Classroom Farm to Table

School:: Veterans Memorial Elementary
Subject:: Science
Teacher:: Marsha Colbert
Students Impacted:: 70
Grade:: 5
Date:: August 6, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

The Mikes Family - $220.35

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 73

Our Aerogarden was the highlight in our science classroom this year! We learned a lot about how to grow things indoors and I had quite a few student leaders help me keep up with adding water and food as needed each week. We watched the plants grow bigger each week and when our first flowers appeared we discussed pollinators and what we would need to do to help pollinate our plants so that we could have tomatoes and jalapenos. The kids thought this was so interesting! We even used a digital camera microscope to view the plant parts much larger! When it was time to harvest we added our cherry tomatoes and jalapenos to some store bought salsa so that all 73 students could try our home grown veggies. It was a great culminating activity to what we learned this year!

grant photo

Original Grant Overview

Goal

My goal is to teach my students the science behind hydroponics plant growth, and then to enjoy the fruits of our labor and learning with some chips and homegrown salsa.

What will be done with my students

We will research the method of hydroponic growing and compare and contrast it with traditional growing methods. Once we have all of our background knowledge, we will begin the hydroponic growing process using the AeroGarden in our classroom. Students will measure and record plant growth data using a variety of qualitative and quantitative measures. Within a few weeks we will be able to harvest our crop and make some fresh salsa!

Benefits to my students

This grant will benefit my students by providing a real-world learning opportunity focusing on the science of plants. In 5th grade, we take a state science test, and this grant opportunity will allow us to study many of the Practice of Science concepts they need to know. This area of study in 5th grade tends to be one of the most difficult for students. Providing a memorable hands-on activity will allow them to build connections to the concepts, making it easier for them to remember and understand elements of the Practice of Science. If these concepts are easier to understand, then students will perform better on their State Science Assessment.

Budget Narrative

This budget includes purchases of one Aero Garden Bounty Basic, which is the plant-growing unit, and two Salsa Garden seed pod kits. This purchase will be made on Amazon so there is no shipping fee.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Aero Garden Bounty Basic	$171.15
2	Salsa Garden Seed Pod Kit	$24.60
3	Salsa Garden Seed Pod Kit	$24.60
	Total:	$220.35

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