This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
I am a founding teacher at the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School; in 2007-2008, we have entered our second year. We serve three classes of students on each of grades six, seven and eight (and will add a new sixth grade each year until we reach our capacity as a 6-12 school). We are a regular public school. We serve students in community school district six, region ten. Approximately ninety percent of out students are Latino; the other ten percent of our students are African America, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American and white. Our school qualifies students for universal free breakfast and lunch. I teach seventh grade science on a team of teachers who have worked together for 5-10 years (depending upon how we count). We are in partnership with Expeditionary Learning/ New York City Outward Bound (and as such, organize our curriculum around interdisciplinary learning expeditions).
Because we share space with two others middle schools on a very urban block, outdoor space for gardening on-site is scarce. As such, we have purchased two urban greenhouses and all supporting texts. Students will address the focusing question: What sustains us? In science, students are studying: plant and animal cells, plant growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen cycle, carbon dioxide/oxygen cycle, producers, consumers, decomposers, nutrition, and human body systems.
Students will create functional, wire sculptures to support their plants. Students will plan and create murals. Students will plan and create three panel comics in which they offer their pithy commentary of their views on community gardens. Students will plan, plant and maintain an on-site garden in urban greenhouses. Students will research, choose and maintain community garden plots. Students will visit farmers' markets; interview farmers and vendors in oral history interviews; create cookbooks; sell an item at a local green market and distribute brochures on their work.
We believe that students will benefit from experiencing the challenges of living in an urban environment and simultaneously maintaining a sustainable existence. We hope that students will learn and will appreciate that when seeds go into the soil, even when that soil is in a greenhouse, or in a small community garden plot surrounded by concrete, food will grow.
We believe that students will benefit from experiencing the challenges of living in an urban environment and simultaneously maintaining a sustainable existence. We hope that students will learn and will appreciate that when seeds go into the soil, even when that soil is in a greenhouse, or in a small community garden plot surrounded by concrete, food will grow.
Our project needs a series of whole class, book club and mentor texts such as My (Garden) Book, The House on Mango Street and some cookbooks several other texts to support student considerations of the focusing question: What sustains us?
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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