This week during Earth Week, students across all levels are focusing on the different ways they can better care for and respect our planet, including minimizing waste and cleaning up the school grounds. At the Toddler and Primary levels, many classrooms are embracing Earth Week as an opportunity to further explore earth science.
- Room 19 and kindergarten students are learning the dirt on dirt! They will learn about the different layers of soil - humus, organic topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock - and cook up (and eat!) their own dirt samples using crushed Oreo cookies, gummy worms, chocolate pudding and crushed waffle cones.
- Room 6 students began work last week on a classroom compost bin. They will be composting leftover organic waste from lunch and snack times and using the compost the help feed the soil in the outdoor gardens. Toddlers first tore and cut up brown or dry matter such as egg cartons, paper towel rolls and egg shells to help speed up compost decomposition. Then they began mixing fresh or green matter, such as fruit scraps, coffee grounds and soil, into the compost bin. They have also been collecting rainwater in a bucket to pour over the compost. Room 6's compost bin is open to all classrooms for organic waste contributions.
- On Thursday, Room 4 students will kick off their annual Earth Week gardening project. Using child-size gardening tools, toddlers will plant wildflower and herb seeds and seedlings into containers they fill with soil. Students have been learning about the life cycle of plants and what plants need to grow leading up to their gardening day. Over the summer, toddlers will water the garden and harvest any fruit or vegetables that grow.
- In the Primary Maker Studio, students have been learning about the importance of trees - how we use them, how they give us oxygen to breathe and how we give them carbon dioxide. Students also recently planted lima bean and kidney bean seeds in greenhouse seed bags and predicted whether these plants would grow without soil (they did!). They will continue to do gardening work in the Maker Studio courtyard through the end of the school year. If you're inspired to get outside to do some gardening with your children this Earth Week, read these articles STEAM Coach Paula Sharpe recently shared with Primary parents about the benefits of gardening: