Gardens
In planning to develop a school garden, not only are there decisions to be made about what to plant, where and for harvesting when, but also consideration needs to be given to the site itself.
- Climate
- Soil
- Access to water
- Storage of equipment
http://youngenterprise.org.nz/find-resources/pick-up-and-go-3-school-gardens/ – offers some great resources on school gardens including decision making matrices:
Gardens could provide launch points into investigations on:
- Soil
- Worms
- Water cycle
- Flowers
- Plants and plant growth
As well as the garden as a complex ecosystem that we try to manage.
Soil – introduction
Articles from the hub are great to use for newsboards (See the Teacher PLD section) teachers know what level of text the majority of their students would be able to cope with. Don't be afraid to paraphrase the information to suit your students but also include those wonderful science specific words that give students such a sense of word power when they are able to say, understand and use them appropriately.
Newsboards In the last post-it we mentioned Newsboards, in brief they are a shared reading approach. An interesting article hopefully with images is paraphrased to the level of your learners. This is then read chorally with your class. Check out the teacher PLD session on them here: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2531-fostering-literacy-through-primary-science
Soil and Art
In looking at soils you might consider collecting a range of different colours of soil and use them to create warm earth coloured visual art. There are a number of resources online that will support you to paint with soil. Remember that soils can also harbour various organisms, so be sure to get students washing up well once they have finished.
Earthworms’ role in the ecosystem
Once you start to look at earthworms, you may find that this opens up a whole new and exciting area of investigation. Check out the Soil topic (https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/topics/soil) on the Hub for further information.
Connected has some material on weather: check out these:
Our atmosphere and climate – introduction
Investigating the climate for the garden can be a natural introduction to the concept of climate change. The first video clip on this webpage introduces the idea of the interconnectedness of our earth systems. The infographic on Māori Identity and mana being threated by climate change takes a te ao Māori view on this issue and utilises a Whare Tapawha framework. The last video considers the role of mātauranga Māori in the Our atmosphere and climate 2020 report
Differences between weather and climate
This Venn diagram sorting exercise is great for supporting students to hone in on the differences between these two words. Talking about the pros and cons of a Venn diagram to show this information helps students grow their capability of Interpret Representations.
There is both an online interactive version and a paper-based one.
Measuring the weather – a timeline
Before showing students this timeline, try getting them to predict the weather for the next couple of days several times. Teachers could then ask them what information could improve their accuracy. Once they start to appreciate the fine grained detail that we currently have in our forecasts, this timeline will be much more meaningful and it outlines the interplay between the technology, scientific concepts and societal influences. And we have been trying to predict the weather since 3000BC!
Connected journals: in thinking about science topics, always consider checking out the Connected journals, such as below
The teacher support material for Garden with science (Connected 2014, level 2) includes activities for testing the pH of soil and gathering data about the local climate.
Winning the Bledisloe Cup (Connected 2014, level 2) Find out how two market gardeners became Bledisloe Cup champions– their innovations have changed the ways vegetables are grown in New Zealand.
Gardening in the living room
Connected article
Whakaotirangi and her kete of kūmara
Learn how Tainui ancestor Whakaotirangi first brought kūmara and other plants to Aotearoa and the techniques she used to plant, grow and store them.
Dig In! - Junior Journal 52, Level 2, (2016): this describes the Garden to Table programme and how it operated at Cannons Creek School. The programme involves teachers and community volunteers and helps students learn how to grow and cook their own fruit, vegetables, and herbs.
Dr Megan Balks
Career education is often another thing to fit into the curriculum - try using some of the bios of scientists on the Hub - this one is about Megan Balks a soil scientist. Talking about scientists as people helps students to consider that as a possible career journey for them.
Other search words that you might choose to use to explore different aspects of gardens are: • Compost • Seeds • Leaves • Rongoā Māori • Garden pests
Pinterest Board – Garden Science We have created a Pinterest Board to support this collection. See: https://www.pinterest.nz/nzsciencelearn/garden-science/