School Organic Garden is an important education programme for our youths!
During ancient time not many people could have a chance to learn in school. However, many people have learned successfully through practical experiences from their own daily lives.
We knew how to cook delicious meal naturally without reading a cookbook or attending any cookery class.
When we were very little we learned how to sit, walk and run naturally from our home education without studying theory.
I believed "Hands on Experience" is easier to put into practise, because your brain would captured every bits along the way.
These days, children are fortunate than before. Such as in Singapore, they have a total new vision on educational learning methods. I can only admire the current kids, because our time is over.
Those days, during our studies, we had to learn everything from text books.
What I could recalled is only one Primary science project with Mung bean plant growth on cotton wool.
Today, after more than 40 years, I choose to redo the same project in my own space.
This time I approach it in a different manner. Because I have learnt from practise that, good dried beans seeds can be sprouted with 100% success rate; after soaking one night in the water.
When you know how easy is the process; you can advance your knowledge by
changing the seeds or changing the container; and or the medium all
When you have achieved the optimal results; you can do more for your daily consumption.
*One clean earth cup (above picture 14)
*One plastic cover (picture 15)
*Clean tap water (picture 16)
*50 grams of organic alfalfa seeds (picture 13)
1. Soaking and draining from the day one to day three (picture 17 to 19).
2. Harvest on the day 4 (picture 20).
Note: If there are insects flying around in the summer, an indoor portable table top mini greenhouse is recommended for hygiene purpose.
*Alfalfa sprouts are best for eating raw, adding to the salads, sandwiches; or spring rolls.
*If you are not eating them immediately, you can cover them with a food plastic bag with little pricked holes, and keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of seven days for the freshness.
*If you sprinkle one or two drops of fresh lemon juice over your sprouts; before eating; then you will be eating the freshest salad in the world.
*Before consumption, it is better to expose the sprouts under the mild sun for 10 minutes;
in this way, the sprouts would received some vitamin D from the sunlight that our body desired.
Your school organic garden projects can be done either through an after school extra curriculum activities (E.C.A.) in workshop style; or simply include into the science subject.
Gardening with kids can be very fun and interesting. Children can learn very fast, especially when they are in their primaries. How plants grow; and how to manage seeds are basic things that they will learn naturally once it is put into practise.
If you include practical programmes into your school activities;
then theory can be blended in naturally. And the school children would love their subjects more deeply, when they can understand well from their visible materials.
Organising a frugal garden (low cost, spray free, top quality)
in school from scratch can encourage students to use every source they can get from the nature or in the school.
In my opinion, gardening is a piece of ever changing art. And it is connected to every corner of our life.
By teaching the Primary to Secondary children to recognise their original friendly nature, and the importance in reservation of the natural resources; and how to use them efficiently; You are not only helping them to understand how to garden; but also helping them to learn skills on...
how to care;
to communicate effectively,
to be constructive;
to be contented;
to be creative;
to be co-operative;
to be diplomatic;
to be discipline;
to be honest;
to be patient;
to be positive;
to be responsible;
to be self-motivated;
to be thankful;
to receive joy;
and so on.
And these are the great
knowledge's that they can apply to their entire life.
A gardening diary is important for both the kids and teachers to drop down their useful evidence during their work. These notes can be written in the yearly school report.
Your DIY school gardening projects can be arranged in the following three levels:
Indoor natural gardening
Fresh air greenhouse gardening
Why 3 levels? Because you will discover different types of insects at different place, different time, with different humidity and different temperature. And the plants would behave differently according to the change of atmosphere.
When school organic garden is built; both teachers and students will gain the following benefits and more:
School organic garden adventure is for kids at all ages; students; and teachers.
Home Garden Projects are for all the senior students like us; learning from home. Join me?