Students have an opportunity to travel to Honey Ridge Agricenter at least three times a year for extended learning.  All grade levels incorporate a driving question, that they use Honey Ridge Agricenter to support.  Each grade level participates in a variety of lessons and we have various community partners participate in this extended learning opportunity.  This is our third year with our partnership with Honey Ridge Agricenter. 

6th Grade - Driving Question

How can we, as extension agents,  identify different types of soil and their effects on maintaining a healthy pumpkin patch, while creating a cookbook with delicious pumpkin recipes for our community?

7th Grade - Driving Question

How can we, as marketing specialists, effectively grow and market our own produce to create a successful and sustainable farmers market for our school and community?

8th Grade - Driving Question

How can we, as young environmental scientists, develop innovative solutions to reduce methane emissions at Honey Ridge Agricenter and improve overall sustainability?

6th Grade - Driving Question

How can you create and maintain a successful pumpkin patch at Honey Ridge Agricenter and market our products to consumers (ex. Honey Ridge Fall Festival)?

7th Grade - Driving Question

How can a comparison of sustainable agriculture (ex. stocks) inspire us to design a productive and environmentally responsible farm that contributes to the well-being of our community?

8th Grade - Driving Question

How can you use renewable energy to create solutions to lessen the expense of energy consumption at HRA or enhance it without increasing the energy consumption? 

Overlying SEMS STEM Question:

How do relationships within structures and systems affect or create change?

Grade Level Focus to support the overlying Question:

How can 6th grade ensure and sustain quality water and soil systems?

Standards Supported:

• Water Quality 

• Soil Erosion 

• Density

• Conservation of a Renewable Resource (Water)

• Water Cycle

• Use of Water for Plant Growth

• Water and Soil Pollution

1st Visit: 

Pumpkins were utilized at each station throughout the day. Students used hands-on activities that were both auditory and visual learning styles at each station. Students were able to identify the density of a pumpkin, measure the circumference of the pumpkin, solve ratio problems with different characteristics of the pumpkin, research the history of the pumpkin by comparing and contrasting how Europe used pumpkins. 

2nd Visit:

This time of year is when our baby calves, sheep, and goats are being born.  The farm manager provided a lesson explaining how and why they tag the animals.  He also provided information on what he does to manage the farm.  Georgia Southern University joined us to focus on water quality using the pond water at Honey Ridge Agricenter for the lesson.  They had microscopes that allowed students to look closely at the water and soil to find the microorganisms.  The students also had to design a way to clean polluted water.  They were given a list of materials and could only choose three to help with this process.  QR codes were placed in various areas that provided answers to a crossword puzzle that related to the water quality information for them to collaborate as they worked in groups to solve.  

3rd Visit:

This visit will take place in May and the students will bring their aquifer to test the design.  They will be collecting data on the water quality from the pond before and after utilizing the aquifer to compare.  We are working to incorporate the wastewater treatment plant to discuss how water is transferred into drinking water.  

Overlying SEMS STEM Question:

How do relationships within structures and systems affect or create change?

Grade Level Focus to support the overlying Question:

How can 7th grade maintain balance among organisms to sustain growth?

Standards Supported:

• Soil Testing

• Chemical Effects

• Difference in Fertilizer and Composting

• Chemical breakdown of the Compost

• Human Body System

• DNA

• Investigate the diversity of living organisms   

1st Visit: 

Seventh grade found the DNA of different types of pumpkins and learned that the first step of preparing an area for a pumpkin patch is to take a soil sample of the area.  Blake Carter joined our 7th graders to explain the reasoning behind taking a soil sample.  The teachers had an opportunity to read “Pumpkin Jack” to the students and take back to the classroom a pumpkin in a jar with soil to watch the life cycle. As the students traveled through the station they were to draw the pumpkins around the property to complete a dichotomous key.

2nd Visit:

This year we have focused on an area that we are working on turning into a pollinator field.  Before attending Honey Ridge Gail Westcot with the Warnell Center had a lesson at the school with the leaders of the groups on how to plot the area and how to find the vegetation samples of the specific plotted area.  The first group set up the plots for the remainder of the groups.  The students looked for the vegetation that was the most visible to take back to the school to identify.  At Honey Ridge, we had Wayne Harris with US Fish and Wildlife explain to the students about pollinators for us to understand the importance of this project.  

3rd Visit:

This year was a work in progress on the pollinators, so we will be taking the leaders from the 6th grade with us on the last visit to explain what they will be taking over for the next year.  The students will be showing the 6th graders how to take over this project starting at the beginning of next school year.  What happens to be important is the arrangement of how they need to record the material that they find when they return to school.  

Overlying SEMS STEM Question:

How do relationships within structures and systems affect or create change?

Grade Level Focus to support the overlying Question:

How can the 8th grade conserve structures and systems to encourage the production of viable resources?    

Standards Supported:

• Stored Elastic Energy

• Kinetic Energy

• Potential Energy

• Electricity

• Conservation

• Waves 

1st Visit: 

The 8th graders were in the process of building catapults to launch pumpkins at Honey Ridge Agricenter.  Unfortunately, time became an issue so we changed the process to make a strap for the slingshot to launch a small pumpkin.  The students started by testing a squishy pumpkin that seemed to work for most of the students.  Then they launched a small pumpkin and noticed that most were struggling with this task.  After collaborating with the class on this challenge the classes took back the materials to create one sling from all the materials from the class to see if they could improve the strap to retest at the school.  

One team from 8th grade had an opportunity to have a lesson taught by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Richmond Hill Wildlife about pond shocking.  The DNR and Richmond Hill Wildlife have partnered with us to stock our ponds at Honey Ridge Agricenter to hold a fishing tournament in the future.  During this visit, students watched how to shock the pond to capture the original fish to observe and record.  This project has incorporated many opportunities for the students to solve real-world problems such as how we can create a habitat for the catfish, a way to add a ramp to the pond for all to have access, and what we need to accomplish to have a fishing tournament.    

2nd Visit:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provided our students with presentations on native species, and non-native species, and the gear they use to shock the ponds and marine resources.  These presentations were very interactive with animals and visuals that assisted with the lesson.  The opportunity to hear the real-world problems that the DNR solves was an eye-opening experience for our students.   

3rd Visit:

As eighth graders are preparing to leave middle school we would like to provide them with an opportunity to participate in listening to more STEA2M careers that can prepare them for their futures.  As we are focusing on the future we will also have team building activities that can identify that collaboration is important in the workforce.