London elementary students learn science, teamwork through school garden project
A group of elementary school students in London, Ont., is ending the school year by celebrating a months-long project that has taught them about science and responsibility, while also tackling food insecurity.
Students from kindergarten to Grade 8 at Lord Elgin Public School have been growing vegetables inside the library and in the school yard since February.
“I think my favourite part was slowly watching the plants grow bigger and bigger each time,” said eight-year-old Israa Yaseen.
Teacher Jaclyn Morrison, who led the project, said students can learn all kinds of lessons from growing vegetables, which she aligns with each grade’s science curriculum.
“In our Grade 3 science class, we tied it to [a unit about] growth and changes in plants. We’ve learned about all the needs that plants have, such as sunlight, water, soil, air and space,” she said.
Meanwhile, Grade 2 students, such as Julia Mallapre, have been learning about pollination through the project.
“Fun fact about pollinators is that they actually don’t know that they pollinate. They eat the nectar, the pollen gets stuck to their fur, they go to another flower and pollinate that flower,” Mallapre explained.
Older students have also been able to practice their leadership skills through the project, Morrison said.
“It’s been really cool to watch the students work together. For example, a Grade 7 and 8 class came to our kindergarten class to help them plant seeds, so it’s been a whole school effort.”
Students have grown and taste-tested tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, Brussels sprouts, spinach and sugar snap peas.
“I tried a sugar snap pea and it’s really sweet and it’s also savory,” Yaseen said. “I kind of liked it and I kind of didn’t.”
“The cucumbers tasted like store-bought ones. They were really tasty,” she added.
The school received a grant from Farm to Cafeteria Canada, and the Plant a Seed and See What Grows Foundation to support the project.
As students head off for the summer, Morrison said she will continue to care for the plants until they are ready to harvest. In August, she will be collaborating weekly with LUSO Community Services to help feed students and families in need.
“We’ll be able to bring the food that they’ve grown so they can also take it home with them and share it with their families,” she said.
Both students said the project has inspired them to grow their own food and plants when they get older.
“I would definitely plant a garden inside because I love the greenery and I love the looks. I might even plant some sugar snap peas. I love sugar snap peas,” Mallapre said.
Yaseen said she dreams of having her own greenhouse filled with rare plants.
“Maybe I could go on an adventure and find plants in their habitats. Maybe I could take a seed back home, mimic their habitat and grow it,” she said.
cbc.ca
