Gardening: A Mini Unit
Gardening is an activity that easily pulls in all of the traditional scholastic subjects -- math, science, language arts, social studies, etc. The activities in this unit assist the student in planning their own garden as well as getting exposure to some of the aspects of farming for food.
1. On paper, design an outdoor garden that includes at least three vegetables your family or friends will eat. Find out about companion planting, how to keep tall plants from shading smaller ones, where to start the garden, and other things you should know. Use the information to help you in your design.
2. Do a soil test on a lawn or garden or have it done to find out how good the soil is, whether or not it will grow vegetables, flowers, or grass, and which nutrients, such as fertilizer, lime, and humus, the soil needs. When you get the results, help improve the soil.
3. Describe one or more ways farmers and ranchers do each of the following:
-- Keep topsoil from being blown or washed away.
-- Prevent overgrazing of grasslands.
-- Keep soil from becoming too for growing crops.
4. Plan and care for a garden according to the design you made. Keep a record of how you prepared the soil; when you planted and harvested each crop; how often you watered, weeded, and added fertilizer; how you kept out pests; and ideas of how you could improve your garden another year. Harvest each crop at the proper time and share it with others.
5. In a medium other than soil, such as water, gravel, or wood chips, grow something you can eat.
6. Imagine you are a nutrition expert who knows the importance of soybeans as a good source of protein and calcium, as well as other vitamins and minerals. Your job is to convince the people who think soybeans are unappetizing and dul that they really are delicious as well as nutritious.
7. Have a soybean tasting party. Make your own soybeans snacks to convince others that soybeans are good to eat. OR, look in your grocery store for products that have soybeans in them.
8. Find out what part agriculture plays in a developing culture.
9. Grow sprouts from mung bean, alfalfa, or other seeds that sprout to eat in salads or sandwiches or as a side dish.
10. Grow a vegetable that you like to eat. If space is limited, chose a mini-vegetable like cherry tomatoes. Care for your vegetable properly and, when it is ripe, prepare and eat it.
11. Go to a county fair or other exhibit on agriculture. Find out two or more things that you didn't know before and the names and uses for two or more pieces of farm equipment.
12. Find or describe three weeds or three insects that cause problems to farmers or gardeners in your area. Identify each pest by name and describe the kind of problem it causes, and how you can get rid of it (without chemical pesticides, if possible).
13. Describe three insects that are helpful to gardeners or farmers in your area and tell how each one helps.
14. Visit a store or market where fresh food is sold. Find out where the fresh food comes from, how it gets to market, how it is kept fresh, and other steps in its travel from its beginning until you buy it.
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