Simple Food Sustainability
Our Project
We wish to help educate the youth of today through these activities that provide simple strategies and techniques that will allow them to help sustain the functioning of their local food systems and environment. The ultimate goal is to start a chain reaction where small local behavioral changes will lead to larger, global change. Along with these activities helping middle school students learn about how to sustain the environment, they also learn that they can have fun doing it.
A curriculum composed of 10 activities will be shared with active members of the New City Neighbors organization at the completion of the project.
New City Neighbors is an organization that uses the practice of urban farming to empower youth by providing social and educational experiences, job opportunities, and overall a diverse community committed to supporting each other. New City Neighbors has provided countless job positions to younger students that has helped them build a strong work ethic and create meaningful relationships. They invest in today's youth because they believe that they will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Learning Activity
Materials
1 Paper egg carton
1 Pair of scissors
Potting soil
Seeds of your choice
STEAM Aspect
Science and Art
Egg Carton Gardens
Start your own sustainable garden by growing plants at home using a cardboard egg carton to begin. Simply cut off the lid and poke a small drainage hole at the bottom of each compartment. You can use the top lid as a drainage catcher under the planter carton. Then add soil to each compartment, plant the seeds of your choice, and be sure to not over crowd them. Once the seeds are planted then you can add a thin layer of soil over the top. Place your egg carton garden in the sun and apply water variably and watch your plants grow!
Directions
Cut off the lid of the egg carton with the scissors
Poke a small drainage hole at the bottom of each compartment with the tip of a pencil (or let an adult help with e knife or a pair of scissors)
Place the carton lid under the bottom carton that you just poked holes into
Fill each cup up halfway with potting soil (you may add coffee grounds for more nutrients)
Add your chosen seeds
Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil
Lightly water your seeds, be sure not to over water them! (make sure to water your gardens variably)
Place your egg carton garden in the sun and watch them grow!
Other Learning Activities
DIY Pickling Vegetables
Temporary Compost
Source: https://helpingninjas.com/kids-compost-jar-experiment/
Garden Seed Bombs
Source: https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/how-to-make-seed-bombs/
References
How to Make: Easy Pickles with Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.howwemontessori.com/how-we-montessori/2018/10/making-pickles-with-children.html
Revolution Food (n.d). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.revolutionfoods.com/blog/egg-carton-garden-activity/
The Science of Pickles. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.finecooking.com/article/the-science-of-pickles
New City Neighbors Logo. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from
https://newcityneighbors.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NCN_Full-horizontal.png
News, iGrow. “New Start-Ups Aiming to Make Singapore As The First Food Sustainable City.” IGrow, IGrow, 5 Dec. 2017, www.igrow.news/igrownews/new-start-ups-aiming-to-make-singapore-as-the-first-food-sustainable-city.
Created By
Jacob Bocian, James Bradley, Megan Chiappetta, Alyssa Dawe, Kaitlin Escobar, Elisa Guerrero, Jack Grice, Lily Snyder, Grant Winenger, Makayla Peterman
