#16. Garden Museum @NetZeroLee

Outdoor education offers a different kind of learning than people are used to. It happens in real life, and kids can start learning from their own experiences. Outdoors, they begin to wonder, "What kind of plant is this?" "Why is this lettuce reddish?" We can help them become aware of what is happening around them and guide them to think more deeply about the world. I will write about our efforts to elevate your children's learning.

Have you ever had a conversation with your child like this? "How was school?" - "Good." "Did you like this?" - "Yah." And you think, "How was it really?"

When P5 learners tasted the first strawberry they had been growing since October, their responses were "good," "umm," or they might have hesitated to tell the truth. 😭 Anyway, before trying it again, we discussed how to rate the taste. They created their own scale, including sweet, sour, bitter, salty, juicy, and flavorful. You can see the results in the video below.

We aim to help our children notice these details and develop critical thinking, which improves communication and thinking skills. Every moment can become a learning opportunity with a small tweak. What's one small thing you do to have a deeper conversation with your child? We'd love to hear from you.

The flavor of our first strawberry was amazing. How about its taste?

The second harvest tasting

How would you rate the taste?

Let's get started with the rating!

What were the results?

We can link planting to topics like soil, seeds, and plant growth. To get learners thinking, I try to start with questions before giving instructions, such as "Do you think this is good soil?" and "How far apart should we plant the seeds?"

Then, they begin observing the soil using their senses or considering how the plants grow. Through our dialogue, they become more curious.

Since this thinking ties to their experiences, the learning becomes deeper and more meaningful, and lasts longer. Check out the post about planting by G2 learners in the link below for details.

G2 learners planting spinach seeds

Watering the bed.

- Planting Tomato Seeds by R1& G3 -

- Planting Seed Potatoes by B2 -

A few days before planting, I cut seed potatoes in B2 for preparation. Ms. Mohite asked the learners to grow potato eyes for observation when they find a potato at home. Some tried it. How are they growing now?

At planting time, they drew how potatoes grow. The drawing showed that 65% thought potatoes grow on the plants, not underground. Let's see how they grow in the garden!

Planting seed potatoes, measuring the depth of the planting hole.

Their predictions about how potatoes grow.

You can see the details in the link below.

G1 learners predicted how big the carrots would grow when they planted the tiny seeds.

Most said "5 inches," but one learner said "6 feet!" We asked, "What? Do you mean 6 inches?" However, I thought he meant "6 feet," so I started wondering how big the largest carrot is. I told them, "I will look it up."

Then I found out that the longest carrot in the world is over 20 feet long. Ms. Curran made time for me to share it with her learners, and they were surprised. This was a great moment when a learner's comment prompted us to think outside the box and make new discoveries.

Looking at the tiny carrot seeds.

Planting the seeds in the garden.

I want to encourage our learners to participate actively so they can learn more. To start harvesting, I avoid saying, "This is spinach. We will harvest it," because it might make them passive and less inclined to think actively. Instead, I start by asking, "Can you find spinach?" and "Can you show me where it is?" This prompts them to be "active investigators" rather than "passive pickers".

Spotting spinach in the garden.

When exploring cilantro, many kids are amazed by its long roots. We can deepen their curiosity and turn their discoveries into learning opportunities. G5 and Y4 learners harvested cilantro and learned about the functions of its roots. We use our school garden to connect with the curriculum for a richer understanding.

Looking at the cilantro's long roots.

Harvesting cilantro.

Observing the roots and completing the worksheets.

Learning about the function of cilantro's taproot.

One of the important things I want our children to learn during outdoor learning is to be respectful of nature. Harvesting is a great time to teach this. If they treat the vegetables roughly, they will get damaged. Even if they stay active, they also need to be careful when harvesting. Sometimes, they are too rushed to cut the leaves and do too many at once; I tell them, "Slow down. Cut one by one. Only cut large leaves and save small ones for later growth." Being active doesn't mean restless; it means their brain is working well. So, being active and calm can go hand in hand.

B1 learners harvesting salad greens.

What do you think about worms? Do you feel "Eww" or "Wow"? If you feel "Eww" about worms, touching them and learning how they help our world might change your view of worms.

G1 learners built new worm bins and moved worms from the old bins to the new ones. They also fed worms vegetable scraps from home. Thank you to the parents for supporting this activity!

Importantly, I mentioned, "If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to touch them. You can still do other jobs instead." So, don't worry, I don't force your children to do it.

The impression some learners had of worms was "Eww." As they observed others touching them, they tried to do the same. You can see what the whole activity looked like in the link below. They were so excited to find worms! Seeing and touching real worms makes learning about them and their role in our world more tangible.

If you think worms are insignificant, think about what would happen if they disappeared. Could we still survive?

Brought vegetable scraps from home.

Building new bins.

Y3 learners added compost to the garden beds to prepare for planting. They also explored and compared it with the garden soil.

G4A conducted an experiment growing lettuce and bok choy in separate cups of soil, soil mixed with compost, and pure compost. Many expected the soil + compost to produce the best growth, but the outcome was unexpected. Some noted that the compost retained too much water for the plants. Does compost always help plants grow? Should we conduct another experiment using a different type of compost to compare results?

Please Vote!

The fundraiser was a big success! We raised $521! Check out the details at the link below.

Thank you to the teachers for collaborating and being so flexible with outdoor learning!

In this newsletter, I have included the pictures taken by them.