no waste in nature (nor should there be in our systems); use small, doable solutions; biodiversity is good; and everything should serve more than one purpose. These principles apply equally to
large agricultural lands and systems as small our self-watering contain- ers. Have your students apply per- maculture principles before planting, during the growing period and after harvesting. When using recycled materials to make their self-watering containers, make sure that every- thing serves more than one purpose. What other permaculture principles can be applied before planting? Have your students come up with creative answers.
B: While the plant is growing, students should “listen to” their system—observing and interact- ing with their plants. Are the plants getting enough water? Students will have to monitor the water levels and make adjustments accordingly. There are intricate con- nections between the sun, the plant, the soil, insects, and humans. What are they? When you alter one, how does that affect your plant? What other permaculture principles are in place? For example, the energy from the sun is captured by the plant. Are you using your resources wisely, such as put- ting more into the system than you are getting out of it?
Systems Thinking
A: All systems have inputs and outputs, and all systems need the support of other systems in order to operate. Our self-watering container system is an example of an open system: it demands inputs from other systems to sustain itself, but it also provides outputs. The plant – the fruit of our labor – provides us with oxygen to breathe and food to eat. What other outputs does our plant produce? Are these outputs now inputs for other systems? How do all of these inputs and outputs interrelate?
B: All systems in our world nest within other systems. Take, for example, the buckets that we used for our self-watering container system. These buckets were originally used for a different system: the transportation and storage of food. What other systems brought your buckets to you? Typically these would include the transportation system, the agricul- tural system, the monetary system, and so on. As one can see, even just obtaining the two buckets involves a lot of systems. Have your students list all of the inputs the self- watering container system requires. There are the physical items needed to build the self-watering container (buckets, soil, fertilizer, etc.) plus the natural resources that the plant needs to live and grow (water, nutrients, carbon dioxide, sunlight). A concept map or flow chart is a great way to visualize all of the inputs our system needs.
Ethics The ethical component of per- maculture is the idea that we should utilize Earth’s resources in ways that are both wise and equitable. We should change the way we live in order to support each other. Not only does this protect the Earth, but it also develops stronger societies. Discuss with your class how you can use your self-watering container projects to help others. You could give your pro- duce to families in need. You could host a farmer’s market to sell your produce and use the money raised for different projects. The possibilities are endless and the rewards are price- less. Sharing the harvest with others is an especially satisfying part of this project and is a perfect demonstra- tion of permaculture ethics. After harvest, have your students
design their own self-watering container system and decide what they would do differently the next time, based on feedback from their system (and with long-term sustain-
ability in mind). What input/output changes to their system would they make? How could they make their system more efficient (i.e. Where did they get their inputs? How can they decrease waste?)? Consider the other, larger, systems that contribute to our system. How many different levels can they come up with? For example, “Have students think about how and where the buckets were made, what they were made from, who harvested the materials that made them, etc. Have your students make recommendations that will
be used by other students doing this project in successive years. For example, one permaculture principle is to produce no waste. Composting plant waste to return the nutrients to the soil is a sustainable way to provide needed soil nutrients. Reflecting another principle—using your resources wisely— students may also want to build a water catchment system that collects and uses water from the gutters of the school. In addition to those discussed above, the self-watering
container system offers several other potential connections to sustainability concepts and practices, such as the benefits of local, organic foods and the slow food movement. Some schools have also used their harvests for fundraising and philanthropy. Using the self-watering containers to introduce the
concepts of sustainability, permaculture, and systems think- ing yields long-term benefits. Once students are empowered with this experience and knowledge, they will likely develop a world view that helps them to make better choices with the planet in mind. Our ultimate goal is that these future leaders will become more globally-aware advocates for sustainability.
Sara Laimon is the coordinator of the Green Ambassador program of Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, California. To learn more about the program and the school, visit
www.greenambassadors.org and
www.echsonline.org.
GREEN TEACHER 89 Page 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52