Beaches Campus Promotes Hands On Gardening This Spring

 

Springtime brings beautiful weather, which is perfect for the new gardens.  Thanks to the Beaches Campus Dads’ Club, the Science program has implemented a hands-on gardening program this school year. Gardening is educational and develops new skills for the students which include responsibility, understanding (as they learn about cause and effect) and self-confidence (from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown).

 

“Gardening is the study of life. The simple act of caring for living soil and plants gives students a foundation for understanding the principles of birth, growth, maturity, death, competition, cooperation and many other lessons,” said Shannon Johnson, Beaches Campus Science Instructor. “In the garden, students experience these lessons ‘hands on’ through a learning method that is rich and inclusive to varied learning abilities”.

 

This spring, the Beaches Campus grew the following items and enjoyed them as part of their harvest:

• Kindergarten grew green beans as part of their Living vs. Nonliving unit. They learned about the basic needs of plants, the parts of plants and that beans (and other fruits and vegetables) grow from the flowers of the plant.
• First graders enjoy the harvest from the other classes since they have been busy studying and growing baby chicks.  The baby chicks are scheduled to be born on May 9th.
• Second graders grew cucumbers. They learned that fruits and vegetables grow from the flowers of the plant, and that all seeds are different.
• Third graders grew lettuce. They learned that there are many types of lettuce and that when we eat lettuce, we are eating the leaf of the plant. They also learned that if you only pick a few leaves the plant will continue to grow more leaves so you will have lettuce for a long time (vs. pulling the entire plant out of the ground).
• Fourth graders grew cherry tomatoes. They learned that fruits and vegetables grow from the flowers of the plant.
• Fifth graders grew lettuce in the tower garden. They learned about aeroponics and how plants can grow without soil.