Literacy Garden An Outdoor Science Lab and a Place for Sustainable Practice Can using the garden beds help boost student learning in science and create awareness on sustainability?

 

By Sergio Millan

August 26, 2019

Pacoima Charter School’s Literacy Garden was established in 2010 and it is a bright spot for the school community. Not only does it give the school charm, but it also serves as a place for many activities like reading, class celebrations, performances, Cinco de Mayo Teacher Appreciation Day, to name just a few. It can also serve as an extension of your classroom if and when you pay it a visit with your students.

 

It has many uses, features and opportunities. I’m sure some of us may enjoy simply walking by it and appreciating the fountain, the plants, the shade or the wildlife it attracts. But I think we are scratching the surface at the moment of the great benefit it has to offer. 

 

 

Currently the Literacy Garden is home to a variety of juniper, sycamore, mulberry, and pine trees. There are miniature palm trees and many other types of plants near and around the garden. In the garden beds there is corn, jalapeno and serrano chilis, squash, strawberries, and sunflowers.

 

 

 

 

Since 2010 only a few staff members have maintained and used the garden beds but for the past two years teachers in 4th and 3rd grade have taken the bold step and used it as part of their curriculum. In fact we now have the HMH Science curriculum integrating the very idea of growing plants. The kits come with seeds and cups. If you need soil just ask.  Furthermore, the Next Generation Science Standards ask that students know the following standards (this is not a comprehensive list):

 

“plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow (2-LS2-1).”

 

 “Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles. (3-LS1-1)”

 

“How do internal and external structures support the survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction of plants and animals?” (4th)

 

“Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water 5-LS1-1.”

 

 

This means you ought to have your students grow plants in your classroom, as an investigative and inquiry-based lesson of course. Have you gotten to do that unit yet? If so, take advantage of the outdoor science laboratory.

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This outdoor science laboratory has a total of twelve gardening beds that are accessible to any teacher that may want to use it as part of their teaching practice. The average size of a garden bed is six feet by three feet though they vary slightly in size. The beds have a drip irrigation system about one to two inches beneath the soil. The beds get drip watering every day for one hour early in the morning. The amount of water plants need varies and the amount of water they will receive from the drip irrigation system is a minimal amount. This means that your plants (depending on the plant) will probably need a little extra water than what it’s given. Please be sure to inform students of the drip irrigation system if-and- when you want to use one of the beds. This means that students need to be told to be careful when they dig a hole for the plant that they are about to place in the garden bed. They need to be told to have caution about the hose so they won’t puncture or tear it as they do the digging and placing of the plant. Using the garden beds extends and expands the learning environment and atmosphere for your students as they learn about the life cycle of plants, biodiversity, ecosystems, and sustainability.

 

 

Step into the Outdoor Science Laboratory

When you are ready to use the garden beds contact Mr. Millan to see about what garden beds are available to use and how many. You will get help with preparing the garden bed soil before you transfer the plants you began growing in your classroom. If you need soil for you classroom growing needs let him know and we’ll make sure you get the soil. When is it time to transfer your plants from your classroom to the garden bed in the Literacy Garden? It will be up to you and you class to decide when you want to transfer the plants to the garden beds. Every classroom plant investigation will vary due to the diversity of teaching and learning methodology and preference. One requisite is to add the name(s) of the plant you are growing on a sign and place it in the garden bed so other students and teachers know what kinds of plants they are as we walk by.

 

How many plants can I place in one garden bed? Depending on the types of plants you are growing that will determine how many plants you should grow in each bed. The bigger the plant the less amount you may have room for and vice versa. A rough estimate is 6-8 plants. If and when we have a large number of classes wanting to use the outdoor science lab and you had all of your students germinate and grow plants, then choosing a small number of students to grow them outside only will work. You can have the rest of the students take them home or experiment on which ones do better, the ones outside vs the ones in the classroom.

 

Watering can be done with watering cans or the garden hose. We have a key for the water faucet that you can borrow. For students who water for the first time they need to be shown how to water the plants, especially if the plants are babies. Students need to be shown how much to water and how to water appropriately especially if it’s with the use of the hose as the water can come out with high pressure. Please teach students how to water because watering may not be as obvious as you think to them.

 

As far as continuing your observations and investigations your class can come out any time. Here are a couple of ideas as to when it may be a good time. The mornings are great, right after you pick up your class. You can take a quick tour and have students do a quick walk by the beds and they make quick observations on how the plants look, at any growth that has occurred, color changes, and overall health of the plant. They then can come back to class a do a quick science journal entry about their observations. Another good time is when you get them from recess or lunch. If time permits, right before they go home is another opportune time as well. I know many of you are challenged with time and the many curricular demands but rest assured after you get the hang of it, you and your students will benefit in ways you may not foresee.

Goodbye Sunflower

So you are done with the unit and now it’s time to move on to physical science or maybe ELD or some other curriculum universe far away from the Sunflower or any plant you left in the Literacy Garden science laboratory. There are far too many concepts and skills throughout the year that we must teach and so upkeep will be a challenge. There is a school Garden Club that will help with maintaining your plants throughout the year. If you have any students who would like to be involved in continuing to water and care for the plants, please let me know so they can be included in the club. Another thing you can do with your plants is have students take them home. The purpose and design of the garden beds is for plants to have a temporary home, not a permanent one. This design allows for other classes who may want to use the garden bed the following year or in a different growing season.

 

One more very important and risky factor that you need to keep in mind when using the garden beds is that your plants can suffer damage that was not part of the variables originally considered in the investigation. It is a public space and we have many curious students who at times can’t help

themselves but to touch the plants and at times harm them willingly or accidently. This is important to consider especially if the investigation is continuing in the garden. I hope this does not deter you and your students from using the garden beds. Part of building and nurturing a horticulture is trial and error. In engineering, failure is part of the culture that leads to success. So even if we have a student who by virtue of their curiosity, breaks the stem of a plant or aphids come and attack your plant - these are problems that as an individual or as a class or community we hopefully can reach solutions for.    

Sensory Learning & Sustainability

We all understand that students learn through our senses. I believe too much emphasis is placed on the audio and visual senses. Yes, I can’t deny that they are extremely important for learners as they absolutely need to access information in those two ways. Most if not all of the media we consume is delivered in that fashion. But as students venture further into their cognitive growth and development they also need to be stimulated by touch, smell, and taste. Two years ago students Garden Club grew some vegetables and they had the luxury of having a salad that Luis Barrios put together for us! Imagine growing vegetables that we can consume here in our school grounds! Imagine the impact we could have if we ventured in that direction where teaching students that we can grow our own food as opposed to being dependent on the local grocery stores. Farming is a sustainable practice that has been lost in the urban landscape of present times and we have a space in our very own school that can begin to reignite that practice that kept many cultures around the world going for centuries before the industrial revolution changed everything.

I would encourage any teacher to look into enriching their class’s science curriculum not only with the rich digital engagement that you may be already doing whether its Brainpop, iReady, Minecraft or other, but having students step outside of their classrooms and exercise their senses so they can observe the amazing life science happening before their eyes. Observing plants grow is an amazing process that can get your students diving deeper in their inquiry and science knowledge.

 

This past Summer Jorge Cordova and I had the privilege of attending a week-long NASA JPL and CSUN Sustainability Institute. We were part of a  group of about 12 schools who came together to learn through NASA JPL’s educators and scientists about environmental science and Sustainability. This effort to encourage you to use the Literacy Garden for teaching environmental science and sustainability is what stems from that institute. Mr. Cordova is leading an effort to limit the plastic consumption like that of straws and sporks.

 

The digital version of this document has many useful links that are resources for you as you prepare your environmental and sustainable science lessons. Pick and choose with your grade level colleagues and please don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. 

 

Resources and Participation Google Form

There will be a short 20-minute workshop on this project on September 13th, afterschool for anyone interested in getting started on a unit involving plants.