English as a second language (Cutter-Mackenzie, 2009). Potential application of gardens in education is seemingly endless. This interest in integrated real-world learning has made the school garden an instructional resource and tool as viable as a class- room. As a result, school gardens are often viewed as “outdoor classrooms” (Dyment, 2005). For Parajuli and Williams (2005), the following four-fold framework highlights the role of inter- connectedness in learning gardens pedagogy: a) To promote multicultural learning representing mul- tiple agricultural and culinary traditions of the parent commu- nity.


b) To foster multidisciplinary learning, connecting math, science, social sciences, languages, arts and aesthetics. c) To cultivate intergenerational learning between young adults and their parents, grandparents and other relatives. d) To nurture multisensory learning by involving not only our heads but hands, hearts, skins, tongues, intestines, and pal- ates.


Thus, school grounds can become community hubs that integrate learning across disciplines, generations, and cultures, and get students to think in terms of patterns and connections (Williams, 2008). From our experi- ences, we offer an illustration of compost-making where students learn about life’s lessons in the learning gardens.


Composting for Living Soil While food is the most palatable product


of gardens, compost is the most desirable. Since long neglected soil on school grounds is often nutrient deficient or polluted, active composting makes a contribution to living soil which sustains related human and biotic communities. Unfortu- nately, the gardening season is out of sync with the academic school calendar; just as students are arriving for classes, the rich abundance of the summer fades to withering stalks and muddy fields. While this can be an obstacle for educators seeking to integrate gardens into their practice, it presents an opportunity for compost-making, which sets in motion a long-term investment in living soil. Imagine a fall day in the garden, where 20 6th


gether to cautiously combine their gathered biomass in a careful formula presented by Rick. Other students notice their project and inquire about what they are doing. Katie explains that the decomposers are just like humans, they need food, water, and air to live. Santiago shows his friends how to add layers of leaves covered with layers of manure. Soon many students are gath- ered around the growing compost heap, helping to water it and keep it within the bounds of the wooden bin. Some students are brave enough to reach a gloved hand into a nearby compost heap that is more established; they notice it is hot. Removing their gloves, they remark with surprise that the compost does not smell and that they cannot recognize any leaves or straw in the maturing heap. They wonder aloud how long it would take to transform the rough pile of leaves, sticks, and straw into one that looks, feels, and smells “just like dirt.” The garden period ends and the students and their teacher return to the school building for the rest of their day. But the lesson does not end there. At snack time, Carlos, a particularly observant student, announces to the class that their apple cores can be added to the compost heap; the class community finds a


grade students


are busily harvesting ripe produce in small groups led by teach- ers and community volunteers. There are a number of work stations, including picking pumpkins, mulching fruit trees, and building a fall compost heap. Not many students are drawn to the compost heap, perhaps because it is “dirty”, but eventually two students—Santiago and Katie—agree reluctantly to help Rick, a community volunteer, gather different types of biomass for the pile. The trio retrieves a wheelbarrow and begins to gather fall leaves from the small orchard. Katie notices that underneath the moist leaves there are


many organisms such as millipedes and sow bugs. At first, she is nervous to touch them, but soon overcomes her fear. Rick explains that moist leaves are a natural habitat for decompos- ers, and that the compost heap that they are building is an ideal home for these organisms to flourish. Santiago gets excited man- aging to steady the wheelbarrow when it is filled with donated rabbit manure. Though he is first disgusted by the mixture of straw and manure, he soon finds pride in being strong enough in body and spirit to fill and pilot the wheelbarrow. Back at the compost heap, Katie and Santiago work to-


CLEARING 2010


way to collect the cores. Compost now enters classroom walls as students and teacher reconnect with the core of life: living soil. Decomposition becomes as relevant as Composition. The preceding story is no fantasy, but an account of our actual experience with children building compost in school learning gardens. There is a wide array of curricular material de- scribing teaching various forms of composting in greater detail.2 Below, we present a lesson sketch (adapted from Parajuli et al, 2008):


Lesson: “Living Compost: What is it and how do we make more?”


Description: This lesson introduces students to compost and the biological processes behind it. Students make a simple compost pile and watch as it changes over the next few months. They also closely examine the critters that make compost their home.


Lesson Outline: 10 min. – Introduction


www.clearingmagazine.org/online


(continued on next page) Page 41


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  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66