My students need plants and seeds and other gardening supplies as well as butterfly books and nets to help maintain the pollinator garden at our school.
It has been said that "Children have a natural affinity towards nature. Dirt, water, plants and small animals attract and hold children's attention for hours, days, even a lifetime." This garden project will allow me to teach students in a classroom without walls and inspire them for years to come.
The first word that comes to mind when I think of my students is inquisitive.
They are always asking questions and wanting to know more. The students in my class who will be working on the garden struggle with math and as such have an extra math class with me each day. Our school has the largest student body in the county (700+ students in grades 6 - 8) and therefore is very diverse. The level of diversity at the school can sometimes create tension because the students are still learning how to accept and appreciate the differences of others. By creating a garden, the students will need to dig deeper into the lives of their classmates to learn their strengths and weaknesses as well as share their own. They will need to work together and share in the trials as well as the triumphs. I am hoping that once the garden is done students and teachers alike can gather there to learn about each other and the amazing things each and every member of the school community has to offer.
My Project
There is something magical about watching 7th graders work in a garden. By this age, they have developed fears of things such as bugs and getting dirty. They also struggle with patience and with showing care for something outside of themselves. Allowing students to design, implement and then several months later enjoy their garden has lasting impact on their lives. The plants and seeds that I am requesting will give students the opportunity to care for another living thing, watch it grow and flourish and help the students develop an understanding of the world around them. They will also get to observe the close relationships that develop between plants and pollinators. Using the butterfly nets and field guides, students will research these relationships and develop a deeper understanding of their importance to our lives. All subjects can be taught in a garden and it is my hope that the garden my students create will become a learning space that the whole school can benefit from.
Last year, I had a group of students plant flower seeds in front of the school.
When they returned this year, they got to see the fruits of their labor. They were in awe of the beauty they created and the joy they inspired. Unfortunately, the flowers are annuals and will be gone soon. It is my hope that the flowers that we will get from this new garden project will bloom for years to come so when students return they can, as one student said "show their own kids what they created in 7th grade."
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Lieberman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.