Where does our food come from? How has this system changed over time? Does food production help or hurt our environment? Why does food give us energy, and how do plants grow? These questions were central to this project, which combined social studies and science concepts with the goal of regenerating the greenhouse space and surrounding area for food production at Summers-Knoll.
In this project, students explored how conventional and sustainable farming practices impact the health of our soil, water, food, and selves. Assignments included: gathering observations of the greenhouse area, mapping the sources of our lunches, creating comics of the industrial food system, visiting local/sustainable farms, gathering and testing soil samples from SK grounds, and researching and creating posters for the function/structure of each part of the plant. Each student was responsible for choosing a plant to grow, researching the necessary conditions for growth, starting their seeds, and keeping a plant journal in which they observed the growth and soil conditions of their plant each day. The project ended with students coming together to paint a mural in the greenhouse which showcased key concepts of the project. Namely, through nurturing the natural ecosystems of our earth we are in turn nurturing the human communities we are a part of.
This project took place during Spring 2018.
Trips / Workshops / Local Partners
Tilian Farm Development Center, Green Things Farms, Radical Roots, The Land Loom, Recycle Ann Arbor (Composting Services), Lodi Farms, Ann Arbor Seed Company, Nature and Nurture Seeds