FROM SOIL TO TABLE
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Learning Outcomes:
describe the effects of the sun’s radiation on the atmosphere, including the greenhouse
effect, conduction, convection, and radiation
explain the characteristics and significance of the atmosphere
describe the structure of the atmosphere and the abundance of various substances in it
predict the effects of changing the composition of the atmosphere (e.g., ozone depletion,
adding water vapour, greenhouse gases, and pollutants)
describe the function of the hydrologic cycle
describe the origin and function of soil
Place-making outcome:
1. Develop a sense of relation (biophilia) by creating a special place (garden bed).
Thesis: Applying the principles of IEE through the Market Garden at David Thompson
Secondary will improve pupils’ academic confidence.
Unit Plan:
I wonder what type of growing conditions (soil, water, air light) would produce
best/most food?
Everybody eats. If we did not, we could not live. It would be desirable then to be able to
grow some of what we eat. Planting is a place-making activity. It connects us to the soil, the
air, water and food.
Pupils will work in pairs to plant a crop under 2 conditions, greenhouse seeding and direct
bed seeding to determine which produces better crop yield. Each pair will choose a
different type of seed to grow.
There are 15 pupils in the class.
1. What do I already know about growing food? (Tell me the story of something you
have planted before or something an elder has taught you about planting.)
2. Select seeds. What factors must be considered for selecting crops? (Time of year,
suitability to climate, taste, growing time)
3. Determine which soil is best for that type of plant. (Organic or inorganic fertilizer)
4. Research growing conditions (water, light, etc) (Direct bedding or greenhouse)
5. Planting: In pairs, plant your seeds to desirable depth and distance between seeds in
pots (greenhouse) or in beds outside.
6. Watering/air
7. Weeding, tending, watching. (Does talking/singing to plants help?)
8. Produce a report. Use your journal (plain and lined paper, hard backing) for data
collection. What are you measuring? (Height, breath etc) Anecdotal evidence,
drawing
Time:
5 days in March (4, 6, 10, 12, 14)
2 weeks spring break
5 days in April (1, 3, 7, 9, 11) - for a total of 4 weeks
Materials needed:
7 different kinds of seeds
7 pots
Soil – organic
Fertilizer
Journals
Measuring tapes or rulers
Cameras
Measuring cylinders
Balances
1. Heroic Quality
Soil-air-water-light work together to sustain life
Plants – turning inorganic into organic (a thing animals cannot do)
Plants: Life sustainers
Lesson 1: Plants juggle water/air/light to sustain life. (Teach juggling using scarves)
Should we honour/respect/nurture plants or should we enslave them?
Analogous to pets – how do we feel about our pets? Are they a part of a caring, mutually
beneficial relationship in your family or are they your property to show off or dominate?
Should we nurture plants as they nurture us?
2. Humanizing the Context:
Tell the story of the person who taught you to grow plants.
Who were the first farmers?
10,000 BCE or 12,000 years ago a series of profound changes occurred in the way humans
lived. They are called the Neolithic Revolutions and the domestication of plants and
animals (farming) was one of those revolutions.
It changed everything about the way humans lived – we went from nomadic
hunter/gatherers to sedentism (settling down/staying in one place). We began cultivating
plants and animals. This new lifestyle spread from the region covering the Eastern
Mediterranean to China all over the world.
Although it is a more efficient way to feed ourselves, we were also transformed from
‘walkers’ to ‘couch potatoes’. We lost some of the benefits of being nomadic and inherited a
slew of health problems by limiting our diet to what we could cultivate and store.
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Can we turn the clock back? Can we improve our farming practices to diversify our
diet?
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Can we choose plants to cultivate that are appropriate for this soil and climate (airwater-light)?
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What is the effect of different soils on plant growth? Investigate the composition of
soil – pH, layers, turbidity
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How do we measure plant growth? (height of stem; breath of leaves; # of leaves;
colour of leaves; flowers)
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Monitoring other variables (volume of water; mass of soil; light meter)
3. Sense of Place
Through daily interaction with the plants in the greenhouse and garden bed, students may
develop an emotional connection to the garden that they have created. Will this attachment
create a greater feeling of academic confidence in them?