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Activities for Module IV Gifts
from the Garden: Sustainable Horticulture
Section C: Sustainable Horticulture
Contents:
Activity 1: Trial by Water
Activity 2. Compost Recipes
Activity 3: Compost Happens
Activity 4: Economic
Threshold Calculation
Activity 5: Apple IPM Video
and Discussion
Activity 6. Tasting Diversity
Activity
1: Trial by Water
Purpose: Students will learn
two simple tests that use water to gauge aspects
of soil quality and biological activity.
Advance preparation: Decide
where you want to conduct the tests. You want
to compare at least two different soil situations.
They can be different soil types or soils with
different management or both. For example, on
the school grounds you could test an athletic
field, a flower bed, and, if available, land in
crop production or a relatively undisturbed area
of woodland.
Next, assemble and prepare materials.
For test 1 you will need:
water infiltration
rings,
short pieces of board (an 8” length of 2x4
is fine),
hammers,
plastic wrap,
water,
measuring cups or graduated cylinders,
stopwatches or timers.
For test 2 you will need:
trowels, soil probes, or other tools for obtaining
small soil samples,
clear plastic cups or glass containers,
distilled water.
Estimated time:
15 to 50 minutes for test 1; 5 to 15 minutes for
test 2; 10 to 30 minutes for follow-up discussion
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Test
1. Measuring infiltration in different soils
(This test is adapted from Chapters
3 and 2 of the USDA Soil Quality Test Kit Guide)
Divide the students into as many small groups
as you have infiltration rings. Each group can
measure infiltration on a different soil type
or management situation, or all the groups can
measure infiltration on several soil types or
management situations, depending on the amount
of time you have. Examples of different management
situations include a tilled crop field, a no-till
field, a lawn, and a woodland or other natural
area. Try to stay away from paths or other clearly
compacted areas.
- Clear away sticks, stones, and other items
that will keep the ring from being hammered
into the soil from the area where the ring will
be placed.
- Place the ring on the ground, beveled side
down. Lay the board across the top of the ring.
Using the hammer on the board, drive the ring
3 inches into the soil (up to the line marked
on the outside of the ring. Gently firm the
soil right at the inside edge of the ring.
- Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the ring
so it completely covers the soil over the ring
and extends up over the edge of the ring on
all sides. This step is designed to prevent
changing the soil surface when the water is
poured on.
- Measure the amount of water you needed to
fill the ring to a depth of one inch (for the
6-inch irrigation pipe this will be 444 mL).
Pour the measured water into the ring.
- Remove the plastic by gently pulling it out,
leaving the water in the ring, and begin timing
as soon as the wrap is removed.
- Record the amount of time it takes for the
water to infiltrate the soil (when there is
no standing water but the surface is still glistening).
Depending on soil type, management, and conditions,
this may take just a few minutes or over an
hour. If there is not enough time to wait for
all the water to infiltrate, have students estimate
how much water is left on the surface after
15 minutes.
- If time allows, repeat steps 3 to 6 in order
to measure infiltration when the soil is already
moist. If soil moisture is at or near field
capacity the repeat test is not needed.
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Test
2. Measuring aggregation
- Take a small soil sample from the top 6 inches
of the soil.
- Ask the students to examine the soil and predict
whether they think it will be stable in water.
- Gently put a small amount of soil into a clear
plastic cup.
- Gently pour in enough distilled water to generously
cover the soil sample.
- Swirl the water in the cup for several seconds.
- Observe the water. Ask students to note whether
the water is clear, slightly turbid
(cloudy)
, or very
turbid.
- Repeat steps 1 to 6 with different soils or
similar soils under different management.
There are several ways to organize this test.
You can have the whole class of students move
around and perform the test on different samples
in the field. Or you can ask each of the small
groups doing an infiltration test to also do this
test, keep the cup with the soil and water in
it, and report back to the full class. Or, if
time is short, you can have different soil samples
ready in the classroom and demonstrate the test
there. However, it is preferable to let the students
collect the samples themselves and be able to
interpret the results in the context of their
own observations.
Follow
up discussion questions
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Activity
2: Compost Recipes
Purpose: Students will learn
how the availability of different feedstocks changes
compost recipes. Students will need to apply basic
math skills to develop the recipes. They can use
iteration or simple algebra.
Advance preparation: Print out
Compost
Recipes worksheet, Compost
Recipes worksheet Key, Ohio State University
Extension fact sheet “Composting
At Home,” and pages 3 to 5
of “The
Art and Science of Composting”and make
copies. You can also print out “Getting the Right Mix ,” particularly if your students will have access to the internet.
Estimated time: 15 to 20 minutes
- Introduce the concept of developing compost
recipes for different feedstocks. You can explain
this, or you can ask the students to read the
excerpt from “The
Art and Science of Composting” or “Getting the Right Mix” that
explains the concept.
- Ask students to develop compost recipes for
the examples on the worksheet. They can work
individually or in small groups. Explain to students that the recipes will be approximate. Why? First, because both moisture content and C:N
(carbon to nitrogen)
ratios will vary within the materials used. Second, because composting organisms can tolerate a range of moisture and C:N ratios.
- (Optional) Ask students to discuss their recipes
with the class.
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Activity
3: Compost Happens
Purpose: Students will gain
hands-on experience with composting. Students
will learn about organic waste streams at the
school.
Advance preparation:
- Read the instructions in one or more of the
websites listed below.
- Decide what type of composting you will do
with the class. Vermi-composting is popular
for classroom use because it can be done inside
and at any time of year. However, vermi-composting
is biologically a very different process than
the bacteria-driven thermophilic composting,
which is the more standard method of farm-scale
composting. Cornell
University offers instructions for a variety
of indoor and outdoor composting systems suitable
for schools including Composting
in Schools.
- Collect needed materials (will vary depending
on system(s) selected).
Estimated time: 2 hours to establish
the compost system and at least 6 weeks of operation
(10 to 20 minutes maintenance & observation
per week).
A number of websites provide instructions for
vermi-composting and bottle biology decomposition
systems:
The
Worm Guide (California Integrated Waste Management
Board) is a clear, comprehensive guide written
for teachers. It contains instructions for setting
up and maintaining vermi-composting, suggested
activities, case studies, and an excellent resources
list.
Composting
in Schools is a website by Cornell University
with instructions and lesson plans for a variety
of composting systems.
Bottle
Biology is a website by the University of
Wisconsin with detailed, clear instructions on
how to build self-contained units for biology
experiments out of empty soda bottles. The Decomposition
Column can be used for composting experiments.
Composting
with Redworms (Washington State University)
offers instructions on how to set up a worm bin.
Worm
Digest is a website devoted to worms. It contains
a number of articles on vermicomposting, including
“Young Person's Guide to Vermicomposting.”
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Activity
4: Economic Threshold Calculation
Purpose: Students will learn
about economic thresholds in IPM.
Advance preparation: Download
the IPM Powerpoint and print out and copy Threshold
Calculation worksheets for students to use.
Estimated time: 15 minutes to
one hour, depending on how much prior understanding
of IPM students have.
- Introduce the activity by showing students
the relevant sections of the IPM Powerpoint
presentation. If students do not have any background
on IPM, it will take around 15 minutes to go
through slides 1 to 17 or 19. If the class is
already familiar with basic IPM concepts you
can just show slides 15 to 17 or introduce the
activity using your own words without the Powerpoint
slides.
- Have students complete the worksheet individually
or in groups.
- Discuss answer with the class.
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Activity
5: Apple IPM Video and Discussion
Purpose: Students will learn
about how IPM is used in some Wisconsin apple
orchards.
Advance preparation: Get video
and equipment needed to show it.
Estimated time: 20 minutes
Show the apple video (11 minutes).
Ask the students to listen for specific pollution
reduction techniques discussed in the video.
Ask the class to discuss the pollution reduction
techniques covered in the video:
- Scouting for pests
- Use of economic thresholds
to make sure use of pesticides is economically
beneficial
- Monitoring temperature,
humidity, and rainfall to figure out when to
scout and when to apply pesticides if necessary
What are traps used for? Usually they are
used as a tool to help with scouting. In a few
cases they can be used to physically control insect
numbers by catching them.
Ask the class to discuss the benefits of IPM
in apple production
- Good for the environment and wildlife
- Better for the health of farmers and
farmworkers
- Better for the health of consumers
- Can save money for the farmer
Extended activity:
Have your students trap and identify insect pests
themselves, if you have access to apple or plum
trees. This activity will only work during September
and October or April and May.
Purpose: Students will get a hands-on understanding of the challenges of monitoring for pest populations and will practice insect identification
Advance Preparation: Determine which pest, if any, to monitor for, given the time of year and weather (see Apple Pest Trapping Guidelines and check with your local horticulture extension agent). Purchase appropriate traps. Print out insect identification information from the Field Guide for Identification of Pest Insects, Diseases, and Beneficial Organisms in Minnesota Apple Orchards.
Traps can be ordered from Gemplers or Great Lakes IPM
Estimated Time: highly variable, depending on location where traps will be set. 30 minutes to 1 hour to assemble and set trap(s); 10 to 30 minutes to count and identify insects in trap, depending on how much is caught.
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Activity
6. Tasting Diversity
Purpose: Part 1: Students
will consider genetic diversity of a crop and
advantages and disadvantages for the farmer of
growing diverse varieties. Part 2:
Students will explore the link between cultural
diversity and species and genetic diversity in
agro-ecosystems. Each of these parts can be done
as a stand-alone activity.
Advance preparation: Part
1: Choose a fruit
or vegetable to sample and buy enough of each
variety for the class to taste. Get preparation
and serving materials needed for the item to be
sampled (a knife and cutting board, paper plates
or napkins, etc.). Wash food items, unless you
can make the washing part of the class. Print
out and copy Tasting
Diversity Worksheet.
Part 2: Bring in copies of seed
catalogs or print out vegetable lists from a CSA
to serve as prompts for the students. Check the
Smithsonian Seeds of Change website for advance
preparation needed for those activities.
Estimated time: Part 1: 20 minutes;
Part 2: 10 to 30 minutes
Part 1
- Have students taste all the varieties and
take notes on their worksheets.
- As a class discuss some or all of the following
questions:
- Are there any varieties they have not
tasted before?
- Are there any varieties they have not
heard of before?
- If yes, why? (For example, the variety
is not available in regular supermarkets.)
- Why would someone want to buy a different
variety than the one most commonly available?
(flavor, appearance, other reasons?)
- Why would a farmer want to grow many
or unusual varieties?
- Why would a farmer not want to grow some
of these varieties? (lower or less consistent
yields, more difficult to grow, more difficult
to harvest and handle, shorter shelf life,
less resistant to some diseases, not handled
by conventional food system, etc.)
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Part 2
Different cultures with different culinary traditions
prefer different species and different varieties
of the same species. Throughout US history, immigrants
have brought new crops and varieties to grow.
For example, in recent years Asian vegetables
such as bok choi, Napa cabbage, mizuna, Osaka
mustard, cilantro,
daikon radish
and bitter melon have become
more common in Midwestern produce markets and
farms. And the popularity of Mexican cooking has
inspired an increase in pepper varieties grown
in the Midwest (check a seed catalog to view pepper
varieties Seed
Savers Exchange, Jung
Quality Seeds, or Seeds
of Change. How many pepper varieties does
the Wisconsin seed company Jung’s offer
today? How many do you think Jung’s offered
20 years ago?
Have students ask a grandparent how the produce selection in the supermarket has changed
)
- Ask your students to think of links between
cultural diversity and plant diversity in agro-ecosystems.
If they have trouble coming up with examples,
you can prompt them by one of the following:
- Asking if they associate certain vegetables
or varieties with “ethnic” cooking,
such as Mexican (chili peppers), Italian
(fennel, Roma tomatoes) Chinese (bean sprouts,
bok choi, snow peas) etc. Figure out which
of the plants are grown locally (e.g., chilis
are grown commercially in Wisconsin and
Iowa, but avocados are not).
- Handing out copies of seed catalogs and
asking students to identify items associated
with specific cultures. Some seed catalogs
contain information on where certain varieties
come from or what types of cooking they
are used in.
- Displaying a list of items grown at a
CSA (see Harmony
Valley Farm's Vegetable Program) and
asking if they know what culture’s
cooking those items are used in.
- Explore the links between cultural diversity
and agroecosystem diversity further with the
“Menu 1492” and “Cultural
Borrowings” activities suggested at the
Smithsonian
Museum of Natural History Seeds of Change
website.
- Ask students if their family prefers a specific
variety of a crop for certain recipes. Examples:
rice varieties for Asian recipes, corn varieties
for tortillas, pepper varieties for salsa.Hands-on version: experiment with a salsa recipe by using different pepper varieties.
- Extra credit: If your town
has a farmers’ market with vendors from
diverse cultures, suggest that students visit
the market and look at the offerings at different
stalls. They can also
- Purchase examples of unusual items and
bring them back to show the class
- Interview vendors about why they decided
to grow and sell certain items, if language
is not a barrier
- Take photographs of the offerings at
different stalls to share with the class.
* Important: get permission
from the vendor and from any people who
are in the photos. Do not take any photos
without getting permission first.
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