How Does Your Garden Grow?

How Does Your Garden Grow?Churchville Elementary SchoolSecond Grade LMC ClassesGoals and Objectives

To provide hands-on interactive learning as well other differentiated instructional styles to reach a broader variety of student learning modes Students will have access to digital camera and storytelling softwareStudents will actively engage in the physical preparation and planting of a gardenStudents will have access to a wide variety of video, websites, nonfiction, picture and referencematerials

To support second grade Standards of Learning science and language arts instruction while improving the understanding of the investigative process SOL 2.1 Science Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and LogicSOL 2.4 Science Life Processes SOL 2.7 Science Earth Patterns, Cycles and ChangeSOL 29. Language Arts Student will demonstrate comprehension of information in reference materials.SOL 2.11 Language Arts Student will write stories and simple explanations

To enhance the incorporation of technology into instruction and support the NETS*S (National Educational Technology Standards for Students)Students will produce digital stories NETS*S 2.aInteract, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employ a variety of digital environments and media

To provide a collaborative learning experience between the elementary and high school.High school and elementary students will work collaboratively to plan and execute a garden

To support the standards for high school level ecology studiesStudents will increase knowledge of and degree of biodiversity in a school settingStudents will increase awareness of plant and animal interaction in an ecosystemStudents will become acquainted with seasonal plant cycles

Ready to head outside for pictures of the hill and our future garden.

This is the back of our school looking toward the library media center.

THE HILL!!!These are more pictures of the ugly hill.

Second grade photographers.

This is spring and the hill is still ugly.

Mrs. Harmon works on cutting locust saplings.

This is Coach Harmon spraying the weeds on the hill.

They put this plastic wire on the ground to try to keep the hill from eroding. It worked, but it is ugly.

These are books and videos about erosion and gardening. We were able to buy them with money from the VAE.

Thanks to the VAE!

A research project.

What is Investigation?

Observation, questions, hypothesis, model, conclusion

Living ThingsLiving Things ~ Plants by Tucker, Abby, Kelsi and JaredLiving things grow, change, and react to the sun. The plants resources it needs are air, water and sun. Leaves make food from the sun to eat. Roots in soil get water from the ground. Flowers hold baby seedlings and when it dies or wilts it will use them to grow new plants.

Characteristic of PlantsBy Tara, Madison, Luke Keirsten and EmilyPlants can reproduce.The soil is needed to help them grow.Plants need food which it can get from the leaves.Plants grow and die.Plants are like humans in what they need, but they cant walk.

What is Soil?By Carlee, Serena, Cody and Levi

Some people call soil dirt. Soil is earth. It is the top part of the earth. It is made up of things that once lived and things that never lived. Plants grow in earth. Soil can be moved by erosion.

Erosion and Weathering

By Trent, Katelyn, Ashley, Sam and JoshWeathering is the process that weakens rocks. Erosion is the moving of rocks and soil. Erosion can happen by water, ice or wind.

References

Dirt on Dirt ( Paulette Bourgeois)Science as Inquiry for Children (Schlessinger Science Library)Characteristics of Plants (Schlessinger Science Library)How the Land ChangesCochran.Mountains, Erosion, and Weathering. From Discovery Education. Video Segment.2000. What is soil? Erosion Experiments with Soil100% Educational Videos. "Erosion."Discovery Education: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

Our letter we wrote to our parents.Dear Families,We are making a new garden on the hill outside the library. Our school received a grant from the Valley Alliance for Education to help us make the garden. They gave us money to buy books, videos and tools for our garden. Several nurseries are going to help us, too. Vulcan Materials is donating stone for our garden. Even Buffalo Gap students are going to help us! We are wondering if you can help us with the flowers. If you are digging up any perennials or bulbs such as daffodils, lilies, and iris and would like to share them with our garden, we would love to have them. Please package them any way you want and write us a note about what kind of flower it is. Dont forget to write your name, too. Please send them in anytime until the Monday, May 4. Oh, yes, we will also be glad to plant any flower you would like to buy for us. Thanks so much for making our school more beautiful. Sincerely, Second Grade Students

Buffalo Gap High School students help us do the hard work!

Digging out for our garden.

Hauling dirt. We mean soil!

Digging is finished.

Our Vulcan Materials rocks arrived.

Our Garden!!

Many thanks!

Valley Alliance for EducationVulcan MaterialsChurchville FamiliesCoach Harmon and his Environmental Science ClassesJason Harvey Trucking and Commonwealth ExcavatingLone Fountain Landscaping