To mark where they had planted their radishes, the children decorated a wooden craft stick and placed it next to their seeds.
In less than a week, radish plants had popped up from the soil.
Pushing radish seeds into the soil.
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Mrs. Thompson guides the marker makers.
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Mrs. Glass supervises the planting.
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Everyone stays on task.
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Outdoor learning is fun for everyone!
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Eleven days after planting.
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Planting carrots the easy way.
After lining up on both sides of the raised bed, every second grader received a strip of newspaper with carrot seeds glued 3" apart on one side. The children facing each other across the bed laid down their seed tapes so that the ends touched in the middle of the bed. They watered their tapes with small Gatorade bottles whose caps had been drilled with holes, then sprinkled potting soil over the tapes.
When the first pair of children were finished, the next pair laid their seed tapes 3" (a finger's length) away from the first set of tapes then watered them in. Like a dance, pairs of children laid down their tapes, watered and covered them with soil, then peeled off the line to go explore other parts of the garden while other students took their place and planted.
After lining up on both sides of the raised bed, every second grader received a strip of newspaper with carrot seeds glued 3" apart on one side. The children facing each other across the bed laid down their seed tapes so that the ends touched in the middle of the bed. They watered their tapes with small Gatorade bottles whose caps had been drilled with holes, then sprinkled potting soil over the tapes.
When the first pair of children were finished, the next pair laid their seed tapes 3" (a finger's length) away from the first set of tapes then watered them in. Like a dance, pairs of children laid down their tapes, watered and covered them with soil, then peeled off the line to go explore other parts of the garden while other students took their place and planted.
Children learn by watching others.
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Watering a tape sticks it to the soil.
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Sometimes it takes people with longer arms to reach the middle.
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Santiago and Barkoot straighten tapes when needed.
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Ms. Woody watches children space their tapes.
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Sprinkling soil over the tape holds it in place and covers the seed.
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Children are focused and thorough as they plant.
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