Lesson 1. Introduction
Suggested time: 45 minutes
Overview: The students will know what is compost, why is important for the Pollinator Garden
Vocabulary:
Compost
Nutrient
Fertilizer
Plant growth
Objective:
· Students will learn what is compost, it´s components, benefits, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of using compost vs commercial fertilizer.
Multimedia resources:
Before the lesson / background information:
Visit the pollinator garden and see all the plants in there (organic vegetables, flowers for pollinators and medicinal plants)
The lesson:
What is a fertilizer? (15 minutes)
Brainstorm with the students: Answering questions like
What do plants need to grow?
Where does the nutrients come from?
What is a fertilizer? How many types of fertilizers are?
The students realize that all the plants need nutrients and face the challenge to give some way nutrients to the school pollinator garden
Work in teams (20 minutes)
The students do some research on the pros and cons of fertilizer and compost? They should think on the school pollinator garden and the best way to fertilize it.
They should start to defining the problem to work on it.
Close the lesson (10 minutes)
Students share their findings on their research
Homework: Students should start designing their project “compost for the school pollinator garden”
In this lesson the students will be challenged and motivated to find out the best way to do an organic fertilizer for the school pollinator garden, and start doing their own project.
Lessons 2. Research on their type of compost
Suggested time: 90 minutes
Overview: The students will gather information from internet to do a prototype for compost
Vocabulary:
Aerobic Carbon
Anaerobic Organic material
Vermicomposting Manure
Gridding Moisture
Shredding sawdust
Nitrogen
Objective:
· Students will read about how to do compost and gather information to design their own prototype of compost
Multimedia resources:
Before the lesson / background information:
Homework from the lesson 1
The lesson:
Research on teams in the iPads (45 minutes)
Compile information and make a Project (45 minutes). They must come with information about the ingredients and materials needed for their Project, the process, physical space, time, etc.
In this lesson students will do some research on internet in order to design their own compost project, every team must think on the definition of the problem, identify the best solution and create a prototype for their project.
Lesson 3. Talk to the biologist in charge of the pollinator garden
Suggested time: 45 minutes
Overview: The students will have contact with a biologist (nursery and plant cultivation expert). Juan Francisco Gallardo (that is in charge of the school pollinator garden).
Objective:
· The students will learn from the expert biologist what is the compost important for and will ask questions to solve the doubts they may have and to polish their project.
The lesson:
In a conference room the students should have the talk and will be able to ask questions. This talk will help them to select the best solution for their project. Also in this lesson the students will have contact with an expert and expand their vision to real life problems.
Homework: The students must turn on their project. Including: 1. Definition of the problem, 2. Objective, 3. The best solution to overcome the problem, the prototype and how are they going to build it, 4. The materials needed for their prototype, 5. A calendar (schedule chart) to check the process, 6. The plan for documenting the process.
In this lessons the students will use the technology to make their project in a word processor and plan the way to document (videos, photos, etc.) the process.
Lessons 4. Hands on
Suggested time: 45 minutes
Overview: The students will start working on the prototype of their project
Objective:
· The students will develop their project design on compost
Before the lesson / background information:
Homework from the lesson 3. Their project.
The lesson:
Students should work in their own Project, there will be a member of the team documenting the composting process, they must do a Schedule chart to check the process of composting during the time it takes to get ready.
In this lesson the students will build their Project, based on the research and design they did.
Lessons 5. Review, test and iteration
Suggested time: 45 minutes
Overview: The students will make a revision of the project they did, test their efficiency and make improvements on the prototype
Objective:
· The students will test and iterate their project design on compost
The lesson:
Students need to follow the Schedule chart, make the tracing on the process and make improvements of the design.
In this lesson the students will test and improve their Project, to reach a good compost (as they project)
Lessons 6. Communicate
Suggested time: 45 minutes
Overview: The students will present to the whole class their project
Objective:
· The students will make a presentation on their project
The lesson:
The student’s teams will present each of the projects.
In this lesson the students will use the technology to communicate what they did.