People are hungry. Kids are hungry. I've been asked by several strangers in the last few days for money so they can buy food. What if we were able to teach everybody how they can have a productive farm on a 100 square foot plot of land? Could we empower people to grow their own food or food for their neighbors? Is there a need for this to happen? If so, where? To combine abstract standards with a realistic project, we are having students identify the statistics for students who need food stamps or other assistance to acquire food, and then use the idea of creating an edible landscape to feed people locally. We're creating a "garden" so students can explore what needs to be a part of an ecosystem for it to be an ecosystem. What can we design as humans to make a sustainable, organic garden that will actually create food to help people? While it is fun to have a school garden, I want students to seriously consider turning their garden into a community project. Can the students doing this the first year create a plan that could be improved in future years? After watching the TED video, http://www.ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst_how_we_can_eat_our_landscapes, I feel like we can inspire students to use the land the school is located on to grow food for themselves or the community. |