Structures for Environmental Learning
Students in grades nine through twelve put their blueprint on the schoolyard by planting and maintaining a sustainable gardens. Students experience an outdoor education every day during spring, summer and fall growing seasons. They learn about the environment through hands on activities that focus on work skills they will need to transition into sheltered employment and community participation. In early spring, students cultivate the soil with compostable table scraps for fertilization and vermiculite is used for aeration. Then, seedlings and seeds from the Great Kids Farm are planted in raised flower beds and salad tables. Students learn how to grow edible flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit in containers to take home to share with their families. In the fall students harvest the remainder of the summer crop and plant winter vegetables. In the fall students harvest the remainder of the summer crop and plant winter vegetables. The school courtyard has changed from a place to sit; into a sustainable outdoor learning environment filled with vegetables, herbs and flowers. Non ambulatory students have two salad bars that are wheelchair accessible. They were built in woodshop to support the green culture in our school. Indoor classroom learned the process of photosynthesis. In the month of November 2012, students planted narcissus. A total of forty five Paper White bulbs were placed into forty five recycled clear vases with stones and water. Every day they documented the plants growth; one day they noticed that the plant had changed. They were so excited to see the plant move in the direction of the sun. The perennial butterfly garden is cleaned out in the spring. Dead tulips and daffodils are removed, the soil is loosened and mulch is applied. Students plants annuals to additional color to the garden. Students create calendar that include maturity dates to inform him or her when to harvest, plant seeds and seedlings. As result of insects and plant blight, students have learned to cover the vegetables with a big white cover. Sometimes the cover blows off so this year staff an students will use heavier cover that will withstand heavy rain, wind and extremely hot days. A rain barrel catches and stores water on rainy days, it also helps in the effort to save water, reduce waste and the water bill.
Building Pathways- This Earth Day all students in the school will be engaged in building pathways with cardboard . The students will install cardboard pathways to kill the Bermuda grass and then Parks and People will supply wood chips which the students will lay on top of the cardboard.
documentation_for_planned_pathways_on_earth_day_2014.docx | |
File Size: | 11 kb |
File Type: | docx |