We rounded out the school year by planting out the garden with late spring and summer crops, especially in the Fruits bed. They planted onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sunflowers, and popcorn. We talked about the parts of the plant that we would eat. We also talked about the importance of pollinators. It was a hot day, so we had to break the class into groups and allow part of the class to get a break in the shade.
Potatoes are one of the best things to grow with kids. They know exactly what they are (even if they are not sure how they grow or where they come from). They are easy to handle, and they will 99% of the time give you a great crop. Ms. Umbdenstock's class came out and learned about where potatoes grew before they were domesticated, they also learned what part of the plant they are, and they learned about some surprising relatives to potatoes. They also learned about sharing, helping each other, and waiting your turn while someone else plants.
The third grade classes are competing with the other third grade classes around the city in a First Peas to the Table Contest. This reliving of Thomas Jefferson's garden competition links back to their field trip to Monticello. The third graders at BME added a slight twist to their plantings. They decided to add a scientific component to it by having four different treatments: scratched, soaked, scratched & soaked, and untreated. They then voted on which they thought would do the best, and then will follow the peas as they grow on the bamboo trellis in the garden.
On Friday, February 25, 2013, Ms. Leni's class came out and planted the first seeds ever planted in our garden. They planted several rows of Longstanding Bloomsdale Spinach. This spinach is one of the easiest spring varieties to grow, and has been grown for centuries. Jefferson grew this variety at Monticello. This garden lesson taught them to handle the seeds carefully, to stay on the paths and not step in the garden soil, and to sow the seeds carefully down the row. The workdays were great, the benches are fantastic, but this is how our garden truly started.
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AuthorThis area is to capture past projects done by classes at BME. The idea is to give you ideas of what you can do. Archives
April 2013
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