Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 200

Our Florida Native Garden was planted around the bus loop of the school. We chose this in hopes of impacting more students, and we most certainly succeeded!

My students first researched various plants, including their adaptations to our planting zone 10,such as sun tolerance, pollinator attraction and life cycle. They then created a proposal to convince the class to adopt their plants. This was a powerful portion of the project as students learned to gather evidence to support their choices and then communicate these findings in print as well as speech.

The class voted democratically and we began the planning. Students worked on volume equations to ascertain how much dirt, mulch and number of plants needed. This was fabulous math critical thinking and real world problem solving!

We then got ‘down and dirty’ and planted our garden. The students honed numerous skills needed to make group work successful: collaboration, communication and diligence. As we tore up existing dying vegetation, the students made amazing connections between water and unique root systems. 

Once planted we learned about Native American Totem Poles and decided to create a class Totem Pole for border. We researched animals and their historical symbolic meanings. The students then wrote an informational paper on three animals that represented their character best, and why. This portion of the project cultivated in painting our class totem and "raising" them ceremoniously to the garden!

As the garden grew, we monitored weather, plant growth, pests, weeds (invasive plants, and life cycles of butterflies, which ended up influencing hundreds of students at the school. Our milkweed plants attracted much attention as caterpillars ate their way through our plants and started their metamorphis! Many mornings I would find students of all ages huddled around these plants and educating each other ! We are currently working on signs educating students about various portions of our garden.

This project surpassed my expectations and I hope to add to the garden each and every year!