Barkai’s early childhood and 2nd grade students got their fingers dirty while learning hands-on about a plant’s life cycle, when horticulture and ecology enthusiast, David Geliebter, visited them to discuss how plants contribute to our lives. The students learned what a plant needs to grow. Then, with trowels in hand, they set out for their outdoor classroom.
Week one entailed weeding the area of the school’s future garden. Each class pulled out the growing weeds to provide the new plants with access to the soil’s nutrients. The transformation from a bed of weeds to beautiful flowers and vegetables will be an amazing one.
During week two, David guided the children in planting seeds for species that are adapted to our soil. He chose Partridge Pea, Showy Tick Trefoil, Black-Eyed Susan and Giant Hyssop, which are good options for fall planting and spring germination. Each student placed a seed in the soil bed and stones were used as borders between each species of seed.
To make the soil more fertile, David taught the children about composting—a process that converts organic matter into a mixture used to improve soil structure and nutrient content. The children made piles of weeds to monitor throughout the winter and be added to the garden in the spring. They will be able to plant beans and cucumbers in the newly fertilized soil.
All the students learned how working together can make a daunting task much easier. The outdoor garden extended the 2nd grade’s indoor study of plant biology. Combining experiential and textbook learning will increase their appreciation of the natural world. The seeds will germinate after the cold winter months and in the spring the students will view their garden with pride and pleasure.
