B2 on 10/28 & 11/21

During the last Garden Time on 10/21, Blue 2 learners became curious about how composting works through their worm composting activity. On 10/28, they checked the layers where they had added food scraps the previous week to observe the decomposition process. They also brought additional food scraps from home to add to the layers of the worm tower.

See-Through Composting

To enable long-term observation, they also built a see-through compost bin. The bin consists of three sections, each filled with soil and different types of materials:

• Right section - orange, onion, cucumber, and radish peels
• Middle section - banana peels, tropical fruits, and broccoli stems
• Left section - paper and plastic spoon

Water was added to all sections, but no worms were added to this compost bin. I placed it at the garden museum for all visitors to observe as they pass by the area.

On 11/21, before starting their nature walk, the learners examined the see-through compost they had built on 10/28. They observed that materials like banana and orange peels had turned brown, making them harder to identify, while the plastic spoon and paper retained their original appearance.

G2 on 10/29

The Green 2 learners harvested various crops, including peppers, Swiss chard, cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, and Chinese cabbage. Some of the peppers were eaten by animals, so the learners placed them in the compost tumblers. Since the tumblers were heavy, the learners worked together to spin them. They enjoyed an hour of Garden Time, and their drawings turned out great!

G1 on 10/29, 11/6, & 7

Green 1 participated in a long-term project that included seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and tasting their salad greens on the following schedule:

9/11 - Planting seeds in self-water pots

10/8 & 10/17 - Transplanting the seedlings in the garden

10/29 & 11/06 - Harvesting

11/07 - Tasting

After finishing the harvest on 11/6, a few girls asked if they could taste the vegetables in the classroom. Ms. Curran kindly made time for this, so I washed the leafy greens and prepared a salad in the cafeteria's kitchen. The learners tasted it in their classroom, and many enjoyed it. Perhaps the ranch dressing helped, but it was wonderful to see that they had a positive impression of the vegetables they had grown. Thank you for being so flexible and making time for these long-term activities!

B4 on 11/6 & 11/20

On 11/6, the Blue 4 learners planted spinach seeds and harvested salad greens on 11/20. When they cut the leaves from the lettuces and Bok choy, they exclaimed, "This is satisfying!" While waiting for their turn to harvest, some learners used binoculars to watch birds, excitedly announcing, "I found a mockingbird!" They also took pictures and were enthusiastic about participating in the photo competition. Their impressive work is featured on #4-1. Garden Museum @NetZeroLee!

P2 on 11/7 & 11

On 11/7, Group 1 in Purple 2 learners planted spinach and Mizuna seeds. However, as it began to rain, they had to go inside. Groups 2 and 3 did not have a chance to participate that day. Since Ms. Anguiano mentioned that they earned garden time as a class reward, I wanted all the learners to engage in gardening activities.

On a beautiful Monday, 11/11, the entire class returned to the garden. I took off the gallon jug plant covers, and the learners harvested salad green leaves one by one, taking care not to damage the whole plant. They also tried a seed-plant matching quiz and took pictures for a photo competition. While exploring, they spotted a butterfly in the pollinator garden and noticed bluebonnets sprouting in the field!

AL on 11/11

Active Learning learners took a walk to the oak tree at the back entrance to take a class picture. Afterward, they went to the garden to transplant seedlings. They planted the seeds in self-watering pots on 9/26, and they were finally ready for transplanting.

I was impressed to see the learners standing and handling the soil as they planted their young plants with the assistance of their teachers. Thank you for your efforts! Your seedlings are growing well!

Thank you to our amazing cafeteria staff for serving our harvest!

🐭 How can we protect our plants from mice & rats in our garden?

Our garden has been severely affected by mice and rats. To address this issue, I created a discussion board titled "How can we protect the plants from mice and rats in the garden?" on our Schoology course on 11/13. Participation in this activity is completely voluntary, yet it has generated 100 posts from fifth graders, who dedicated time to this topic at home, on weekends, and even during the Thanksgiving break.

I organized their ideas into several specific topics and created additional discussion boards to further our conversation on 11/21 and 11/22. One of these new boards also received 101 posts. I recognize that communicating online can be challenging, especially for children, but I am grateful for their constructive discussions and the respect they show each other.

Ideas Shared by Learners

The learners researched the natural predators of mice and rats and generated a variety of ideas. Some suggestions included using sound recordings or the scents of predators such as cats, hawks, owls, snakes, and even humans. They also proposed setting up catch-and-release mouse traps. Additionally, they suggested creating scarecrows equipped with speakers, as well as utilizing ultrasonic devices and bright lights, among other strategies.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading their discussions and am excited to take action with them. If we succeed, our efforts will have a significant positive impact on our garden and community!

After brainstorming various ideas, I focused on specific topics and created discussion boards for them on Schoology.

Some learners suggested using spices, so I sprinkled hot pepper powder on the plants right after I removed the gallon jug cover that protected the broccoli plants. However, the next morning, the plants were still eaten.

The only crops that have survived are those covered with gallon jugs that have holes on the sides. Unfortunately, all other crops, including broccoli, carrots, cabbage, pepper, Brussels sprouts, mint, and cilantro, have been eaten. I appreciate the donation of the gallon jugs, as they enabled us to grow and harvest salad greens.

On 10/30 and 11/6, the Blue 3 and Red 3 learners in STEAM added milkweed seeds harvested from our garden to vermiculite. They moistened the seeds with water and placed them in the refrigerator. This process, known as "cold stratification," enhances germination by simulating winter conditions. We will keep the seeds in the refrigerator for a month before moving them to room temperature, where they will grow into seedlings.

The learners completed a comprehensive quiz on Monarch butterflies, which consisted of 13 questions. B3 learners took the quiz on 10/25, and R3 took it on 10/30. Mrs. Shaner reviewed each question and provided detailed explanations for the answers. The results showed that 98% of the learners understood that Monarchs migrate; however, about 60% of them struggled with questions regarding the specific timings and locations of the migration, indicating an area for improvement in our project.

R3 learners took the same quiz on 9/18, prior to learning about Monarchs. On the multiple-choice question regarding the threats to Monarchs, only 1 learner answered correctly on 9/18, while 20 learners out of 21 learners answered correctly on 10/30. In the writing question about how we can help Monarchs, only 2 learners mentioned planting milkweed on 9/18, but this number increased to 20 learners on 10/30.

Additionally, the learners have continued to create infographics on the following topics.

1. Lifecycle

2. Diet

3. Migration

4. Dangers to Monarchs

5. How to Help Monarchs

Some Red 3 learners from the Monarch Club occasionally spend their recess creating a website to share their research and quizzes about Monarch butterflies. I appreciate that one of the members' middle school sister helps with the website at home.

In November, I had the opportunity to work with learners from Purple House as well as those from other houses. The learners planted seeds, assisted with watering and composting, and harvested some crops. Some learners from Blue House mentioned that they created a "Garden Club." Thank you for your support with our garden!

"Ms. Keiko! We found a fossil!" Some of the Green House boys told me during recess. They wanted me to display their discovery in the Garden Museum. I'm curious about what it could be!

Decorating the museum with spider webs for Halloween was a lot of fun! While I was having lunch in the teacher's lounge, our principal, Mrs. Kastrounis, secretly placed a large black spider on my desk! The small plastic spiders that I decorated with the spider webs are still in the museum, and they often seem to move to different spots😜

I want to thank everyone who contributed used non-color paper for our worm compost! You can drop off the paper in the yellow box, and please write your name, House, and grade on a white paper to place in the piggy bank. I used the paper when I added food scraps to the worm compost tower. Your support is greatly appreciated!!

Microgreen Projects

I grew a mild mix of microgreens and harvested them to serve in salads at the cafeteria. Additionally, I have started a pilot study with broccoli microgreens. After the Thanksgiving break, I plan to offer a Garden Time session where learners can grow broccoli microgreens in the classrooms. They will plant the seeds, water them, and then harvest the microgreens to taste. It’s going to be a fun project!

Thank you to everyone who brought gallon jugs for our garden! We used them to protect our plants from animals and will continue collecting more jugs. We are experimenting with different ways to use them. Additionally, I am considering making a mini greenhouse for the winter. Without your help, we couldn't grow and harvest our crops! Thank you so much for your support of our garden!

Continued from #4-1. Garden Museum @NetZeroLee: Nature Walk & Photo Competition

Thank you to the teachers for collaborating and bringing your learners to the outdoor learning!