Esther


 * Project: ** M.S. 88 Gardeners Project
 * Introduction: ** The project is designed for 6th-8th grades students and will utilize the currently unorganized greenhouse in our courtyard.


 * Rationale**: The project is intended to introduce students to healthy, sustainable food, let students interact with nature, teach the scientific curriculum, and confront students with real world questions.


 * Logistics**: The plan is to use containers to grow plants. While all students will have access to the greenhouse throughout the year, an after-school club will be put together so that a core group of students can up-keep the garden. The students in the club will have the opportunity to conduct more in depth scientific research. The final project entails showcasing/selling their plants at local venues.


 * More Logistics:** We will plant herbs and greens during the winter months because they can survive in the winter and they take about 40-60 days to grow from seedling to harvest. We will use the method outline by Earthbound Farm at www.ebfarm.com to grow our plants.


 * Showcase/Selling our plants**: We will sell our plants during the Open Houses of 1st and 2nd Marking Period, as well as the Community Day in June. We will also showcase our plants at an "event" at the Park Slope Farmer's Market.

1) Community Garden at 6th and 15th 2) GreenNYC Farmer's Market at Prospect Park 3) Columbia's Sustainable Food Garden - Field Trip in Fall 2010, contact: Kristina Gsell at ksg2116@columbia.edu 4) Park Slope's Farmers Market - Showcase in Spring 2011, contact: Miriam Hass at mhass@communitymarkets.biz
 * Resources (Trips):**

Project-Based Inquiry activity

 * ======Students will be food scientists======
 * ======They will make scientific observations, inferences, and hypotheses.======
 * ======They will also design experiments, collect data, and draw conclusions.======

Topics include:

 * ======Importance of quality soil======
 * ======Effects of pesticides on soil======
 * ======Plant anatomy======
 * ======Photosynthesis======
 * ======Energy flow======
 * ======Food chain======
 * Carbon Footprint
 * Sustainability

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 * Goals:** Make students confront real-world, challenging questions, allow students and teachers to work together and tackle an issue that affects their community, ultimately let students take ownership of their own learning.======

**Additional Resources:**

 * Learn how to grown container plants: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.htmL
 * 66 things you can grow in a container: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/sixtysixthings-growhome-containers-withoutgarden.html
 * Powerpoint: [[file:CommunityBasedProjectFinal.ppt]]
 * Proposal: [[file:CommunityBasedProject.doc]]