The Problem
Instructing others in how to grow their own vegetables at home using a hydroponic system.
Our Plan
Comparing the growth of herbs and vegetables in seed pods versus hydroponic gardens.
Themes Addressed
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Community
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Community Enhancement
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Hunger
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Sustainability
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The Benefit
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People
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Environment
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Here is how the project went:
Our second graders learned a lot about what seeds need to grow, and how they don't always need soil. Hydroponics are a better way to grow food we eat in different locations that do not depend on rainfall or sunlight. We learned about making our own hydroponic garden with supplies found at home. Or found locally for a nominal fee.
Through this project I/we learned:
That seeds sprout pretty quickly when they have fertilized soil and they are watered daily. Howevcer, the hydroponic garden, while not early bloomers, grew consistently and exceeded the garden space rather quickly.
What I/we might change:
I would have students use recycled materials to make their own hydroponic garden . We watched a video on how they can be made with a water bottle, plastic tubing, and an aquarium tank filter to move the water. Thye planted seeds on top of a cotton ball at the neck of the bottle. Next year, I will add this feature so they have both models to bring home.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
First: The students who went home and said they were going to try to make their own hydroponics at home with recycled materials. Second: Eating the lettuce we grew! We had a salad party to eat our produce - bug free and delicious!
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
Since I teach STEM to each class for 1 week in a five week rotation, I had to find a way to work with 4 different classes on this project over time. This project is one that needs time to see the growth. I used google slides to create a digital journal for students to record growth over time, observing their plants over a month. Using google classroom saved their work so they could go back to it for a second class rotation and record what happened to the plants over the five weeks that they were not in my class.