Students in Silver Spring are learning how to dish some dirt—literally. St. Francis International School has a working garden that’s tended by the students, and it’s helping to teach them many different lessons according to an article on the Gazette web site.
The planting of seeds and tending to the growing flowers and vegetables are what get students interested. From there, teachers tie in lessons such as why early civilizations sprang up near waterways. In deciding what to grow and sell to raise funds for a class trip, the eighth grade is learning math and economics. And of course there will be instruction in how to prepare wonderful dishes with the food they’ve grown.
Currently the garden consists of eight beds that are four feet by four feet as well as some edible fruit trees and bushes. However, a recent grant will allow the school to begin building a 20 x 12 foot greenhouse as well. Given enough room, students might be able to plant and grow some of their favorite things and then take them home to their own gardens.
Many of the current students live in urban areas so they don’t get to experience the wonder of growing the food that they eat. It’s a real joy for them to see how a strawberry grows or where a tomato comes from. And of course, there’s that age-old fun of digging in the dirt. A garden is more than a garden when it’s truly an outdoor classroom.
This is just another example of the great educational opportunities for children in the DC Metro Area.
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