Grow It Green

Grow It Green

How can we reduce our impact on the food-growing systems available in our community?
Subjects: Science
Grade Level: Middle School
Timeframe: 15-20 hours

Final Product

A photo essay that takes a position on sustainable gardening practices generally, and hydroponics specifically. Sharing the photo essay with the Farm-based Education Network at Shelburne Farms is one possible authentic audience option.

Project Description

The world has limited resources and an ever-growing population. Meeting people’s nutritional needs in a sustainable way requires innovative thinking. In this project, students work toward two key science standards: monitoring and minimizing human impact, and evaluating competing designs. They experiment with and test two approaches to growing vegetables, grounding their experiment in research on sustainable gardening practices. Ultimately, students will translate their research into a photo essay.

Key Standards

NGSS

  • MS-ESS3-3 Monitoring & Minimizing Impact
  • MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate Competing Designs

CCSS

  • SL.6.4 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
  • WHST.6-8.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge

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Project Essentials
The Project