As part of our introduction to life science, students were challenged to create a non-soil based, self-watering planter and to get something to grow in it by the end of the year. With the help of soda bottles, apple juice containers, old t-shirts, cotton balls, and some hydroponic growing medium, students got to work, unleashing their inner gardener and carefully constructing, testing, and evaluating their designs.. They took seeds that had barely sprouted and...things are growing all around! Green beans, snow peas, basil, lettuce, and even some ambitious tomato plants have begun to sprout leaves and shoot up. Students are eagerly checking on their plants and modifying their planter. They are focusing on attracting the sunlight to the plant while not heating the water source too much. As the plants grow, students are learning about germination, photosynthesis, respiration, and more. They are also optimizing their engineering design. As they learn more, their designs are getting more sophisticated, and as they witness more plant growth, their learning is more meaningful. Perhaps most fun, though, has been watching the students experience the pure joy and wonder of growing something from a seed to a (one day) fully grown plant.
