Final report for YNC10-058
Project Information
Our school has a large active greenhouse which won a Pepsi grant this year to replace the old roof. We are now actively seeking sustainable agriculture projects to let the students have hands-on learning.
Our town already has a large group of people who are committed to a green lifestyle and passing on this knowledge to others, especially the youth of our community. Numerous members of this group have committed to helping our school build a well-rounded green curriculum with built-in hands-on growing experiences. We are also developing plans to grow plants to donate to area parks, retirement homes and food banks.
We had our 4th graders work with the worms. They collected food and spread it in the bins. We studied the parts of the worm and how they work, helping the soil while decomposing the compost, another area of our learning. I believe that learning about composting would compliment the other growing project that will be completed with the students.
The students are now familiar with the parts of a worm and its importance to our soil.
We are fortunate at our elementary school to have a teacher who just teaches science, plus a large science lab and greenhouse. Mr. Freer has anywhere from one to two hours per week with the different grade levels to build this project from scratch to a working compost project. There is a corner in the greenhouse where the work bins can be set up. The students will provide the labor.
Two book sets will be purchased (one for upper grades, another for lower) taht will introduce this area of sustainable gardening.
The entire student body will learn what home and school lunch food items will be allowable in the compost garden.
The students will also learn how this compost is much better for plants (and themselves) than chemicals.
Students in fourth grade brought in food items to sustain the worm growth. They used the books to learn about the worms and how they help our soil.
Cooperators
Research
- -worm trays
-soil
-worms
-food scraps
Students in the fourth grade now have a unit on worms each year.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
There are four other shcools in our district that have created oudoor gardens. Once our composting program has been underway we can share with other schools how they can seek funding and start this up on their own.
We have district-wide seminar days and this could be a possible topic to be offered for other interested teachers to sign up for.
Our district has an e-bulletin seen by over 15,000 employees. Most certainly this effort would be written up with picture added to show what the students have accomplished.
A press release could be developed to send to several local newspapers in hopes that it is a story they would like to cover.
Our school also maintains a web page about our greenhouse efforts. This composting effort would most cerainly be highlighted.
https://cooke.wps60.org/cms/one.aspx?portalId=18636701&pageId=20877370
March 26, 2012 Update
While we haven't gotten to demonstrations or field days, we will have worm release days in our gardens in the future. This year, we let the worms in the in-ground bed of our greenhouse.
Project Outcomes
Areas needing additional study
The worm unit is now an integral part of our science teacher's greenhouse program. We will be working on finding ways to sustain the purchasing of any additional worms needed.