How To Teach Science With A Garden (& Maths, Languages and Life Orientation, Too!)

Complete v2 teaching pack
Everything you need to run the FTS garden project across the curriculum.
Marc Robson & Chirag Patel
Produced in conjunction with
Designed for grades 5 & 6, but easily scalable to any grade with increased task complexity
031 261 3177/ NPO # elet@elet.org.za 1357/8701507
This product can be freely used in classrooms, at homes and in communities Any person may use as much or as little of it as they want, and adjust it to suit their operational needs. The material herein may also be distributed to anyone who needs it and will make use of it.
Introduction
This is the document includes weeks 0 6 course material designed to integrate the practice food gardening (or gardening in general) with elements of the Natural Sciences, Life Orientation, Languages and Maths curriculum. It is presented in order from 0 6, each week starts with a poster and ends with the lesson plan. Outlines Course outline (weeks 1 12) and curriculum integration grid (weeks 1-6 & 7-12).
p. 3-5
Week 0: Growing Food Easily (+ Introductory material). The poster serves as a curiosity inclusion into the educational environment. The teacher does not draw attention to it thus allowing learner curiosity to discover it, and the idea it represents. The introductory material provided allows the teacher to think about bringing in-the-garden activities into the classroom. p. 6 Week 1: Nutrition: Plants as food. Teaching begins, built around activities i.e. showing them rather than telling, by allowing the learners in class time to work in the garden. Also the teacher encourages the learners to take responsibility for the gardens. p. 11 Week 2: Digging a permaculture bed (+ teacher support material). This poster tells the learner how prepare a garden at home (& in the school), which is something they will be encouraged to do. The Natural Science lesson has the class looking at the importance of the soil in this process. p. 18 Week 3: Photosynthesis (+ teacher support material). Here the learner students are encouraged to examine through maintaining the garden the idea of cycles and eco-systems. p. 25 Week 4: Grow your own Food at Home (+ Student support material). In this focus is drawn to the idea that you can take knowledge home, into the community and by growing food to feed the self. It builds on what has come before, reinforcing cycles. p. 32 Week 5: Improving the Local Environment. A theme of the course is that the learner can act to improve their local environment, making it more productive and beautiful to live in. This environment is the school, the home, and the community even the city. p. 39 Week 6: Seed Plant Seed life cycle (+ glossary). Here the learner is returned to the idea of responsibility for their garden; and asked to look after it and check up on it, even during the holiday pushing the idea of environmental responsibility and sustainability by practice. p. 45 Week 7: Harvesting Seeds. The learners returning from a long break will be asked to reflect on what has changed within the garden since they went away. Have they maintained the garden? If they had what would have been different? What has affected the garden? These issues drive observation a key ingredient of Natural Science. p. 52 Week 8: Mulch, Chop and Drop.
Here the learner is asked to think about sustainability, and is required to be creative with the resources they, and the community, have available. p. 59
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Week 9: Food security; It is what matters. Poverty is more than not having money. This section drives the idea that simply because one does not have money does not mean you are poor. There are other resources, like land, skills, and human labour and these can be used productively to alleviate poverty (which is not having food security). p. 66 Week 10: Companion Planting Here the learners are asked to prepare material for other students within their school. This material will be used to introduce the garden project beyond the classroom. They are also encouraged to talk about gardening with their peers. p.72 Week 11: Ecosystems The project of helping others discover what is possible though the garden continues from last week. Here the learners are asked to make more material as well as help their peers start gardening. p.78 Week 12: Replanting What goes into organising an event? The learners are encouraged to set up a parent/community day at their school where they can show off the garden to the community. This will encourage community involvement in the success of the school and project. p. 84 Companion planting guide & master gardening table p. 90
Weeks 1 - 12 outline
Wk 0 1 Course activity
Garden preparation Seedling distribution I
Poster
Food security, growing food Healthy eating (N/A)
Theme
Teacher Material
Activities
Preparatory material Garden dig Intro to food Fun in the garden, gardening & planting and seeds environmental ideas Habitats & decomposition Responsibility, planting and the lizard island.
Nutrition, Plants and healthy living
Seed distribution I Seed distribution II
Double digging
For plants its all about the soil For plants its all about the soil (continued)
Photosynthesis
The soil, sun and rain Maintaining soil photosynthesis quality Expanding the garden
Home planting Grow your own I food
Taking the garden home Energy from plants to influence the environment Life in the garden and environment What to do about the holidays? (N/A) Glossary: Common terms encountered over the weeks (N/A)
5 6
Home planting Improve your II environment Garden Plant life cycle: preparation for seed - seed the holidays ((After break))
Insects, insect hunt and insect house Exchanging knowledge and preparing for the holidays Getting seeds from the fruit and veg you buy
Harvesting seeds Change over time.
Expanding around the school I Expanding around the school II Expanding around the school III
Mulch, Chop And Sustainability, outreach Drop and the community Food Security: it is what matters Sustainability, outreach and the community (more). Introducing the garden to others within the School. Teaching others about gardening. A Parent/Community day.
Sustainable Maintaining the Community outreach garden. (N/A) Using local resources.
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Companion Planting
(N/A)
Preparing materials for other students to use. Talking to others about the garden. Thinking about what goes into organising an event.
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Expansion into Ecosystems community I Expansion into Re-planting community II
(N/A)
12
(N/A)
Full curriculum integration outline (weeks 1-6)

Wk/Act
0. Garden dig (N/A) Record and observe changes in the environment using appropriate language. AA: Give the class space and time to, in English, discuss and name their group appropriately.
English
(N/A)
LO
(N/A)
Maths
Natural Science
(N/A)
2. Fun in the garden, planting and seeds
The importance of vegetables in a healthy diet, gardening and growing food. AA: Draw a plate, with the fruit and vegetables they like to eat Maintaining a sustainable environment we can live in. AA: Ask older members of the community if they can identify any local plants/flowers/fruits you can eat; tell the class. Maintenance a healthy and sustainable environment for all. AA: Prepare a poster informing people they can grow food at home? Ask if you can dig a garden at home. Using skills learnt at school and in class to help develop and maintain a healthy home and community environment. This weeks core LO activity: see languages.
How many beds/students are there? AA: How many garden beds would you need if everyone in the school, in groups of four, had a garden? What about groups of five? Measure gardens, count plants and plant types growing. AA: What is the area of the gardens? How many seeds/seedlings could we plant with 15cm spacing between each? Measure the length of each side of your bed; then draw and work out the area of it. Each bed can be divided into regular triangles/rectangles. AA: Work out the areas of two more beds. Working out the soil volume in your bed (dug to 60cm) vs. the traditional bed (hoed to 20cm). What is the ratio of bed volume to surface (ground) area? AA: how many tyres would you have to pile up to get this ratio. Look around the garden; what conclusions you can draw? i.e. If you water more, plants will grow more, If the soil is pale, it is poor. AA: add another sentence (i.e. too much water will wash away roots; and can be fixed with compost). Draw conclusions about what will happen over the next few months, i.e. if no one waters the plants, they might die of thirst. If the goats get in, they will eat all the plants. AA: add a sentence (i.e. so we must have a rota, so the fence must be secure.)
Introduce that without plants there could be no life; plants are food for all animals and humans.
Record and observe changes in the environment using 2. appropriate language. AA: Responsibility, Suggest the students start a planting, lizard dictionary to record new island. (English) words and their meaning. AA: Suggest students find Zulu translations for terms in the dictionary, and continue to expand it. Also Write a paragraph about how you feel working in the garden.
To introduce that plants need the soil to grow; extending there could be no life without plants into there could be could be no life without soil Move from there could be could be no life without soil to directed activities which will help improve soil quality; also introduce photosynthesis. Develop an understanding of gardening concepts by applying knowledge beyond the school. AA: Compare soil quality at home and school. Test for dryness, heaviness, darkness, lumpiness, and worms/ insects. Make detailed observations about the world and how it fits together. AA: draw an insect and label its parts. Which parts do all insects have? What are those parts called on humans?
3. Maintaining soil quality
4. Expanding the garden
Generate usable material appropriate to the learners home/community context. This weeks core activity is to translate the dig post into Zulu. Generate language for describing and understanding the environment. AA: Describe where, when and how the insects were found. Include what the insect looks and feels like, and if it made sounds. Go over the workbook dictionaries and compare them to the glossaries provided. The learners must discuss and exchange the terms they have in their garden dictionaries. This is the core activity for the week.
5. Insects, insect hunt and insect house
To develop awareness, in the learners, that the environment is inhabited by many different creatures. AA: Have each group must draw one of the insects they found in their workbooks. Learners must take responsibility for the longterm/ongoing sustainability and success of projects, like the garden. AA: Write down what you want to do in ten years, in twenty years. Will you have your own family? What job do you want to do? What do you need to now to make it happen?
6. exchanging knowledge and getting the garden ready for the holidays
Examine the fact that often things happen over time and in stages. The garden is a growing and changing entity, and like everything else has long-term as well as shortterm needs. AA: Find out how long trees can live for and grow, ask gogo.
Full curriculum integration outline (weeks 7-12)

Wk English
Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment. AA: Get the students to describe, in writing, the differences between a home garden and the school garden after the holiday. See Natural Sciences activity for detail and examples.
LO
The maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. AA: Ask the students to compare a garden maintained at home with the garden at school after the holidays. What differences are there between the two gardens? What difference can they make to the environment by working with it?
Maths
The students should be able to estimate the difference in the garden from before the holiday with after the holiday. AA: From natural science activity: which measurements are qualitative (descriptions) and which are quantitative (numbers)? Map data for all gardens and give totals and averages. Which plants were successful and which werent. What proportion of plants grew successfully? How much variety is there in their growth? Numbers ready to harvest vs. still have a long time to go? AA: Design a poster showing all of the information in the activity that will help someone wanting to plant at home. How much available growing area is there in the school? Remember, you can grow plants in window boxes and planters, and you can grow some plants inside. AA Work out how much your family would save if you could make your own bread and pap. How many plants can you fit in your bed given 30cm spacing, and how many with 15cm? What happens if the spacing is less than 15cm? AA: Help a student from a lower grade find and mark about a garden space. The space should be 1 meter by 2 meters, about the size of a door.
Natural Science
Compare your garden to the two next to it. What measurable differences are there? These could include amount of weeds & plants, plant height, soil colour, and amount of brown leaves. AA: Choose something to measure and measure your garden and three others so you can compare them all on one page. Expand on the harvesting seeds and seed-plant life cycle posters, by looking at the place and function of seeds in plants and food. AA: Design a poster explaining the growth cycle, photosynthesis, or some other aspect of ecosystems that you have learned about. To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. AA: Draw pictures of different seed pod types. Why are they this shape? What is their life cycle, and how do they move around? To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the garden environment and use that information. AA: Go through your curriculum and find something you have covered in the garden. Write notes on what you have learned about that topic from the garden. To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the environment and use that information. AA: Go through over your notes and find something you have covered in the garden. Is there anything new you have learnt about that topic? To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the environment and use that information (see languages). AA: Go through over your notes and find something you would like to tell your parents about. Is there anything new you have learnt about that topic?
Design poster/pamphlet material, with appropriate information, encouraging more community participation in growing food. AA: translate one of the course posters into Zulu.
Expand on the idea of sustainable living. Reach out to the community and encourage them to work together on food gardening projects. AA: Design a poster encouraging community interaction with the school and the gardens of learners. The transmission of skills/knowledge into the home/community. AA: Find out what foods have become significantly more expensive in the last three years, and see if you can work out why. For example, bread is more expensive because any corn crops failed. The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Have the learners think about what to do with the school garden crops. AA: What do you want the garden to do for you? Will it be focused around food, wildlife, prettiness, something else, or a combination of them all?
The ability to generate functional and useful material appropriate for describing elements of the environment. AA: Make a list of the resources other than money that are most important for people to both live and thrive, why they are important, and how people usually get them.
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Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment, especially to younger learners within the school. AA: Rewrite one of the previous activity sheets for a lower grade.
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Draw a food web of the plants, insects, and animals in the garden. Develop an ability to use language to The maintenance of healthy and Remember to include worms, receive and transmit information about sustainable environment we can all humans, and bacterial life in the soil. the environment, especially to younger live in. Have the learners think about AA: What would be the effect of learners within the school. AA: Rewrite what to do for their community. AA: changing these? For example, if you one of the previous activity sheets for a Design a poster listing all the ways in want more chickens, you need more lower grade (do not pick the activity which a food garden can help the plants and insects, but you could not sheet from last week). community. feed many more people. It takes 20x more land to feed a meat eater than to feed a vegetarian; why is this so? Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment, especially to younger learners within the school. AA: Update the glossary, are there any terms you have encountered from over the last six weeks not in the glossary that should be.
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The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Have the learners think about what to do for their community. AA: Design two posters for the classroom wall telling your parents about what you have been doing and learning in the garden.
Develop a logistical sense in the learner. AA: How many parents would come to the parent day if all the students parents came? How much Juice and how many biscuits would you need for the parents? How much would all that cost?
Week 0: Did you know that you can grow your own food?
Growing food is easy!
To grow your own food there are things you need:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) A place to grow plants Soil for plants to grow in Seeds to plant and grow Water to help your plants grow Sunlight, free from the sun
Once you have prepared the garden, all you have to do is watch your plants grow.
Growing food is fun!

Did you know? All energy for life comes through plants from the sun.
This outline will help you bring the garden, and the learners experiences of gardening, into the classroom. The garden can become a place of experiment, design and creativity; and through active engagement the garden will become a teaching resource.
Aside from producing food, the project teaches students about their relationship with the environment. It emphasises that this relationship is not passive; that they can shape their world through thought and careful action. All it takes is thinking, planning, and an experimental attitude. Instead of hurrying into gardening, we should first carefully observe, and think of what will work best in the situation; gardening is about reflection, and providing time for thought.
The garden and the school

The garden is that it is not just for growing food; it is a way of helping/encouraging learners to engage with material in the curriculum by taking an active role in the way their school looks and what it produces. Gardening offers students a way of becoming involved with the school as an environment, allowing them to manipulate and shape that environment while remaining safe. They also learn a wide range of practical and personal skills, including observation, planning, problem solving, and responsibility. Finally, it will give them a meaningful sense of accomplishment and self-worth because at the end of the program their own gardens, both at the school and at their home, will be producing food.
The garden as a teaching/learning space:

The garden is a space that can be used creatively to introduce new ideas to the learners, and a helpful teaching resource. We will be providing materials to help with integrating the garden into English, Natural Science, LO, and Maths. It provides the perfect place for showing how different subjects relate to each other; for example, through nutrition and food security, it brings Life Orientation into the Natural Science class. The garden thus becomes a classroom as well as a resource which can be used within the classroom.
Question: What can you teach with a garden? Answer: Natural Science, Community Awareness, Health and Personal development, the importance of looking after the environment All it takes is imagination.
There are many possible ways to use the garden as an educational resource. A few of those possibilities will be outlined, but you can use the space in other creative ways as well. Each following item is an idea that you will be able to teach to your students in the classroom using the garden, and will be reinforced by learner activities within the garden.
On the next page you will find a list of terms and each will have a highlighted definition in bold, look out for them.
Examples for teacher use

The Environment
The environment is a place populated by people, animals and plants that surrounds, and supports all of us. But it is also a space that can be managed, influenced and shaped by our actions. In biology, environment refers to the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the region in which an organism lives. Since human beings are also organisms, the environment refers to all the conditions that influence human life. Physically, it is where we live, work, socialise and play. Chemically and biologically, it refers to what we eat or drink as well as what we do (i.e. how we use our bodies). The garden is part of our environment: it affects our physical conditions, by making the school look/feel nicer. It attracts insects and butterflies, and monkeys might try to steal the food growing in it. It affects us chemically and biologically, because the learners will be out in the garden, working with their bodies, to produce food to fuel those bodies. The garden also shows learners how to positively influence their environment; that they can shape and change the conditions where they live, work and play. All it takes is thinking, planning and action.
Your garden will become a functioning ecosystem; A space where the students can work with their environment, Their first laboratory and a place of experimentation In the garden one must observe, plan, design and think as well as plant.
Ecology and Ecosystems

We live in an environment populated with people, places, plants and animals. These people, places, plants and animals all form an ecosystem. Ecology is the study of the interrelationships between those organisms and their environments. An ecosystem is a biological community and the physical environment associated with it. The physical environment includes the role and function of soil in the life cycle of plants, animals and a healthy environment, as well as effects of the climate and rain levels on the environment. A biological community would include the plants, animals and us, and how we all function in relationships with each other. The garden is an ecosystem, and in studying it we can become ecologists: It can be used to teach the essential role played by plants in human life and to life in general. As a teacher, you can use the garden to talk the importance of plants from a nutritional perspective, for example how plants are our food, as well as food for other animals (like monkeys and insects). As an ecosystem the garden also supports lizards which eat the insects that eat the plants. An understanding of ecosystems and biological communities will be applied to the learners garden design: plants which can support each other will be introduced, and certain insects and lizards will be encouraged, since they eat other creatures that are dangerous to our plants (i.e. we will introduce natural predators to control pests rather than using pesticides). Through the garden, the learners will build a functioning ecosystem.
Permaculture
Permaculture simply refers to the primary method of gardening that will be used in the school, and the learners. It combines two words to create sustainable environments for us to live in: Permanent + Agriculture. The idea behind permaculture is to create a system that will continuously produce food without damaging the environment or requiring damaging materials like chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Permaculture incorporates the ideas of ecosystems and ecology. Therefore In the garden the learners will learn how to work with nature and natural systems to produce food, bringing together traditional techniques with modern science to grow their gardens. The principal of permaculture is to work with nature; to spend time observing, thinking and planning rather than just working thoughtlessly. The learners will be looking at the plants, insects and animals within the garden as an ecosystem. Examine their relationships with each other and to the garden as a natural system, and then use these observations to improve upon the garden. Remember: A healthy garden environment is one that includes insects, lizards, herbs, worms, vegetables and trees in harmony. Using these together within the garden will create a healthy ecosystem.
Good work and science requires observing, thinking and planning, not just thoughtless work. People should be encouraged to think carefully before they act, and thinking requires that a person pay careful attention to what is going on around them.
Community
A community is the environment that we inhabit. In biology, a community is a naturally occurring group of plants and animals living in a defined area (their habitat). Remember that we are a natural species, so there is the human community as well as a human habitat. Human community can be viewed from many levels: a) the people living in one locality, b) a group of people sharing common ethnic, cultural, or religious characteristics, or c) the public in general; i.e. society. All of these levels of human community affect us in various ways, and we can influence our community positively. In the same way we shape our environment, we shape our community it is as easy as growing food. One of the basic requirements in any community is food security, and through the permaculture garden we offer food security to people in their community. Simply in Feeding The Self well the local community will be positively changed. This will also give the learner a true sense of self-worth, in that they will be able to take practical skills out into their community.
The community is the environment. An environment inhabited by people is a community. Outreach and Responsibility
The final layer of this educational system is to encourage the learner to take and implement what they have learned responsibly into the community. The learner will then become a space for change within the community. And as the weeks of growth and gardening continue the learner will be encouraged to see it as their responsibility to take their skills (i.e. ability to produce food) out into the community.
Over the next twelve weeks you will be creating a garden and growing food. As you read below you will find some helpful tips on how to plant and some activities you will do in the garden and in the classroom.
The first things you will need to create a garden are space, plants, seeds and effort. All the elements are in place; there is plenty of space, and seeds are cheap, so all we need to make the garden happen is planning, thinking and then planting. This project will help you learn everything you need to feed yourself and your family for as long as you are willing.
Did you know that all the vegetables you eat were planted and grown in gardens? And this is something you can do for yourself.
For a successful garden you will need some simple tools, seeds and plants, which we will provide. A trowel: Seed trays: A trowel is a small spade used for digging and planting seeds or plants. A seed tray is a tray used to seed certain varieties of plants. Like children, seeds need a safe space to grow before they can be introduced into the world.
The word used for when the seed first shoots (starts to grow) is germination.
Seedlings: Seeds: A seedling is a young plant or a plant which has recently germinated (i.e. started growing). Some seeds are best grown first in seed trays and then moved into the garden. All plants start out as seeds. Some seeds are best planted in seed trays (e.g. cabbage, eggplant, spinach and tomato). Other seeds can be planted directly into the garden (eg. radish, beans, peas and carrots). Potting soil is a special mixture of soil and plant matter good for seed trays and growing pot plants in. This is made from layering unused plants and vegetables with soil for a few months. It helps the plants grow faster and stronger. It is very concentrated, so remember to only use small amounts of compost. Most of what a plant needs to grow is already found in the soil.
Potting Soil: Compost:
Before you start planting: 1) Talk in your groups about what you think your garden will look like when it has grown. 2) Think about how you want the garden to look. 3) Talk about what types of food you might like to try and grow in the garden. 4) Also think about what you could do with all the food you are going to grow. 5) Remember to have fun.
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Week 1: Plants as food
Vegetables are an important part of any healthy diet, and life
Sugar for energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre even protein all come from fruit and vegetables, and your body needs all of these to work well and stay healthy.
But where do the sugar, vitamins, minerals and fibre in the plant come from?
Sugar (or glucose), and vitamins are formed in plants by photosynthesis (taking energy from the sun). Minerals are taken from the soil by plants and used to grow. Fibre comes from the cell walls of plants, which are formed as the plant grows.
Did you know? Photosynthesis (taking energy from the sun) in plants is the source of all the sugars; even carnivores (meat eaters) get sugars from plants by eating the herbivores.
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1: Getting your hands dirty.

1: Check your garden
1) Find your group garden space. 2) With your hands, trowels or garden forks check the soil of your garden: Remove any small stones, root material, grass and/or litter you find on, or near to the soil surface. 3) Tidy up any litter around your garden.
2: Plant seedlings
You have been provided with seed trays, some of the seed trays already have seedlings. To remove seedlings from the white seed trays: 1) Find a pencil, or old pen. 2) At the base of each tray compartment is a small round hole. 3) Push the back of pencil/pen into the hole to push the seedling out of the compartment. 4) Dig a small hole with your fingers. 5) Put the seedling into that hole. 6) Make sure that the leaves of each seedling remain above the soil surface, exposed to sunlight. 7) To help the seedlings grow, you can sprinkle a little compost around the plant. Remember that the soil has all the food the plant needs so only use a very little compost.
Remember: Be gentle when you remove the seedlings.
Plants need sunlight to grow. They have Chlorophyll in their leaves; this allows plants to convert the suns energy into fuel for growing. This is called photosynthesis. This is why the leaves must be given lots of sunlight.
3: Seeds
As a group you have been given bean, pea, marigold and radish seeds to plant in the garden, around the seedlings from the seed trays. Make the radish seeds make a pattern in your garden: 1) Discuss as a group what pattern you want to make in with your radish seeds. It could be: A square, circle, triangle or even a star be creative. 2) Use your finger to draw the pattern in the garden soil. 3) In the pattern sow the radish seeds. 4) Cover the radish seeds with soil. 5) In a few weeks your pattern will be outlined with radishes.
When you plant seeds you are sowing them. When you sow seeds you are planting them.
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4: Seed trays
Some of the seeds you have been given need to be planted in seed trays before you put them into the garden. You have been given black plastic seed trays, potting soil and seeds.
To prepare the seed tray: 1) Using your hands or trowel half full all the compartments in the tray with potting soil. 2) Place in each compartment one seed.
Remember: Record and label which seeds you plant in the seed trays. It is very important that you do this, ask your teacher for help.
3) Once you have planted your seeds you can cover the seeds and full the tray with potting soil. 4) Carefully water the seeds. Be careful: You do not need a lot of water; seeds are very small so only drink a small amount of water. 5) Put the seed trays in a place that gets shade and sunlight. And do not leave the trays inside all day; remember that plants need sunlight to grow.
5: Workbooks
Write about the garden in your workbook. Try the following but the workbook is yours! What does your garden looks like? Draw a map of the garden beds and their shape. How much have your plants grown? What type of plants/seeds are you growing? Are you having fun with the garden? Every week record how the garden changes and grows.
If you work together it will be more fun. Together you can do more than when you are alone. Together things will seem easier. Work with your group. Work together.
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1:
Introducing the Garden
Grade: Five, Six Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity Natural Sciences Nutrition, Plants and healthy living Discussion & Gardening Introduce the learners to the environment
Critical Outcomes: Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community. Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes. Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. Core Learning Outcome LO1: Scientific Investigations Assessment Standard Learners act confidently on their curiosity about natural phenomena; they investigate relationships and solve problems in Science, Technology and environment contexts. (AS 1, 2 & 3)
LO2: Constructing Knowledge
Science Learners know, interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge. (AS 1 & 2)
LO3: Science, Society and the Learners are able to demonstrate an understanding of the relationships Environment between Science and Technology, society and the environment. (AS 2)
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Mathematics Learning Outcome Assessment Standard
LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and Reasoning access, process and use information for learning. LO 1: Promotion Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health.
Languages
Life Orientation
LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and Development extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world. Knowledge Skills The importance of plant life for Reading and Writing to the environment and us. communicate and receive information appropriately. Values/Attitude Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements.
To be able to influence the Translation of written material to That you can work with, not environment positively. appropriate level for learner against, the environment to meet context. every day needs.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks.
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Introduction In class focus: The additional activities are optional and are suggestions for the subject being taught.
Natural Sciences: Introduce the idea that without plants there could be no life; and the importance of plants as food for all animals and even humans. Additional activity: Draw the solar energy cycle (sun -> plants -> people). Life Orientation: Discuss the importance of vegetables within a healthy diet. Taking responsibility for the garden space, and growing food. Additional activity: Tell the learners to draw a plate, and on the plate they should draw the fruit and vegetables they like to eat. Languages: Record and observe changes in the local environment using the appropriate language. See conclusion for suggested things to write, such as plant selection, group membership, etc. Additional activity: Give the class space and time to, in English, discuss and name their group appropriately. Maths: Draw the garden beds. How many beds are there? How many students are in the class? What size should each group then be? Additional activity: How many garden beds would you need if everyone in the school, divided into groups of four, wanted to start their own garden? What about groups of five? In class introduction (natural science) Introduce to the class that over the rest of the semester they will be working in, and learning about, the garden. (5m.) Introduce the words Environment and Ecosystem to the class. Explain to learners what the environment and an ecosystem are (see introductory material). (15m.) Ask the learners about their own experiences of the environment: Where do you (i.e. the learners) live? What type of plants and animals do they see in the environment? Who do they live with, who are their neighbours? Teach: Point out that this is all part of the environment and that they live in their environment and can improve it. (15m.) Development stage 1 (natural science/life orientation) Develop an understanding of the relationship we, life and the environment has with plants. Also we, and many animals, get most of our nutrition from eating plants. Ask the following questions: What vegetables do they most like to eat? What food do they eat? Do you eat more vegetables or more meat? What animals eat the vegetables and fruit you do?
Teach: Fresh vegetables (as food) are an essential part of a healthy diet. These vegetables and all plants are essential to life of earth and therefore to our environment: There would be no live on earth without plants. Also explain that they will be doing work out in the garden for the rest of the semester. Who would like to plant some vegetables? What vegetables do you think we should plant? (30m.) Teach: Remember that some vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet so we should plant them in our garden. Also: The garden as a part of the school environment/ecosystem and that they as learners will be
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changing the way the school looks, feels and what in produces. Encourage the learners: tell them they will be creating an ecosystem. (20 - 25m.) Development stage 2 (natural science/maths) Most of this will take place in the garden, so move the learners outside. 1) Divide the learners into project groups. 2) Explain that each group will be assigned an area and provided with vegetables, seeds and companion plants to plant. 3) Remind the students about the importance of plants as food. 4) Introduce the project-garden space. 5) Give the learners plants have and allow them to plant. 5.1) Planting seedlings 5.2) Planting radishes in patterns 6) Give them instructions for how to make seed trays. (60 - 80m.) Development stage 3 (life orientation/maths/English) 1) Discuss garden responsibilities: Explain that a healthy garden requires they watch the garden and make sure it stays healthy. 2) Assign each group daily responsibilities (for example, have the students pick up all the rubbish around the garden and throw it away). 3) Hand out workbooks: Each student must map out the garden in their workbooks and describe the shape of each garden bed (i.e. is it a circle or quadrilateral?). 4) Each group must discuss (in English) and come up with a name for their groups. Each name must be different and come from natural science (i.e. it could be an animal, insect or plant). (20 - 30m.) Conclusion (natural science/English) Tell the class that their workbooks are for writing notes about the garden and their plants. For example, they will build up a gardening dictionary through the activity sheets. This week, here are a few things they could write about; Who is in their group? What size and shape is their bed? What is the soil like? What plants did you plant? What shape did you plant your radishes in? What tasks have you been given? (Additional suggestions are included in the activity sheet.) (10 - 15m.) Assessment Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate in discussion an understanding of what an environment, or eco-system, is?
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Week 2: Digging a permaculture bed
The garden beds are home for your plants. To make this home nice and healthy for them, you must
Build UP
dig down or build up

Digging down
To dig down, you need a spade and a pick or pitchfork
1) Outline the area you are going to dig. 2) Remove grass, roots and stones from the garden bed. 3) Dig the bed to a depth of one spade head. (Keep the soil to the side of your bed) 4) Now take the pitchfork or pick and loosen the underlying earth. 5) Then return the soil you into the bed. (Your bed is now ready for planting)
Dig DOWN
Why dig so deep?
If you dig deep, you loosen the soil underneath your garden bed. The soil will then hold water better so you can water the plants less. The roots will also grow stronger and faster because the soil is looser.
Building up
You need soil a spade and something to hold the soil in place (like a pot).
1) Remove grass, roots and stones from the soil. 2) Line the bottom of the container with dry plant matter (mulch). 3) Full the container with the soil mix. 4) Make sure that the soil is loose. 5) The container is ready for planting.
Things you might use to build up with: 1) Two or three old tires packed on top of each other. 2) A deep old pot, wooden box or barrel with holes in the bottom. 3) Bricks or H-blocks to outline & create a garden bed.
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Plants, the soil and habitats.

The learners have now started planting in the garden and making seed trays. There is still much for them to do: build a lizard island and plant fruit trees, for example. The learners will need to see the soil and the lizard islands as habitats. Remember: Good habitats are essential to a healthy environment.
Habitat: A habitat is the place where plants, animals (organisms) live, and is characterized by its physical features (soil, climate, water sources, predators, etc.). In Natural Science, it is where the plant or animal grows, eats and reproduces. The plants or animals living in the habitat will do well if the habitat is healthy (i.e. having good soil, water and sunlight for plants). This changes per habitat; for example, the ideal habitat for acacia trees is very hot and dry, which would kill many of the plants in the garden. For plants their habitat is the soil. Using their root system, plants extract all the minerals and water they need to grow from the soil. If the soil is poor then the plants will not grow well, but if the soil is good then the plants will grow well. This is also why it is better to water under, rather than on top of, the ground. This week the students should build a Lizard Island, a habitat which will attract lizards into the garden. This will help the garden eco-system because the lizards will eat insects which could hurt the growth of their vegetables, and also poop in the garden. In the garden you can use nature as a friend to improve the growth of vegetables.
Certain plants (like Comfrey) will help other plants grow because they feed many of the minerals that other plants need in order to grow back into the soil.
Decomposition: Decomposition refers to when plants or animals decay. It is the breakdown of organic matter (once living) into its elements or parts. This simply means wood, leaves, branches, and roots of a plant will break apart into smaller and smaller pieces as they are eaten by microscopic life forms, worms and insects. This continues until there is nothing left of the original plant and all its elements and compounds have returned into the soil. These elements (like: carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, calcium, etc.) are then used by the next generation of plants to grow. Decomposition occurs naturally as leaves fall from trees and insects die, but you can help the cycle by creating mulch piles, compost heaps and worm farms. Compost is merely soil rich in decomposing plant matter, the same matter used by plants to grow. If soil quality is poor then adding compost can help create a balanced habitat for plants. Mulch is old grass, leaves and plant matter that has been left to dry. It aerates the soil, and provides carbon for small animals and worms (life) to eat. The top 10 cm of soil is rich in microbial life, which you can see from how dark the soil is (the darker the better). If you do not have compost then adding dark coloured topsoil (top 10 cm) or mulch to the garden will also help.
In biology many worms are called detrivores (detri = decaying + vore = eats) and are therefore decomposers. A detrivore eats decaying and dead plant matter which helps in decomposition. This is why earthworms are important to the soil, as they help breakdown plant matter into the elements (minerals and nutrients) used by plants for growth.
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2: Lizards can Help

Soil is the most important element to growing a healthy garden.
One: Check your garden

1a) b) c) d) e) Make sure your garden is growing well. Clean up any litter from your garden and the area surrounding the gardens. In the workbooks write what your garden looks like. Measure how tall three different types of plant are, keep the results in your workbook. Have fun!
Answer the following questions: What would make the garden look nicer or healthier? Do you see any insects in the garden? How much have the plants grown since you planted them? Have the seeds you have planted started to grow yet?
Two: The soil.

2a) b) Examine the soil around the garden bed: run your hands through the soil and crush the soil between your fingers (Remember not to stand on the garden bed!). What does the soil looks like? What colour is it? How does it feel? Ask your teacher about why. For example, if the soil is dark, it is full of life; if it is lumpy and heavy, it has a lot of clay in it; if its pale or sandy it will need compost or topsoil to bring life back to it. Find and examine soil away from the garden: run your hands through the compost, crush it between your fingers. What does the soil looks like? What colour is it? How does it feel? Write down what the soil was like (Remember dark, loose soil is the best for growing!). Later, you can compare how well plants grow in different soils at the school and at home.
c) d) e)
When plants die they return all their health and goodness to the soil. They do this by decomposition. Decomposition refers to when a plant (the stem, leaves, roots and branches) break up and return minerals to the soil. Try to find dry grass/plant matter (organic material) and spread it around your plants; this is called mulch and will help the plants grow by stopping the soil from drying out.
Three: The Lizard Island

You want lizards in the garden! They eat the insects that eat your vegetables. To get lizards build them a habitat.
3a) b) c)
Search the school grounds for either stones or logs to build the Island with. Chose a quiet location within the garden to build the Lizard Island. Build the lizards a little Island out of the logs and stones to live in. Arrange the stones and wood carefully to give the lizards space to live in. The lizards will eat the insects in the garden.
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2:
The Soil and the Environment

Grade: Five, Six
Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity
Natural Sciences For plants its all about the soil Discussion, Planting & Gardening Introduce the learners to the importance of soil for a healthy environment
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Maths Learning Outcome Assessment Standard LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement Languages LO 4: Writing The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts. The learner is able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.
LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and Reasoning access, process and use information for learning. Life Orientation LO 1: Promotion Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health.
LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and Development extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world.
Knowledge
Skills
Values/Attitude
The importance of plant life for the Reading and Writing to Encourage and develop natural environment and us. communicate and receive curiosity about the world and its information appropriately. elements. To be able to influence the Translation of written material to That you can work with, not environment positively. appropriate level for learner against, the environment to meet context. every day needs.
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Introduction In class focus Natural Sciences To introduce the idea that plants need the soil to grow; extending there could be no life without plants into there could be could be no life without soil and the minerals within the soil. Life Orientation The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Additional activity: Ask some older members of the community if they can identify any local plants/flowers/fruits you can eat; tell the class what you find. Languages Record and observe changes in the local environment using the appropriate language. Additional activity: Suggest the students (if they have not already) start a dictionary to record new (English) words and their meaning from the garden. Maths Measure the area of the garden beds, count how many plants your group is growing (and how many types) and space new seeds/seedlings. Additional activity: What is the area of the garden beds? How many seeds and seedlings could we plant with 15cm spacing between each? In class introduction: (Natural Science) Remind the class they will be working in, and learning about, the garden. Briefly discuss the terms Environment and Ecosystem with the class and explain that ecosystems (especially plants) require healthy soil, with nutrients and minerals. (10 15m.) Ask the learners to relay their own experiences of their environment/garden: What did you notice about the soil when you were planting? What type of insects did the find in the soil? Was the soil sandy and dry or full of clay and damp? What did they add to the soil to improve it? Teach: Point out that the soil contains minerals which plants need to grow well and that these minerals can be put into the soil for the plants. (15m.) Development stage 1: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Develop an understanding of the relationship we, life and the environment has with soil. Some questions to ask: What do plants need to grow well? What food does a plant need? Where does a plant get its food from? Teach: Point out that through roots plants draw much of that they need directly from the soil. The soil is the source of a plants food and water. Do they know of any animals that live inside the soil? Do they know what happens to plants when they die? Teach: Soil is essential to life on earth (and therefore our life) no live without soil. Explain that they can do things to ensure that the soil is healthy for their gardens. (30m.) Ask: Who can think of things we could do to improve life in the soil? What animals or plants do they see growing, living in the soil? Teach: Remember that maintaining the environment is an essential part of healthy living because we live in the environment and get our food from it. Also the soil is very important to the garden and is part of their garden ecosystem and they can help plants grow by looking after it by creating an environment which encourages the presence of worms and insects in the soil and predators to eat pest. This will help the garden grow! (10 15m.)
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Development stage 2: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Most of this will take place in the garden. 1) Divide the learners into their project groups. 2) Hand out activity sheets to the learners. 3) Explain that each group must check their garden and remove any rubbish from their garden space this forms part of the maintenance of the garden (this must be done weekly). 4) Introduce that the learners should: 4.1) build a lizard Island/habitat, 4.2) plant the indigenous flower to attract butterflies, 4.3) plant the flowers and plants to help their garden health. 5) Give the learners seeds and allow them to plant. (60 80m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Science/Languages/Life Orientation) 1) Discuss garden responsibilities: Explain that a healthy garden requires they remain observant. 2) Check-up: Ask the learners record what they would like to do with their workbooks. 3) Explain to the learners that they will be given seeds to take home and plant. And that they should tell their families about the school garden. (20 - 30m.) Conclusion: (Natural Science/Languages/Life Orientation) Remind/encourage the class to use their workbooks for writing notes about the garden and their plants. For example, they will build up a gardening dictionary through the activity sheets. This week, here are a few things they could write about; What is an ecosystem? What insects did they see in the garden? What is the soil like? What plants would they like to plant? Have they seen any growth in their plants? What tasks have you been given? (10 - 15m.) Assessment Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate in class/written discussion an understanding of the importance of environmental/soil maintenance?
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Week 3: Photosynthesis
From the sun:
comes sunlight, which is energy.
The sunlight is caught by chlorophyll inside plant cells; this chlorophyll then turns sunlight into vitamins and sugars.
Chlorophyll is why leaves are green .
When chlorophyll makes energy from the sun (light) into energy for plants and all life (sugar) it is called photosynthesis.
Sunlight does one more thing: It helps plants pull water and nutrients out of the soil and up through roots using evaporation.
Did you know? Even humans need sunlight to grow and live properly; our bodies need sunlight to produce Vitamin D, which is important to virtually everything in the body.
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3: The soil, sun and rain

The garden has experienced the positive and negative effects of rain and sunshine. These positives and negatives make good teaching material.
The sun and seedlings in the seed trays: When making seed trays it is important that they get enough sunlight, but not too much. A lack of sunlight will cause the seedlings to die, just as too much sunlight can. Too little sunlight will cause the seedlings to grow tall too quickly as they look for the sun, making them very weak; too much sun will dry the seedlings out too quickly, and they will not germinate properly. Just as human cells burn fats and sugars for energy, so do plants; however, they get their sugar from photosynthesis (photo (light) + synthesis (making a new thing)). All plants need sunlight to photosynthesize, and they need to photosynthesize to grow. Photosynthesis converts the energy of the sun (light) into energy for their growth (glucose). But seedlings are young and sensitive, so the sun can also hurt them. Something to think about: A duty with the seedlings is to make sure the seedlings get enough sunlight, but no too much. This means during longer breaks someone responsible should watch the seedlings.
Glucose: Is a sugar, like fructose and sucrose, and the main source of energy in all living things, both plants and animals. Without sugars nothing would have the energy to live and grow. Without photosynthesis there would be no glucose, and so without photosynthesis there would be no energy for life.
Did you know? Even carnivores get their sugar/energy from plants photosynthesising. They get their glucose from the fat of the animals they eat, because bodies store sugars (energy) in fat cells. So there really could be no life on earth without plants and photosynthesis. Even oil and coal (fossil fuels) which we burn for electricity is energy created by the process of photosynthesis in plants; it was simply photosynthesis that happened in plants many millions of years ago (for example, during the time of the dinosaurs). Leaching and the rain: Leaching in science means to remove the soluble components of a solid mixture by percolating (i.e. running) something through it. So if you run water (a liquid) through soil (a solid mixture) the water will pick up minerals, nutrients and other bits from inside the soil. Think about when you run water through soil the clear water becomes brown and dirty (try this as an experiment). This is because the water leaches out soluble material from the soil which turns the water brown. Too much rain can be bad because it can leach from the soil minerals and nutrients plants need to remain healthy, but this can be fixed. Leaching may even change the colour of the soil and make it paler. This is why there is a layer of mulch at the bottom of each bed we have dug, since this gives the bed a space for leeched materials and water to be retained. Adding dry plant matter (mulch: leaves, grass, bark and small twigs) to the soils surface as well as layer underneath the bed will stop leaching and slowly replace any lost nutrients. But plants also need water to grow, especially if it is hot (i.e. like in Durbans summer). Compost, mulch and nutrients: On forest floors and in other plant-rich areas there is a layer of detritus (organic material derived from dead and decomposing plants) called humus which gives soil its rich darkcolour and is the organic component of soil which is formed by decomposition. Compost is artificial humus and is the result of encouraging the activities of detrivores (like worms, bacteria, etc.) that help decomposition by eating decaying plant matter. In a compost pile we are create the conditions of decomposition which break down organic matter into minerals and nutrients that plants use for growth.
Remember: It is okay to get things wrong, as long as you move forward and learn from it. Some things in the garden will not work. That is okay; us it as a learning opportunity.
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3: Its all about the Soil

One: Maintaining soil quality
An easy way of maintaining soil quality is to create a compost pit. 1a) Select some ground that gets both sunlight and partial shade during the day. Mark a square on the ground that is 1 meter by 1 meter; near the garden. b) Dig out the marked area to a depth of 30 cm; or more simply start your pile on a flat surface. - A compost pile/pit needs heat to help the decomposition of the plant material. c) Deposit vegetable scraps, garden clippings and other fresh organic material (no animal/human waste) into the centre of the compost pit/pile. Also add in dried leaves, chopped twigs and brown organic material. - If the pile starts to smell then you have too much nitrogen in the mix; to fix this add dried crushed brown leaves/grass or generally mulch and soil into the compost and turn it. d) Turn the compost with a pitchfork every two weeks. Heap the material to the centre of each time, and add a shovel full of soil each time you turn it. Poke holes in the stack providing places for air to reach the inner layers. e) Maintain dampness by adding a little water to the pit if it becomes too dry. Cover the pit with black plastic during rainy spells to keep from getting too wet. f) Use the compost when it is thoroughly decomposed and crumbly. Mix into soil for nutrient rich organic gardening or place around established plants.
Compost and mulch are decomposing plant matter that returns minerals and nutrients to the soil. For compost a mix of 50% greens (for nitrogen) and 50% browns (for carbon) is best.
Two: Planting flowers and seeding the seed trays

You have been provided with potting soil and flower seeds. 2a) Mix the potting soil with some normal soil. Make sure the mix is loose (i.e. easy to run your fingers through). b) Fill the seed trays with the potting soil mix. c) With the food seeds add one seed to each compartment in the seed tray. Pack the seeds firmly into the mix then sprinkle a little water. d) Take the flower seeds you have been given; add some to your gardens and put the rest around the school. e) Discuss with your teacher and class when you the flowers will grow. Check the seed packet, it has helpful information. f) Record in your work book when the flowers you planted will bloom.
Remember to discuss the garden with your group and class, and to record (in your workbooks) any differences you have seen. Also, keep the garden clean from litter. Three: Preparing material to take home
You are going to be given seeds to take home and plant so: 3a) Think about and in your groups discuss what you have learnt about growing plants. b) With your group start writing material, like the digging poster, you can take home for your gardens. c) Maybe you can use some of the records in your workbook to help create gardening material? For example, you can redraw pictures from your workbooks on posters for your parents.
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3:
No Life without Soil
Grade: Five, Six Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity soil quality. Natural Sciences For plants its all about the soil (continued) Discussion, Planting & Gardening The learners discover they can apply understanding and directly influence
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Learning Outcome Maths LO 3: Space and Shape LO 4: Measurement Languages LO 4: Writing LO 5: Thinking and Reasoning LO 1: Health Promotion LO 3: Personal Development
Life Orientation
Assessment Standard The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts. The learner is able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes. The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, process and use information for learning. The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health. The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world.
Knowledge The importance of plant life for the environment and us.
Skills Reading and Writing to communicate and receive information appropriately. Translation of written material to appropriate level for learner context.
Values/Attitude Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements. That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
To be able to influence the environment positively.
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Introduction
In class focus Natural Sciences Move from there could be could be no life without soil and the minerals within the soil to directed activities which will help improve soil quality. Also introduce the idea of photosynthesis. Additional activity: The core activities this week are Natural Science activities. Life Orientation The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Additional activity: Prepare a poster informing people that they can grow food at home? Also ask if you can dig your own garden at home. Languages Record and observe changes in the local environment using the appropriate language. Additional activity: Suggest to the students (if they have not already) that they find Zulu translations for the words in their dictionary. Also they must continue to expand their dictionary. Maths Measure the length of each side of your bed, and draw it (to scale if desired). From this, work out the exact area of your bed. Each bed is shaped so it can be divided into regular triangles/ rectangles. Additional activity: Work out the areas of two more beds. In class: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Build on the terms Environment and Ecosystem: Explain to the class that they are creating an ecosystem for their plants and improving/maintaining their environment. Remind the learners that plants require healthy soil, rich in minerals and nutrients to grow. (15m.) Ask the learners about their experiences of the environment/garden: What did you notice about the soil when you were planting? What type of insects did they find in the soil? What colour was the soil? Was the soil sandy and dry or full of clay and damp? What did they add to the soil to improve it? After the rain do you think more compost and mulch should be added to the soil? Teach: (Old) Remember that the soil contains minerals which plants need to grow well and that these minerals can be put into the soil for the plants. (New) A way of putting nutrients into the soil and ensuring they remain in the soil is to add compost and mulch. They can easily make 1) a compost heap and 2) a mulch pile: 1) compost requires a pit to store organic matter (fruit and vegetable scrapes, i.e. orange peels or apple cores mixed with soil); 2) A mulch pile is grass, leaves and sticks left to dry. (15m.) Development stage 1: (Natural Sciences) Ask the students about their plants: What do plants need to grow well? What food does a plant need? Where does a plant get its food (energy) from? What can we do to improve our plants? Teach: Plants draw much of that they need directly from the soil; it is the source of a plants food (nutrients) and water. But there is one more thing that plants need to grow sunlight. Plants can draw energy directly from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis helps plants turn minerals, nutrients and water into sugar, and our bodies use sugar as energy for us. Remember: the sun, environment and planting are essential for our life. By adding compost/mulch to the soil is learners will be helping the plants grow. Also creating an ecosystem which encourages the presence of worms/insects in the soil and predators to eat those insects will be help the garden grow. (20 30m.)
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Development stage 2: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Most of this will take place in the garden. 1) Divide the learners into their project groups. 2) Hand out activity sheets to the learners. 3) Remind each group to check their garden and remove any rubbish from the area. 4) Activities: i) check the soil/plants ii) prepare a space to make compost and mulch iii) check/prepare the seed trays. (30 40m.) Development stage 3: (Natural science/Life Orientation/Languages) 1) Discuss garden responsibilities: Remind that a healthy garden requires they remain observant. 2) Check-up: learners must record what is happening in the garden in the workbooks. Teach: Explain that the learners will be given seeds/seedlings to take home and plant. But before they take the seeds/seedlings home they must prepare their own gardening guides, with all the information they have learnt, to help them, their families and people prepare a garden. 3) Give them time to, in groups, start their gardening guides. (50 60m.)
Conclusion: (Natural science/Life Orientation/Languages) Remind/encourage the class to use their workbooks for writing notes about the garden and their plants; this will also help them make their own gardening guides. This week, here are a few things they could write about: What do plants get from the soil? What is compost/mulch for? What is does photosynthesis do? What do the plants look like after the rain? Have they seen any growth in their plants? What did they learn this week? (10 - 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate in discussion an understanding of the relationship between the soil and plants within an environment, or eco-system?
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Week 4: Grow your own food at home
A garden improves the environment in lots of ways!
1) It makes a home more personal; more your home. 2) With flowers and indigenous plants, a garden improves the health of any local environment; with the right plants, it will also attract birds and butterflies. 3) The garden is relaxing and is a family/community activity. 4) It provides an additional source of food.
Gardening is fun and easy!
For a successful garden you need

1) 2) 3) 4) Space to dig a garden bed, or a container to plant in. Some tools: A spade or shovel, and a hoe, pick or pitchfork. Some seeds or seedlings to plant. Free time to spend in the garden.
Where can I find all these things?
All around you!

1) 2) 3) 4) Space: Look around you; talk to your neighbours, find old pots or tyres. Tools: Ask if you can borrow tools, but look after them! Seeds: You can get seeds from the fruit and vegetable you like to eat! Also, maybe gogo has some spare seeds? Time: With the help of friends or family there is lots of time.
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4: Energy from Plants
From the sun to us
What comes to earth from the sun? Energy (heat and light) comes to earth from the sun How does that energy get to earth? Energy comes to earth as sunlight, and is blocked by clouds and the atmosphere.
Energy & Sunlight
How plants use light.
Where do plants get energy from? Sunlight gives plants energy How do plants turn sunlight into energy they can use? Photosynthesis changes energy from sunlight into energy for plant development.
Inside plant cells chlorophyll changes energy from sunlight into sugar.
Where do we get energy from?
Everything needs energy to fuel growth, development, activity and healing. Humans (us) and all the animals get their energy from sugars. Humans and all the animals get sugar from plants. Plants make sugar using sunlight. Sunlight is energy from the sun.
So our energy (sugar) comes from eating plants!
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4: Garden, Garden everywhere

There are more seeds and seedlings growing in the seed trays, and they will soon need to be planted.
One: Expanding the garden at school

1a) Go over the poster on how to prepare a permaculture bed. b) Decide if you should build up or dig down to expand the garden space (why not try both in different beds?). c) Find and mark out the space for the expansion. Use sticks, rocks, string, or anything you can to outline the bed. d) Collect the things you will need; ask for help from your teachers and neighbours. e) With the help of your class and group, expand the garden.
Remember: with more people helping digging will be easier and faster. But also more fun!
Two: Translate the dig poster for your community

2a) Look at the how to prepare a permaculture bed poster carefully: What is important on the poster? How would you make the poster look? b) Discuss what the words on the poster could mean with your class/group. Do you know any Zulu words for them? c) In your groups design a poster that will be in Zulu: Discuss what you want the poster to tell people. d) Be creative!
Do not only translate the words on the poster! Make the poster your own; use your own words, and find/draw your own pictures. The most important thing is the information not the words!
Three: Try growing a garden at home

Have you thought of growing food at home, or with a friend near where you live? You can do this in almost any space; a tyre, or an ice cream tub for seedlings, for example. 1a) Look at the activities, and information, you have been given; could you do this at home? b) Go over your garden guides; could you do this at home or with a friend? c) Talk to your parents/neighbours about growing a garden, and give them the poster. d) Mark out where you want to put your garden. Remember what you learn e) Start the garden: all it takes is a little work, time and effort.
at school you can take home!
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4:
Improving our environment

Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Taking the garden home to influence the environment. The discussion and creation of garden guides for home. Preparing the learners to setting up food gardens at home and then within the community.
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Maths Learning Outcome Assessment Standard
LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts. The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, process and use information for learning.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and Viewing LO 5: Thinking and Reasoning
Life Orientation
LO 1: Promotion LO 2: Development
Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health. Social The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions.
LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and Development extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world. Knowledge The importance of plant life for the environment and us. To be able to influence the environment positively. Skills Reading and Writing to communicate and receive information appropriately. Translation of written material to appropriate level for learner context. Values/Attitude Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements. That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
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Introduction
In class focus Natural Sciences Demonstrate and develop understanding of some gardening concepts through the appropriate application of knowledge beyond the school and into learners home environments. Additional activity: compare soil quality at home and at school. Test for dryness, heaviness, darkness, lumpiness, and worms/ insects. Life Orientation Using skills learnt at school and in class to help develop and maintain a healthy home and community environment. This weeks core activity (the poster) is LO. Languages Generate usable material appropriate to the learners home/community context. This weeks core activity (the poster) is also languages. Maths Working out the soil volume in your bed (double dug, about 60cm) vs. the traditional bed (hoed, about 20cm). What is the ratio of bed volume to surface (ground) area? Additional activity; how many tyres would you have to pile up to get this ratio. In class: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Explain that they will be taking seeds/seedlings home for use in their home environment. To do this they must create (write/develop) their own garden designs and guides for home. Ask the learners about their home environment/garden: What did you notice about the soil where they live? What can they do about the soil at home? What sorts of plants would they like to grow at home? What about the neighbours: How do you get them involved with the garden? What about the parents: How do you get the involved with the garden? Teach: The terms Environment and Ecosystem do not just terms that apply to animals/nature; the environment is something they live in, can improve and maintaining, not just at school but also at home. They can use what they have learnt about soil, plants and planting to grow food at home; or just make their homes nicer by planting flowers. (15 - 25m.) Development stage 1: (Natural Science/Life Orientation) Teach: Everything they are doing in the school garden and for the school can be done at home. Ask the following questions: What do plants need to grow well? Could the needs be met at home or outside the school? What food does a plant need? Can this plant food be found at home? Where does a plant get its food from? Can soil for growing be found outside the school? How could this soil be used for growing at home? Teach: Plants grow almost anywhere all you need are soil, water and sunlight. In Durban the soil, water and sunlight are easy to find; so all a food garden needs is creativity, seeds and work. (20 30m.)
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Development stage 2: (Life Orientation/Languages) 1) Divide the learners into their project groups To get learners thinking seriously about the gardening guides, ask the following: Would people like to know they could easily grow food at home? What does a person new to gardening needs to know? What would people like to know about gardening? 2) Have the groups work on their garden guides. a) Explain that each group must think about what goes into their guides and be creative. b) Ask: What should go into the guides? c) Discuss and translate the dig poster into Zulu for the garden guides. d) Give the groups time during the week to work on their guides. 3) Finalising the guides: a) Ask: Is there anything else important for making a food garden? b) Peer learning: Have the groups check each others guides and offer advice. c) Edit the guide for taking home. (80 120m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages) In the garden: 1) Make sure the garden is tidy and watered. 2) Check on the seeds, seed trays and seedlings a) Assign/decide on who will watch the seed trays and seedlings over weekends. b) Divide up the provided seeds for taking home fairly. 3) Update the work books about the changes in the garden.
(40m.)
Conclusion: (Life Orientation) Remind/encourage the class to use their workbooks and reflect on what they have learnt from the garden. This week, here are a few things they could write about: What can you do for your community/home with a garden? Where are places a garden could grow well; at home or near to home? What does a plant need to grow? Are there lots of places where plants could grow? Who should I speck to about using that space? (10 - 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate through written work an understanding of their relationship with the environment, plants and the community?
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Week 5: Improving the Local Environment
The word to think of when improving local environments is indigenous
Indigenous: An indigenous plant is any plant that is naturally occurring to the local environment.
This means that it grows all by itself; humans did not bring it into the environment, and it does not need special conditions to grow in Many plants, especially most food plants like mealie, cucumber, tomato, and potato, are not indigenous, and were mostly brought to South Africa from Europe and the Middle East.
Why are indigenous plants good?
Indigenous plants improve the local environment by attracting more butterflies, insects and local wildlife than other plants, because local life is built to recognise them. This is good for the health of the environment, and reduces pests.
Indigenous plants are also an easy way to improve the environment!
1) Indigenous plants grow well locally without the help of humans. 2) An indigenous plant fits into the environment; so you do not need to change the soil, water the plant, add compost or anything else (although all of these will help the plant grow better). 3) All you have to do is prepare the soil properly, plant the tree or flower, and watch it grow.
Did you know? The reason we dont use indigenous plants for food crops is that they havent been selected/ bred for long enough (only a few hundred years). Most of the food plants we eat have been carefully bred for maximum growth and tastiness over thousands of years.
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5: Insects in the garden This week we will be learning about insects in the garden. To do this you will be outside catching them. One: A display house for insects
Before you go outside and hunt for insects you need some containers that can be used as a house for the insects. Things to think about when selecting the container (house): You want to be able to see the insects. You need to make air holes in the container (all life, including plants and insects, breathes). The container needs to hold the insect, and soil and plant matter for the insect in live/eat. Try and find two or three containers you could use to make your insect house.
Did you know? Some animals live by only eating insects. These animals are called insectivores; any animal that only eats insects is an insectivore. The Aardvark (a relative of the hyena) is an insectivore. Two: Hunting for insects
Remembe Insects are small, delicate and very good at hiding so you must look carefully. r In your groups go outside and look for insects. 2a) Look on plants, under stones and in the soil (everywhere) for insects and other forms of life. b) Remember where the insect you find lives, you need to make its house look like that. c) Do you think your insect eats plants or other insects? d) Think about which insects you want to catch and catch them. e) Write in your workbooks where the insect lives and what you think it eats. f) Watch the insect in the house: i) Is it eating the food you have given it? (Try different food types) ii) Is it growing? Does it hide, or stay in the open?
Did you know? If you added up the weight of all the insects in the world, they would weigh more than if you added up the weight of all the people in the world. Three: Build a house (habitat) for the insects
In the containers you brought to school build a house (habitat) for the insects: 3a) Add thin layer soil, old twigs, leaves and grass for the insect to live on. b) The habitat inside the house must be the same as the habitat you found the insect living in. c) Put the insect into its house. d) See if you can find out the name of your insect.
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5:
Fun with Insects
Grade: Five, Six Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Life in the garden and environment. Class discussion and an insect hunt. So the learners discover the world and life through careful observation, classification and interaction.
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LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts. The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, process and use information for learning. The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health. The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions. The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world. Values/Attitude Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and Viewing LO 5: Thinking and Reasoning
Life Orientation
LO 1: Health Promotion LO 2: Social Development LO 3: Personal Development
Knowledge Skills The world and life common their Reading and Writing to local environment. communicate and receive information appropriately. To be able to influence the To record elements of environment positively. environment meaningfully.
the That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks. Old containers (coke bottles, jam jars, etc anything clear)
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences

To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Additional activity: draw an insect and label its parts. Which parts do all insects have? What do we call those parts on humans?
Life Orientation
To develop awareness, in the learners, that the environment is inhabited by many different creatures. Additional activity: Have each group must draw one of the insects they found in their workbooks.
Languages
To generate language appropriate for describing and understanding elements of the environment. Additional activity: Describe where, when and how they found their insects. Include descriptions of what the insect looks and feels like, and if it made any sounds. Maths Look around the garden and see what conclusions you can draw from it. For example; if you water more, the plants will grow more. The traditional bed is a third as deep as the learner beds. If the soil is pale, it is poor. Additional activity: add another sentence to your conclusions (i.e. but too much water will wash away roots/ and so is easier to dig, but will produce less/ and can be fixed with compost) In class: Introduce to the learners that will be going outside to hunt for insects and other life. To do this each group must bring containers (e.g. old coke bottles, ice cream containers, jam jars, etc.) to school, which they will use to keep the insects in. In their insect house they must build a small habitat similar to the one in which the insects were living. (5 15m.)
Development stage 1: (Natural Science, Life Orientation) The activity will develop the learners ability to make relevant and useful observations about the natural environment. Explain that when the learners are hunting for insects they must: 1) Look on plants, in dead plant matter, in the soil and on the ground. 2) Pay attention to where the insect lives. 3) Decide if they think the insect eats plants or other insects. 4) Decide if they have seen the insect anywhere before. 5) For each insect they choose to keep they must build a habitat for that insect to live in. (10 15m.) Teach: Remind the learners that the soil is not just home for plants but also home for all sorts of life, like insects. The environment is not just plants and soil but also animals, insects and people. (10m.)
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Development stage 2: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages) Most of this will take place outside of the classroom: 1) Divide the learners into their project groups. 2) Make sure the learners understand what they must do. 3) Tell the learners they must look carefully because insects are small and good at hiding. 4) Let the learners go and hunt for insects. 5) Once the insects have been caught, they will need to be put in a house. To do this: a) The learner must watch where the insect was living b) Make a habitat in the container, similar to where they saw the insect living c) Record in their work books where they found the insect and what it was doing (80 120m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Sciences, Languages) After the learners have caught their insects and built the terraria (i.e. house for the insects), talk about the hunting experience. Try asking: Did anyone notice anything new about the garden? What did you notice about where the insects lived (their habitat)? Has anyone seen any of these insects before and where? What do they think the insects eat? What do people usually think about insects? Teach: Explain to the learners even though insects are very small, if you added up the weight of all the insects in the world (their total biomass) they would weigh more than all the humans, and mammals, in the world. Insects are important for the ecosystem; i.e. bees not only make honey but they pollinate flowers when they collect the nectar they use to make honey. (20 30m.) Conclusion: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages) Reflect on what they have learnt, things they could write about: Do you think insects are important in an eco-system? Where did you find the most insects? Did you see lots of insects? What strange insects did you find? How many different types of insects did you see? Describe some of the insects. (10 - 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate through written work an understanding of their relationship with the environment, plants and the community?
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Week 6: The Seed/ Plant life cycle
From: The Seed
to
Germination
Germination is when the baby plant cracks through the seed casing and sends down a root (to find water) and sends up a shoot (looking for sunlight).
Once the seed germinates the plant will then continue to grow. This growth will continue until the plant blooms (i.e. its flower(s) and vegetables grow).
The flower attracts insects to pollinate the flower. Once pollination has happened the flower will die and the seeds (or fruit) will grow where the flower was. And then the cycle begins again!
From: Flower to Seed & Fruit
Did you know? All plants move, and will try to turn and face the sun as quickly as they can. Flowers will also sometimes open and close during the day to prevent moisture loss (especially on cactuses).
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Glossary
This is a helpful list of terms (i.e. words) that will be found in the provided teacher, student and planting support material. The reference list is arranged in alphabetical order and each word (i.e. term) comes with a definition and useful explanation. If there are any words that you would like to add to the list feel free to do so, just remember to share the definitions and explanations with
Allium
Any liliaceous plant of the genus Allium, such as the onion, garlic, shallot, leek, and chive.
which includes the pumpkin, cucumber, squashes, and gourds.
Decomposition
The breakdown of organic matter into its parts. This happens after death when plants or animals decay. This means that the wood, leaves, branches and roots of a plant will break apart into smaller and smaller pieces. This continues until there is nothing left of the original plant and all its elements and compounds have returned into the soil. Decomposition occurs when as leaves fall from trees and insects die, but one can help the cycle by creating mulch piles, compost heaps and worm farms. Compost is soil which is rich in decomposing plant matter, the same matter which is used by plants to grow. If soil quality is poor then adding compost can help create a balanced habitat for plants. Did you know? It is a good idea to put worms into compost heaps. They will help the plant matter decompose i.e. Worms turn plant matter into compost.
Biology
The study of living organisms: This includes their structure (from the body to the cells), functioning, origin and evolution, classification and interrelationships, and distribution.
Brassica
Any cruciferous plant of the genus Brassica, native to the Mediterranean region and is grown widely as vegetables. The genus includes plants such as cabbage, rape, swede, turnip and mustard.
Carnivore
Animals that get the majority of the glucose and other nutrients they need by the eating of meat. Examples: Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Eagle, Shark, etc.
Chlorophyll
Any one of a class of pigments (colours) found in all living organisms that photosynthesize; found in the leaves of all land plants.
Did you know? Chlorophyll is not only responsible for photosynthesis, but it is also the reason why most plants are green.
Detritus
Particles of organic material derived from dead and decomposing plants. It is the result of the activities of detrivores (like worms), who help decomposition by eating the decaying plant matter.
Community A community is a naturally

occurring assemblage of plant and animal species living within a defined area of habitat.
Detrivore(s)
Animals that eat decaying and dead plant matter which helps in decomposition. Many worms are actually detrivores and help with the decomposition of plant matter. This is why earthworms are important to the soil, they breakdown plant matter into its elements which are used by other plants for growth.
Compost
Made from layering unused plants and vegetables with soil for a few months. It is used to help the plants grow faster and stronger. Remember: Only use small amounts of compost because what a plant needs to grow is already found in the soil.
Ecology
The study of the interrelationships between those organisms and their environments.
Cucurbits
Any creeping, flowering plant of the mainly tropical and subtropical family Cucurbitacaea,
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Ecosystem
A biological community and environment associated with it. the physical
Did you know? In Durban you do not need to use manure to fertilise the soil as there is already enough in the soil to help plants grow healthily.
Environment
We live in the environment, it surrounds us. In biology the term environment refers to the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the region in which an organism lives.
Microbe
A living organism (plant or animal) that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope. In other words microbes are so small we cannot see them with our eyes.
Genus
A category (type/variety) used in the classification of organisms (species), consisting of similar of closely related species. Brassica, Alliums, Legumes, Nightshades each are a genus of plants.
Nightshades
A variety of plants including Tomatoes, potatoes and Egg Plant/Brinjal.
Germination
The initial stages of growth from seed to form a seedling. The emerging (baby) stem/shoot and root grow upwards and downwards respectively.
Omnivore
Any animal that eats both plants and meat. Biology classifies humans as being omnivore because we eat plants and meat.
Glucose
A sugar and it is a source of energy for all living things, both plants and animals. Without sugar nothing would have the energy needed to live and grow. Glucose occurs widely in nature, and is found in many plants, fruit, honey and the starch of potato. It is very important for our bodies functioning healthily.
Permaculture
A way of gardening that combines two words to create a sustainable environment for us to live in: Permanent + Agriculture. The idea behind permaculture is to grow a garden that will continuously produce food. It makes use of the study ecosystems and ecology in the garden so is easy to maintain and productive all year round. The permaculture garden works with nature and natural systems, bringing together traditional techniques with modern science to grow food.
Habitat
is the place in which an organism lives, which is characterized by its physical features. It is where a human, animal or plant lives, grows up, eats and reproduces. If the habitat (place of residence) for the plant, insect or animal is healthy then the plants or animals living in the habitat will do well.
Photosynthesis Plants need sunlight to grow.

They have Chlorophyll in their leaves; this allows plants to convert the suns energy into fuel for growing. This is called photosynthesis, and why leaves must be given lots of sunlight.
Herbivore is any animal (insect to mammal)

that eats only plants.
Potting soil is a mixture of soil, compost and

plant matter designed (i.e. made) to be good for plants planted in seed trays or pots.
Humus gives soil its rich dark-colour and

constitutes the organic component of soil and is formed by the decomposition of plant matter. It improves soil quality making it more fertile and workability.
Predator
Is an animal that hunts and eats other animals, such as a lion or hyena, is a predator.
Legumes are any table vegetable of the

superfamily Leguminose, includes Beans and Peas.
Seedling
Is a young plant or a plant which has recently germinated (i.e. started growing). Some seeds are best grown in seed trays and then moved into the garden.
Manure is a mixture of compost rich in animal

waste which is used to fertilise the soil.
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6: The Glossary and the holidays

One: Glossary and workbooks (knowledge exchange). In groups, go over discuss and exchange (tell the group about) your dictionary terms: 1a) Compare the terms in the glossary with the dictionary in your workbook. - Are the definitions in your work books the same as in the glossary? - Are these differences important or not? - What Zulu words did you find for the English ones? b) Share your definitions with other members from your group. - Explain what you think each term means. - Listen to what the others in the group think the terms mean. c) Create a list of the top five words every gardener should know; then share and compare the lists with the other groups in the class. Two: getting the garden set up for going away You and the entire school are going away on holiday! You have been given sunflower seeds: 2a) Plant the sunflower seeds around the edge of the garden beds. b) Pick up all the litter in and around the garden, and check on your plants. c) Check that each bed has been mulched properly. d) When in the garden, with your teacher and class ask: - Who lives close to the school? - What are you doing during the holiday? - Can you check on the school garden once a week? - If you can back and the plants had died then how would you feel? e) How will you make sure your garden is okay during the holidays? f) Who can and will take responsibility for the garden?
When outside in the garden ask the following questions: Does the garden/soil look better after rain? What does the soil look like after lots of hot sun? When are the plants brown and grey? When are the plants green and growing?
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6:
Maintaining the Garden
Grade: Five, Six Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Seeds type and function. Class discussion, Revision and research. Exchanging knowledge and preparing the garden for the holidays by taking responsibility for its long term needs.
Critical Outcomes: Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community. Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes. Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problems and their solutions do not exist in isolation. Core Learning Outcome Assessment Standard
LO1: Scientific Investigations
Learners act confidently on their curiosity about natural phenomena; they investigate relationships and solve problems in Science, Technology and environment contexts. (AS 1, 2 & 3) Learners know, interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge. (AS 1 & 2) Learners are able to demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between Science and Technology, society and the environment. (AS 2)
LO2: Constructing Science Knowledge LO3: Science, Society and the Environment
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Maths Learning Outcome LO 3: Space and Shape Assessment Standard The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions.
LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts. Languages LO 3: Reading and The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and Viewing respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, process Reasoning and use information for learning. Life Orientation LO 1: Promotion Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health.
LO 2: Social The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Development constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions. LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend personal Development potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world. Knowledge Skills Values/Attitude
The world and life common to their local environment.
Encourage and develop natural How to live a sustainable lifestyle, curiosity about the world and its incorporating the community. elements. Using language to disseminate understanding and knowledge. Taking responsibility for the long term success of the project.
That language can be used to communicate skills to others.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks. Seeds (flowers and food) for distribution.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences

Examine the fact that often things happen over time and in stages. The garden is a growing and changing entity, and like everything else has long-term as well as short-term needs. Additional Activity: Find out how long trees can live for and grow, ask gogo.
Life Orientation
Learners must take responsibility for the long-term/ongoing sustainability and success of projects, like the garden. We need to prepare for future changes to ensure activities remain sustainable and successful. Additional Activity: Write down what you want to do in ten years, in twenty years. Will you have your own family? What job do you want to do? What do you need to now to make it happen?
Languages
Go over the workbook dictionaries and compare them to the glossaries provided. The learners must discuss and exchange the terms they have in their garden dictionaries. This is the core activity for the week.
Maths
Draw conclusions about what will happen over the next few months, e.g. if no one waters the plants, they might die of thirst. If we carry on gardening at home, we will be better when we come back to our school gardens. If the goats get in, they will eat all the plants. Additional Activity: add a sentence (i.e. so we must have a rota, so we should take care of our home gardens, so the fence must be secure.)
In class: (Natural Science, Life Orientation)

Remind the learners: they will be going on holiday but the garden will not be; instead, it will be at its fastestgrowing over the summer. It will keep growing, changing and needing maintenance because life does not go on holiday. (5m.) Teach: In the natural world, there are many cycles and stages in the environment. Consider the rain cycle over the year: - When does it rain more, during summer or winter? - Does this happen every year? - When are the plants most green, before or after the rain? This is a cycle: from rainy to dry season then back to rainy season. These seasons are a cycle which means they happen one after the other over and over. In nature there are many cycles, of different lengths which overlap with each other, from the evaporation and cloud cycle to growth cycles, tides and the moon (28 days), the annual seasonal cycle (365 days), and the solar (suns) cycle (11 years). Even going to school and then going on holiday then coming back to school is a cycle. To be good gardeners, we need to recognise these natural cycles and prepare for them. Also, plants are green after rainfall because the seasonal rainfall triggers new growth in most plants. (15 20m.)
Development stage 1: (Life Orientation, Languages)

In class: Divide the learners into groups. Supply each group with a glossary to work with/from. Explain that the learners must explain and share the new terms and ideas they learnt (i.e. photosynthesis, germination, mealie) from the garden, putting the most important ones in their workbooks. What should be in the glossary? What are the Zulu words for these terms?. Look through the classroom material, in workbook dictionaries and the glossary. 1) Get the learners into their groups. 2) Have them share/exchange the terms they have written in their workbooks. 3) Compare the terms they have written down with the terms provided in the glossary. 51
4) Get the students to find examples of these terms in their environments. 5) Ask them to find which terms dont have Zulu equivalents. (30m.)
Development stage 2: (Life Orientation)

Teach: We must take responsibility for the sustainability and success of the garden. During the holiday the plants will continue to grow (and some might be ready to eat when we get back), but only if the garden is looked after. This is very easy to do, because plants grow naturally but someone must check on the garden. Here are some questions to ask: 1) What can we do to prepare the bed for our going away? - i.e. Add mulch to protect the soil and help prevent evaporation. - set duty rotas (consider who lives close to the school, what the students in the group are doing during the holiday, whether they can check on the school garden once a week, etc. Remind them that the maintenance work will be more fun if done with friends. 2) What happens if we dont prepare the beds? Get the students to talk about how they would feel and what they would do if, when the y came back after the holiday, the plants had died. These questions can be examined whilst the learners are in the garden, and dealt with alongside the activities of Development stage 3. (20m.)
Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages)

In the garden: Get the learners to 1) Plant the sunflower seeds around the edge of each bed. 2) When in the garden ask the following: - Does the garden/soil look better after rain? - What does the soil look like after lots of hot sun? - When are the plants brown and grey? - When are the plants green and growing? 3) How long do they think it will take for the sunflower seed to grow? - Record the answers (take a bet).
(20 30m.)
Conclusion: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Maths, Languages)

Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write about: What natural cycles can you think of? When does it rain most during the year? Are the seasons the same everywhere? When are plants very green? What does a plant being very green mean? When are plants grey/brown or dry? (10 - 15m.)
Assessment:
Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for this weeks work? Was the learner able to follow instructions properly? Was the learner able to demonstrate, through written work, what they felt about the garden?
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Week 7: Harvesting Seeds

As the garden is expanded, and harvested you will need more seeds. The seeds allow harvested plants to be replaced and a garden to be grown easily and cheaply.
Where can I find these seeds? Are they expensive?
Seeds can often be taken from the fruit and vegetables you eat. All you need to do is the following easy steps:
1) Carefully cut open any fruit or veg. Check: Does the fruit/veg have any seeds? What do the seeds look like? Are the seeds wet or dry? 2) Separate the seeds from the fruit/veg. Place the seeds on a flat surface, cover them with newspaper and leave them to dry. 3) The seeds are ready for planting when: They are hard and dry.
It is that easy to get seeds! Ask your neighbours if they can start collecting seeds as well. By working together there will be enough seeds to start many gardens.
Did you know?
Most seeds need to be at about 12% humidity (internal moisture) to germinate, and when food rots the gas it releases it prepares seeds for planting - this is why things grow easily in compost piles, and why you should plant food that is going off.
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Week 7: The Changing Garden One: How much has the garden changed?
Take your workbook out into the garden. Write down how much the garden has changed over the holiday and answer the following questions: 1) How much have the plants grown? 1.1) Did any plants get eaten by insects/goats? 1.2) Did any plants die and why did they die? 2) Have any other plants (weeds) grown around the vegetables/flowers? 2.1) Do the vegetables/flowers look like they were hurt by any of the weeds? 2.2) What are weeds? 3) How does the compost/mulch look? 3.1) Has the plant/vegetable matter decomposed into soil? 4) How would the garden be different if you had worked on it during the holiday? 4.1) Would goats/insects still have eat some of the plants? 4.2) How many weeds would have grown? 4.3) Would the compost/mulch still have decomposed?
Two: Maintaining the garden.

Look at nature and remember that different plants grow together. a) Weeds can be useful so check before pulling them out: 1) Are there lots of plants surrounding your vegetables? 2) Are those plants hurting your vegetables? 3) How much work does the garden really need after the holiday? b) Clear space around the vegetables and flowers. 1) Use the weeds you cut down as mulch, by laying them around the plants you want to keep. This will help the soil. 2) Do not cut down all the plants growing round your vegetables, some of them are helpful. c) Remember if everyone works together it will be fun and fast.
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7:
The Changing Garden

Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Change over time. Class discussion, revision and research. Observe garden changes since the holidays and fix the any problems.
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LO 3: Space and The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships Shape between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions.
LO 4: Measurement
The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and The learner will be able to read and view for information and Viewing enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, Reasoning process and use information for learning.
Life Orientation
LO 1: Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, Promotion community and environmental health. LO 2: Social The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of and Development commitment to constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions. LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend Development personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world.
Knowledge Skills Values/Attitude
How to live a sustainable lifestyle, Encourage and develop natural incorporating the community. curiosity about the world and its elements.
The identification of seeds.
How to use seeds.
Taking responsibility for the long term success of the project.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences Compare your garden to the two next to it. What measurable differences are there? These could include amount of weeds, plant height, number of plants, soil colour, amount of brown leaves. Additional activity: Agree on a set of things to measure and measure your garden and three others so you can compare them all on one page. Life Orientation The maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Additional Activity: Ask the students to compare a garden maintained at home with the garden at school after the holidays. What differences are there between the two gardens? What difference can they make to the environment by working with it? Languages Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment. Additional activity: Get the students to describe, in writing, the differences between a home garden and the school garden after the holiday. See Natural Sciences activity for detail and examples. Maths The students should be able to estimate the difference in the garden from before the holiday with after the holiday. Additional activity: From natural science activity: which measurements are qualitative (measure with words or descriptions) and which are quantitative (measure with numbers)? Map data for all gardens and give totals and averages. In class introduction: (Natural Science, Life Orientation) Teach: The time off during the holiday will have changed the garden. The garden will have changed because of the effects of rain, sunshine and animals (goats, insects, worms, etc.). Too little sunshine and too much water are bad for seedlings in the seed trays. Too much rain/sunshine can be bad for the vegetables growing. Also insects and goats can eat the plants. But we can learn from all of these changes, even if the changes were bad for the garden. (5 - 15m.) Development stage 1: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Maths) Take the students out into the garden, they will need their workbooks. In their workbooks they must record how the garden changed over the holiday. They should answer the following questions: 1) How much have the plants grown? 1.1) Did any plants get eaten by insects/goats? 1.2) Did any plants die and why did they die? 2) Have any other plants (weeds) grown around the vegetables/flowers? 2.1) Do the vegetables/flowers look like they were hurt by any of the weeds? 2.2) What are weeds? 3) How does the compost/mulch look? 3.1) Has the plant/vegetable matter decomposed into the soil? 4) How would the garden be different if they had worked on it during the holiday? 4.1) Would goats/insects still have eat some of the plants? 4.2) How many weeds would have grown? 4.3) Would the compost/mulch still have decomposed? Teach: Make sure the students are talking to each other about how the garden has changed, and why they think it has changed. Remind them that energy for growth comes from the sun, soil and rain. (20 30m.) 57
Development stage 2: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages) Teach: Maintaining the garden: Plants grow together, look at the world. Questions: Q1) Do lots of different types of plants grow together or just one? Q2) When you see only one type of plant growing is it natural or because of people?
So when maintaining the garden you do not need to pull out all the plants (weeds) growing around the vegetables. Only pull out weeds when they are hurting the growth of the vegetables/flowers, otherwise they often help the plants grow. To mulch, for example, you can just cut the top of the weeds off and leave put them around the top of the soil and if the weed dies it does not matter, because its roots will help the soil underneath. Remember, it is always better and easier to work with nature than fight against it so not all weeds are bad, and if something dies it is all part of the cycle of life so you can just plant something new there. Q3) How much work does the garden really need after the holiday? Q4) How long will it take if everyone works together? Give the students some time to clean up the garden from the holidays after they have thought about what needs to be done. (30 45m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages) Teach: Explain that if the students need more seeds to plant and grow vegetables with it is easy to find them. You can harvest most seeds from the fruit and vegetables they eat, or they can keep some of the uncooked seeds (i.e. sunflower, pumpkin seeds) they can eat for planting. There are several easy steps to preparing seeds. All they need to do is: (If possible have the students do this in class). 1) Carefully cut open the fruit or veg. 1.1) Does it have any seeds? 1.2) What does the seed look like? 1.3) Is the seed wet or dry? 2) Separate the seeds from the fruit/veg and place them on a flat surface, cover them with newspaper and leave them to dry. 3) When the seeds are dry and hard they are ready for planting. 4) You can plant carrots and potatoes directly into the soil. (20 30m.)
Conclusion: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Maths, Languages) Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: General: How has the garden changed over time? Why has the garden changed? How much of difference would their working in the garden make? Specific: Do lots of different types of plants grow together? Where can you harvest seeds from, and how? Is it easy to grow food and garden? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for this weeks work? Was the learner able to follow instructions properly? Was the learner able to demonstrate, through written work, what they felt about the garden?
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Week 8: Mulch: Chop and Drop

What is Mulch?
Mulching is a natural feature of forests and areas of high density plant growth. The forest floor is covered by leaves, branches, and decaying plant matter called Humus. Mulch is a layer decomposing plant matter covering the ground around garden plants, just like Humus.
So why add Mulch?
Decomposing humus naturally returns minerals back into the soil and encourages microbes to grow that help plant growth. Mulch is us using a natural process to help plant growth.
So with mulch we need less fertiliser, less compost, and less work to build a healthy food garden.
How do you mulch?

Mulching is easy! Mulch is decomposing plant matter. All you need is: Leaves, grass, broken of twigs, torn plain cardboard, or other plant matter You can even chop up plants/weeds growing around the garden to use as mulch. Take the chopped plant matter and drop it to grow around the garden. Make sure the mulch does not cover the growing seeds, seedlings, or plants.
Did you know: Mulch and low lying weeds help by protecting the soil from the sun (meaning that the soil stays moist) and from heavy rainfall (which can drown seedlings).
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Week Eight: Sustainable Community Outreach

This week you will be helping your students become more sustainable, do things for themselves and help the community. The learner can easily make an impact in their environment by handing out extra seeds and seedlings, as well as talk about growing food and teaching what they have learned.
Sustainability: Everything that we have been doing in the garden thus far has been to give the students a
practical way of becoming more sustainable in their lives. Being sustainable is about using the local environment to meet the needs of communities. Here the local solution to the problem of getting enough food is to having members of the community (learners, parents and you) growing food for themselves.
Teach: Point out that in growing food at school they are becoming more sustainable, the student is living a sustainable lifestyle, and it does not take that much work because all plants need to grow is sun, soil and water. Plants are doing a lot of the work for them.
Things to think about: What is the biggest problem that most of the children face? Remember: A basic need for all people is food security; simply that they have regular access to two/three meals a day.
Food Security/Poverty: Did you know a common use of the word poverty refers to when a group or
individual is simply without enough food to eat? A person is considered to be living in poverty when they have no food security, so a simple and sustainable way of reducing poverty and improve food security is to have people growing the food they eat. And growing food means that a person is being more productive.
Teach: If the student is growing food at home as well as at school, then they are helping reduce the level of poverty in their environment. If the student then helps their neighbour buy giving them seeds or seedlings, and showing them how to harvest seeds from food then they are improving the food security of others within their community. Food is something everyone needs, it is our fuel, helping us grow, and work as productive members of a community.
Things student can do to make a difference:
Helping is easy, simply share and encourage.
1) Distributing extra seeds and seedlings to the community. 2) Show people that they can feed themselves by growing food. 3) Help a neighbour, or someone in the community, plant a food garden. 4) Tell people about growing food. 5) Encourage people to own the environment they live in. Change starts at home. Change starts with you. The best day for change is always today.
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Week 8: Expansion and the Community

One: Community Outreach Remember you are part of the community; the community is your social environment. So whatever you do to improve your community is as good for everyone else as it is for you.
With your group answer the following questions: 1.1) Is there any unused space that can be used for growing food or flowers? 1.2) How could you encourage people start harvesting seeds to use to grow food? 1.3) Do you have a garden they can show to their neighbours? 1.4) Is anyone already growing food in the community, maybe you can held them? 1.5) What skills and knowledge to people need to growing food? When you have answered the questions: Design and develop a poster or pamphlet, with information, that will encourage people to start growing food at home. Share your group poster and ideas with the rest of the class.
Do not stop with the poster. Ask your teacher, friends, and class to help you start a community garden. With friends this will be fun! Two: Expanding the garden at home, in the school, and in the community.
Remember: Everything you do in the school can be done at home or in the community. All you need is space, time and help. Together it is easy!
With you group ask the following: What do you need to grow plants and food? Is what you need available? Is there any space you can use at school to grow more plants?
You can also use containers to grow plants in.
Ask your teacher if you can prepare the space for growing food and encourage other classes to help. Remember to maintain the gardens!
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8:
Sustainable Living
Grade: Five, Six Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Sustainability, outreach, and the environment. Expanding the garden, harvesting seeds and helping others. Learn and develop skills in order to live sustainably.
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LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and The learner will be able to read and view for information and Viewing enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and Reasoning access, process and use information for learning.
Life Orientation
LO 1: Promotion LO 2: Development
Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health. Social The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions.
LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve and Development extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world. Knowledge Skills Values/Attitude The world and life common their How to live a sustainable lifestyle, Encourage and develop natural local environment. incorporating the community. curiosity about the world and its elements. Where seeds come from. To record elements of environment meaningfully. the That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks. Raw fruit and vegetables, a knife and a cutting board.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences Expand on the harvesting seeds and seed-plant life cycle posters, by looking at the place and function of seeds in plants and food. Additional activity: Design a poster explaining the growth cycle, photosynthesis, or some other aspect of ecosystems that you have learned about. Life Orientation Expand on the idea of sustainable living. Reach out to the community and encourage them to work together on food gardening projects. Additional activity: Design a poster encouraging community interaction with the shool and the gardens of learners. Languages Design poster/pamphlet material, with appropriate information, encouraging more community participation in growing food. Additional activity: translate one of the course posters into Zulu. Maths Look at which plants in the garden were successful and which ones werent. What proportion of plants grew successfully? Of those that did grow, how much variety is there in the amount they grew? How many are ready to harvest, and how many still have a long time to go? Additional activity: Design a poster showing all of the information in the main activity in a way that helps guide someone wanting to plant at home. In class: (Life Orientation, Languages, Natural Science) Introduce the word sustainable to the learners. Teach: One way to be sustainable is to use resources from the local (i.e. your) environment rather than import materials from far away places. Remind the learners they can harvest seeds from many of the fruit and vegetables they eat. So they do not need to buy seeds or be given them. Two old tyres placed on top of each other makes a good pot there are many ways to re-use old things. All it takes is creativity, time and a little work. (10 15m.) Development stage 1: (Natural Science, Languages, Life Orientation) Teach: Plants reproduce very differently from animals and us. The flowers and fruits we eat are often the reproductive organs of the plants. Flowers are pollinated, by insects or birds, and grow into the fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables often house and protect the seeds of the plant. These seeds will then grow into a new generation of plants. Questions to ask: 1) Does anyone know any fruit and vegetables that have seeds? 2) Why do plants produce fruit and vegetables that can be eaten? Teach: In the wild fruit and vegetables attract monkeys, birds, and other animals that eat the fruit. In doing this the fruit/seeds are carried away from the parent plant thus spreading the plant. 3) Does anyone know what the word pollination means? Teach: Pollination is how plants reproduce. Pollen (found in all flowers) is transferred between flowers and plants. Once this happens the fertilised flower will often grow into a fruit containing seeds for the next generation of plants. 4) Who would like to try harvesting and planting some seeds. (20 25m.)
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Teach: In plant reproduction seasons play a very important role. In autumn most common fruit and vegetables are ready for harvest (picking and eating), this also means their seeds are ready. During winter there is less rain so the seeds will dry out and be ready to grow in the spring. We can cheat the system by drying seeds ourselves, so they can be planted sooner. Also in Durban, you can plant year round because there is no frost in winter. (5 10m.) Development stage 2: (Life Orientation, Languages) Teach: Explain that the learners will need to come up with a way of helping their community grow food. For this they will need the following: 1) Space to plant and grow gardens, 2) The support of the community, 3) Seeds for planting, 4) Knowledge and skills. Remind the learners about what they have learnt from the garden. (5 10m.) 1) Divide the learners into groups. 2) In their work groups have the learners answer the following: 2.1) Is there any unused space that can be used for growing food? 2.2) How could they encourage people start harvesting seeds to use to grow food? 2.3) Do they have a garden they can show to their neighbours? 2.4) Is anyone already growing food in the community, maybe they can held? 2.5) What skills and knowledge to people need for growing food? 3) The learners must record the answers and ideas they come up with to reach out to the community. 4) Have the groups design a poster or pamphlet that encourages the community to garden. 5) Discuss some of the ideas and look for similar thinking. (30 45m.) Development stage 3: (Life Orientation) Look for areas and ways to expand the gardens at home and in the school. Remind the learners that they can build up a garden beg using containers or tyres just instead of digging one. Also if they work together it will be easier to grow food, and they can grow more food. Some questions to ask What do you need to grow plants and food? Is what you need available? Then why dont you start growing more food? (10 20m.) Give the learners time to start preparing new space for growing and maintain the gardens. (As needed) Conclusion: (Life Orientation, Natural Sciences, Languages, Maths) Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: Has the garden changed? What is pollination? Why are seeds important to plants? What ideas do you have for helping the community? Do you think growing food is a good idea, why? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate through written work an understanding of their relationship with the environment, plants and the community?
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Week 9: Food Security: It is what matters
What is food security?
Very simple: When a person has food security they have food to eat for breakfast, lunch, and supper every day. Without food security a person will not have three meals a day, or worse, not know when they will eat next. When a person loses food security it is a sign they might be living in poverty.
Growing food at home will improve food security for me and the community.
Remember:
Money is a way of getting things, not a real thing. You cannot eat money. You cannot live underneath money. You cannot be friends with money. If you have food, a home, and friends then you have everything you need to be happy. Work in the garden with your friends Help your friends with their garden Get your friends to help you with yours. Eat well together. What is needed for our life?
Food! It is our fuel and without it we will stop working.
Did you know? South Africa is a net importer of food (that is, it buys more food than it sells internationally). Why?
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Week 9: Seeds walk, fly, and more

One: Poverty Poverty is not about money. You cannot eat, live underneath, or be friends with money. To live well you need food, a home, and friends (a community) - more than money. People are in poverty if they are struggling to get enough food to eat. With your group of answer the following questions: 1) What is the biggest worry (concern) in your community? Is it money, security, or food? 2) What does it mean to be living in poverty? Is food security or money more important, why? 3) What resources are lacking within the community? Is it money, food, space, shelter, or skilled people? 4) What does the community need most? How can you help? Two: How do seeds move? Did you know? Using animals, birds, and the wind to carry them the seeds of plants can walk and fly great distances from their parent plants. When it is windy: Outside, hold a towel, or shirt, at four corners against the wind. Answer: What shape catches the wind best? How big would the sail have to be to move a person or a boat? What shape is a sail and why is it that shape? How big is a boats sail? Draw the sail of a boat being blown by the wind. Three: Indigenous plants An indigenous plant is a plant that has always grown in South Africa (or its local environment). The marula fruit tree is indigenous to South Africa, as is the Protea of the Western Cape. A plant which was brought into the country by people (like mealie, apples or oranges) is not an indigenous plant. A person carried the plant from another part of the world to South Africa; mealies for example come from the Middle East and North Africa. Ask Gogo (or another elder): 1) Can they name two indigenous plants (plants they remember always being there)? 2) Can they name two plants which have arrived in Durban during their lifetime? 3) Are any of the new plants bad for the local plants? Try asking your classmates, friends and family (Gogo might know) about indigenous plants.
Remember: Ask Gogo, she has lived for a long time and knows a lot of things. What did the environment look like when she was young?
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9:
Alleviating Poverty
Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Sustainability, outreach and the community (more). Class discussion and outreach planning. So the learners develop a sense of how to help their respective communities become sustainable.
Critical Outcomes: Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community. Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes. Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. Core Learning Outcome Assessment Standard
LO1: Investigations
Scientific Learners act confidently on their curiosity about natural phenomena; they investigate relationships and solve problems in Science, Technology and environment contexts. (AS 1, 2 & 3)
LO2: Constructing Science Learners know, interpret and apply scientific, technological and Knowledge environmental knowledge. (AS 1 & 2) LO3: Science, Society and Learners are able to demonstrate an understanding of the the Environment relationships between Science and Technology, society and the environment. (AS 2)
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LO 3: Space and Shape The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and The learner will be able to read and view for information Viewing and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, Reasoning and access, process and use information for learning.
Life Orientation LO 1: Promotion
Health The learner is able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health.
LO 2: Social The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of Development and commitment to constitutional rights and responsibilities and show an understanding of diverse cultures and religions. LO 3: Personal The learner is able to use acquired life skills to achieve Development and extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his/her world.
How to live a sustainable lifestyle, incorporating the community.
Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements. That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
How to apply what they have How to think critically about learnt in the school garden to the needs of community. help reach out to others within the community.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks. Seed kits.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Additional activity: Draw pictures of different seed pod types. Why are they this shape? What is their life cycle, and how do they move around? Life Orientation The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. The transmission of skills/knowledge into the home/community. Additional activity: Find out what foods have become significantly more expensive in the last three years, and see if you can work out why. For example, bread is more expensive because any corn crops failed. Languages The ability to generate functional and useful material appropriate for describing elements of the environment. Additional activity: Make a list of the resources other than money that are most important for people to both live and thrive, why they are important, and how people usually get them. Maths How much available growing area is there in the school? Remember, you can grow plants in window boxes and planters, and you can grow some plants inside. Additional activity: Work out how much your family would save if you could make your own bread and pap. In class: Teach: Introduce the term poverty, and that poverty can be reduced by helping people become more sustainable. Poverty refers to the amount of food security a person has. If Lindiwes family is living in poverty then they do not have enough food to meet their nutritional needs. They are going hungry and have no food security. If a person becomes more sustainable by growing food at home then their food security will improve because they will be able to eat the food they grow in the garden. (15 m.) Development stage 1: (Life Orientation, Languages, Natural Science) Teach: Wealth is about more than money, it is about what resources you have. How much land, skills, food or people you have. An individual might have lots of land, friends, and food but not have lots of money, but that person is still wealthy even if they do not have lots of money. In class: Divide the learners into groups of four. Have the students answer the following questions: 1) What is the biggest worry (concern) in their community? Is it money, security, or food? 2) What does it mean to be living in poverty? Does having no money mean you are living in poverty? Does not having food, housing, a community, or free time mean you are living in poverty? Which is more important having money or food, you cannot eat money? 3) What resources are lacking within the community? Is it money, food, space, shelter, or skilled people? 4) How can you help the community meet its needs? (20 25 m.) Teach: One of the reasons for the loss of skills in communities is that they come to rely on external support more than on their own effort. One ways to be sustainable is to solve problems yourself, rather than wait for others to fix problems. Growing food is a skill and a skill is a resource. You can grow food easily and if more people did it then there would be less hunger in the world. (10m.)
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Development stage 2: (Natural Science, Maths and Languages) Teach: We will look at seed propagation, which is simply to how seeds move. Plants move from by walking, swimming, and even by flying. Ask: How do plants walk, swim, or fly with roots stuck in the soil? How do seeds get carried from place to place? Plant seeds can walk by being carried by animals. Swim by floating in water. Fly using birds, or by being carried on the wind. Plants grow tasty fruit/nuts which animals and birds eat will carry around. Some seeds are so small and light that they can be carried by the wind. Other seeds are shaped like a sail. What shape is a sail and why is it that shape? Has anyone seeds shaped to be carried in the wind, like a sail? Some seeds are like thorns the stick into skin, hair, clothes and fur and get carried like that. (20 30m.) Outside get learners to hold a shirt or towel at four corners, have them answer the following: Does it catch the wind? How big would the towel have to be before it moved them? How big is a boats sail? Have the learners draw a sail being blown by the wind. (20m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages)
Teach: An indigenous plant is one that has always grown in South Africa (or its local environment). The marula fruit tree is indigenous to South Africa, as is the Protea of the Western Cape. An alien plant is one that was brought to the country by people from another part of the world. Some alien plants were brought here on purpose, like many of the food plants we eat. But some alien plants are damaging because they can kill the local plants. Tell the learners to: Find the name of two indigenous plants, and what they look like. Find the name of two alien plants and what they look like. Find the name of an alien plant that is dangerous. Tell the learners to ask their gogo, or any of the elders in the community for help. (10 - 15m.)
Conclusion: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages)
Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: Has the garden changed? How do seeds move around? Why are seeds important to plants? What is poverty? How does a sail work? What is an indigenous plant? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for the project? Was the learner able to follow instructions? Was the learner able to demonstrate through written work an understanding of their relationship with the environment, plants and the community?
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Week 10: Companion Planting

Did you know?
When only one type of plant (i.e. sugar cane) grows over a large area it is often because humans work to keep other plants from growing.
When you are outside look at the plants growing!

In the garden is only one plant grow? Are plants growing next to each other? Are those plants growing well together?
In a sugar cane field how much work does it take to keep to keep other plants from growing?
Plants grow in Communities! In communities the different plants help each other.
If you plant colorful flowers with your food plants, they will attract birds and insects that eat the pests that eat your food. Also they hide the food from pests!
Planting varieties of plants together is called: Companion Planting. Companion planting reduces the need for pesticides, compost, and fertilizers. Companion planting improves the quality of the soil. Companion planting works with nature and eco-systems to improve the quality of the food grown.
Did you know? An eco-system is balanced and maintains itself. So the closer your garden is to being a natural ecosystem the less work you need to do to make it productive.
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Week 10: Tell people about Gardening

You will introduce the garden to the younger children in your school and show them how much fun they can have growing food. One: What and how to plant.
With your group design a poster telling younger children how to plant and grow food. To do this first answer these questions: 1) In their gardens does only one plant grow? 1.1) Where only one plant grows is it natural or a result of human work? 1.2) Did they grow well? 2)) What plants are growing next to each other? 2.1) Are those plants growing well together? 3) Is it natural for plants to grow together? When working on the poster tell the children what you liked about the garden!
For young children posters need to be: Colourful and Bright Fun and easy to read Encouraging!
Two: Maintaining the Garden.

With your group design a poster that tells younger children how to maintain the garden. First answer the following questions: 1) What is mulch, and what do you do with it? 2) What do plants need to grow? 3) How much water does the garden need? 4) Can too much sun be a problem? 5) Is it more fun to work in the garden with friends? What would you tell someone is the most important thing to do when maintaining the garden? When working on the posters, talk about the different things you would do with the food you grow in the school garden and at home.
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10:
Introducing the Garden to others

Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Introducing the garden to other classes in the school. Class discussion, Revision and research. To have the learners decide on what is important in what they have learnt.
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LO 3: Space and The learner is able to describe and represent characteristics and Shape relationships between 2-D shapes and 3-D objects in a variety of orientations and positions. LO 4: Measurement The learner is able to use appropriate measuring units, instruments and formulae in a variety of contexts.
Languages
LO 3: Reading and The learner will be able to read and view for information and Viewing enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. LO 5: Thinking and The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, Reasoning process and use information for learning.
Life Orientation
How to live a sustainable lifestyle, Encourage and develop natural incorporating the community. curiosity about the world and its elements.
What to do with food.
How to prepare food.
That you can work with, not against, the environment to meet every day needs.
Resources: The Teacher, Learners, The Oxford Successful Life Orientation Grade Six Learners Book, The Oxford Successful Grade Six Natural Sciences Learners Book, the classroom, the garden, and workbooks. Saplings, gardening tools, and ground to plant in.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the garden environment and use that information (see languages). Additional activity: Go through your curriculum and find something you have covered in the garden. Write notes on what you have learned about that topic from the garden. Life Orientation The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Have the learners think about what to do with the school garden crops. Additional activity: What do you want the garden to do for you? Will it be focused around food, wildlife, prettiness, something else, or a combination of them all? Languages Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment, especially to younger learners within the school. Additional Activity: Rewrite one of the previous activity sheets for a lower grade. Maths How many plants can you fit in your bed given 30cm spacing, and how many with 15cm? what happens if the spacing is less than 15cm? Additional activity: Help a student from a lower grade find and mark about a garden space. The space should be 1 meter by 2 meters, about the size of a door. Introduction: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) Tell the learners they will be helping younger children learn about the garden and they need to make posters and other material for them. To do this they must think about what they have learnt about the garden and growing food. Remember for young children things must be fun, so answer: 1) What would make gardening fun? 2) How would you design a poster that is fun for young children? 3) What did you learn about growing food? 4) Could you teach anyone about growing food? (10 15m.) To make good material the learners must think about what they have learnt and the environment; so ask the following: 1) In the natural world do you find one type of plant growing next to each other? 1.1) In the natural world do you see lots of different plants growing next to each other? 2) Where do you find only one type of plant growing next to each other? 2.1) How did only one type of plant end up growing in some areas? Teach: Think about sugar cane fields; it is a farm and over large parts of the farm only sugar cane grows. This is not natural, lots of work is needed to make only sugar cane grows. A more natural way of planting the land is to plant a variety of crop plants and followers next to each other. This is called companion planting, and uses the fact that certain plants grow well together. Plant also can form a community and the different plants can grow better (or well) together. They form a small (micro) habitat and protect each other from pests, and help each other grow. (20 30 m.) Development stage 1: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages) Poster 1: What and how to plant. Get the learners to examine the garden and their environment then answer the following questions:
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1) In their gardens does only one plant grow? 1.1) Where only one plant grows is it natural or a result of human work? 1.2) Did they grow well? 2)) What plants are growing next to each other? 2.1) Are those plants growing well together? 3) Is it natural for plants to grow together? Teach: To grow one type of plant together is to do lots of work, but if you use companion plants they help each other grow and you need to do less. Let nature do the work for you. (15 20m.) In groups of four get the learners to design a poster telling younger learners what to plant and how to plant, and they must remember their answers and experiences in the garden. (30 m.) Development stage 2: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages) Poster 2: Maintaining the Garden. What do you need to do to maintain the garden and quality of the soil? Have the learners answer the following questions: 1) What is mulch, and what do you do with it? 2) What do plants need to grow? 3) How much water does the garden need? 4) Can too much sun be a problem? 5) Is it more fun to work in the garden with friends? (10 15m.) In groups of four get the learners to design a poster telling the younger learners about mulch and maintaining a healthy garden. (30m.) Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation and Maths) With the class discuss what they would like to do with the food they grow in the school garden. 1) How much food could you get from the garden? 2) What about giving the food you grow to the school kitchen? 3) How much food would you need to grow to have a day where you sell the food you grow? 4) What about taking some food home? Teach: The amount of food taken from the garden is the yield. 2) What are you going to do with all the food? 2.1) Who would you like to share it with? 2.2) Who would you sell it to?
(20 30 m.)
Conclusion: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: Has the garden changed? What is companion planting? What would you do with the food grown in the school garden? What is mulch? What do plants need to grow? Could little kids learn how to garden? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for this weeks work? Was the learner able to follow instructions properly? Was the learner able to demonstrate, through written work, what they felt about the garden?
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Week 11: Ecosystems
In Natural Science: An ecosystem is a community of different living plants, animals, and sometimes humans that live in an environment.
A community is dependent on each other for success. In an ecosystem the different layers are dependent on each other for food. Look at the triangle below
Predators
Herbivores
-PlantsThe plants are the base of the triangle and use photosynthesis to make nutrients (food). There are many more plants than herbivores & predators.
The herbivores eat plants to get nutrients (food) so they can live a healthy life. There are more herbivores than predators, but if there were no predators then the number of herbivores would continue to grow and grow and eat all the plants.
The predators eat herbivores to get nutrients (food) so they can live a healthy life. There are less predators than herbivores, but they are necessary to the ecosystem because they maintain balance by keeping the number of insects and animals that eat plants low. So plants can continue to grow and photosynthesise creating nutrients to feed the entire ecosystem.
Did you know? The reason why people have to use pesticides is because they have broken the balance of the ecosystem, so there are too many plant-eating insects. Attracting predatory insects (using flowers) and lizards (building lizard islands) keeps the system in balance. 78
Week 11: Sustainable tasty Food

One: Improving the local environment poster.
With your group make a poster for young children telling them about the environment and how they can improve it. Before making the poster answer the following questions: 1) What lives in your environment? 1.1) What plants and animals do you see growing? 1.2) Does everything look healthy in the environment? 2) Who lives in your environment? 2.1) If all your neighbours and community were happy and healthy how would you feel? 3) What can you do to help improve life in your environment?
Remember the environment is not something far away, it is where you live!
Design the poster!

Two: Eco-systems and sustainability.
With your group make a poster for young children telling them about eco-systems. Before you do make the poster answer the following questions: 1) Do wild animals and plants need to be looked after, or can they live by themselves? 2) What would happen if all the people left the city? 2.1) How long would it take for plants to overgrow everything? 2.2) How long would it take for animals to move back in? 3) What do Lions and other predators do in an eco-system?
An eco-system is in balance. The plants are eaten by the herbivores. If there were too many herbivores then all the plants would be eaten. But there are predators (like lions) which eat the herbivores so all the plants are not eaten!
Design the poster!

Three: How the food from the garden tastes.
Think about what to do with the food, do you cook it or eat it raw? In the garden and taste some of the plants, but only SMALL bits. What did it taste like? In your groups talk about these questions: 1) At home do you cook? What food can you eat raw (uncooked)? 2) Will you have to cook all the vegetables from the garden? 3) How do you know if you must cook something or eat it raw? 4) Who can you ask to find out?
Ask Gogo what plants you can eat and how to cook them!
Why not, bring your parents to school. You can show them the garden growing and all the posters you are making. They will really enjoy it.
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11:
Helping others discover the Garden

Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. Teaching others about the Garden. Class discussion, Revision and research. To get the learners talking to others about the Garden.
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Learning Outcome Maths Assessment Standard
Languages
Life Orientation
Knowledge
Skills
Values/Attitude
Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements.
What to do with food.
How to prepare food.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences: To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the environment and use that information (see languages). Additional activity: Go through over your notes and find something you have covered in the garden. Is there anything new you have learnt about that topic? Life Orientation: The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Have the learners think about what to do for their community. Additional activity: Design a poster listing all the ways in which a food garden can help the community. Languages: Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment, especially to younger learners within the school. Additional Activity: Rewrite one of the previous activity sheets for a lower grade (do not pick the activity sheet from last week). Maths: Draw a food web of the plants, insects, and animals in the garden; what eats what? Remember to include worms, humans, and bacterial life in the soil. Additional activity: What would be the effect of changing each of these? For example, if you wanted to have more chickens, you would need many more plants and insects, but you could not feed many more people. It takes 20x more land to feed a meat eater than to feed a vegetarian; can you explain why this is through reference to your chart? Introduction: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) Tell the learners they will be helping younger children learn about the garden and they need to make posters and other material for them. This week they must remember what they have learnt about environment and eco-systems and tell others about them. Remind the learners that for young children things must be fun, so answer: 1)What is an environment? What is our (human) environment? 2) What is an eco-system? 3) How can we improve our environment? 4) What would you teach anyone about eco-systems? (10 15m.) To make good material the learners must think about what they have learnt and the environment; so ask the following: 1) Is the environment a place where only animals live? 1.1) Do humans (us) live in an environment? Teach: Our (human) environment is where we live. It is our home and community, including all the people around us: friends, family, neighbours, and the animals and plants that surround us. 2) How can growing a garden help the (our) local environment 2.1) Think about gardens: Are they pretty? Do they produce food? How do they look? Teach: An eco-system is a part of the world that is balanced and requires little or no work from us. For example, companion planting builds a community of plants which then help each other by returning nutrients to the soil, and flowers attract predatory insects, lizards, and birds which eat the pests that would eat our food. Our gardens can be sustainable eco-systems which improve the environment we live in. (10 15m.) Development stage 1: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages) Poster 1: Improving the local (our) environment. Get the learners to examine and think about their environment then answer the following questions: 1) What lives in their environment? 1.1) What plants and animals do you see growing? 1.2) Does everything look healthy in the environment? 2)) Who lives in their environment? 2.1) If all your neighbours and community is happy and healthy how would you feel? 82
3) What can you do to help improve life in your environment? Teach: Life as a term is full, which means it includes everything, plants, animals, and people. For our life to be healthy we must be surrounded by healthy life. (15 20m.) In groups of four get the learners to design a poster telling younger children about the environment, not only about animals and plants but also our (human) environment, and they must remember their answers and experiences in the garden. (30 m.) Development stage 2: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages) Poster 2: Eco-systems and sustainability. Tell the learners to think about wild animals and plants and answer the following questions: 1) Who looks after wild animals and plants? 2) What would happen if all the people left the city? 2.1) How long would it take for plants to overgrow everything? 2.2) How long would it take for animals to move back in? 3) What do Lions and other predators do in an eco-system? Teach: Eco-systems find a balance and this makes them sustainable. Lions for example will keep the population of herbivores down - otherwise they would eat all the plants. If your gardens are balanced then they will grow by themselves and you do not have to do lots of work to help them grow if your garden attracts predators to eat the pests then you do not have to keep chasing them away. (10 15m.) In groups of four get the learners to design a poster telling the younger learners about the eco-system and how predators help keep everything in balance. (30m.) Development stage 3:(Natural Science, Life Orientation and Maths) Taste the food from the garden. Some questions to ask: 1) At home, what food do you cook and what food can you eat raw (uncooked)? 2) Do they think they will have to cook the vegetables from the garden? 3) How do you know if you must cook something or eat it raw? 3.1) What can you do to find out? 3.2)Do you know of any other plants you can eat in your home environment? Have the learners taste the spinach, cabbage, and other foods from the garden and answer the following: 1) What did it taste like? 1.1) Describe what it tastes like 2) Do you think it will taste better cooked or is it alright to eat it raw? Teach: Spinach tastes best if it is blanched. Boil water, when boiling (bubbling) put the spinach into the water. Leave the spinach in the water for a very short time (around ten seconds) then remove the spinach and let it cool. Remind the learners they can ask Gogo about how to prepare food to taste nice. (30 40m.) Conclusion: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: Has the garden changed? What is an eco-system? What is the environment? What can food gardening do for the environment? What foods need to be cooked? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for this weeks work? Was the learner able to follow instructions properly? Was the learner able to demonstrate, through written work, what they felt about the garden?
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Week 12: Replanting: the soil makes the difference

What can I do after harvesting?
Everything you did before harvesting!

1) Prepare your garden bed for planting 2) Mulch: add dead, dry plant matter to the soil 3) Mix fresh compost into the soil with a pitchfork 4) Dig and loosen the soil 5) Plant seeds or seedlings 6) Water & watch everything grow again
Remember the soil.
Your food is growing in the soil!

1) Healthy soil = healthy food 2) Mulch adds support to the soil 3) Compost returns lost nutrients to the soil 4) Loosening the soil makes for easier plant growth
Fix the soil: It matters
Doing this will keep your garden healthy and help you grow lots of food! Plant growth is fuelled by good soil, sunlight and water. Healthy food helps you lead a successful life.
Did you know? If you add up the weight of all the insects in the world, they will weigh more than all the people in the world.
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Week 12: Parent Day

You are going to throw a parent day. So you must design invitations, tidy up the garden, school and classroom, and make decorations for the classroom.
One: Invitations
Design an invitation for the parent and community day. This invitation is not just for your family it is for all the people in your community. The best invitation will be chosen to be sent to all the parents. Your invitation must: 1) Tell everyone what they will see in the garden and at school. 2) Tell everyone why they should come and see the garden. 3) Tell people what they could learn by coming. 4) But most of all, tell everyone to come.
Remember to make people come be bright, fun and bold
Two: Preparations
Having a day at school for all the parents means getting everything ready. So you need to tidy up the school, garden and classroom Think about What you would like to show to your parents. What you want everything to look like. What you want the classroom to look like. What you want the garden to look like.
Now go and get everything ready! Three: Decorations

With your group pick one of the ideas you have learnt from the garden project (i.e. photosynthesis, food security, or the environment) and design a poster for the classroom wall. Before designing your poster ask the following: 1) What would they like their parents to know? 2) What is the concept they have chosen? 3) How would they tell someone else about the concept? 4) What is the number one, most important thing about the concept?
Remember
This poster will be on the wall for all the parents to see and be on the wall to help next years students to learn about growing food and the environment.
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12:
Preparing for Parents

Grade: Five, Six
Natural Sciences, Life Orientation and Languages. A parent/community day. Class discussion, Revision and research. Getting the learners to think about what they need to do in order to organise an event.
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Integrated Learning Outcomes Learning Area Learning Outcome Maths Assessment Standard
Languages
Life Orientation
Knowledge
Skills
Values/Attitude
Encourage and develop natural curiosity about the world and its elements.
How food gardening can help the community.
Writing to communicate with the community.
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Introduction In class focus: Natural Sciences: To make detailed observations about the world and record how things fit together. Revise what they have learnt about the environment and use that information (see languages). Additional activity: Go through over your notes and find something you would like to tell your parents about. Is there anything new you have learnt about that topic? Life Orientation: The maintenance of healthy and sustainable environment we can all live in. Have the learners think about what to do for their community. Additional activity: Design two posters for the classroom wall telling your parents about what you have been doing and learning in the garden. Languages: Develop an ability to use language to receive and transmit information about the environment, especially to younger learners within the school. Additional Activity: Update the glossary, are there any terms you have encountered from over the last six weeks not in the glossary that should be. Maths: Develop a logistical sense in the learner. Additional Activity: How many parents would come to the parent day if all the students parents came? How much Juice and how many biscuits would you need for the parents? How much would all that cost? Introduction: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) This week the learners will be preparing the garden and their school for a parent/community day. They must invite the parents, grandparents, or an important member of their community to the school and show the adults what they have been doing and learnt in and from the garden. Ask the learners: 1) Who they would like to invite the school to see their garden? 2) What they would like the garden and school to look like for their parent day? 3) What needs to be done in the garden to make it look better? 4) What they would like to tell the community about the garden? 5) What is the most important thing they learnt from the garden? 6) When should we hold the school day? (10 15m.) Development stage 1: (Life Orientation, Languages) Get the learners, in groups, to design an invitation for the parent/community day. Explain there is no right or wrong in this task, but the best design will be used as the invitation sent to everyone. Also this invitation is to an event so there needs to be information on it, for example: 1) What the parents/community will see at the school. 2) Why the parents/community is being invited to the event. 3) What the parents/community could learn whilst at the school. 4) This invitation is for all the parents/community not just your parents. Teach: An invitation needs to encourage people to attend the event. People are busy so they need a reason to take time off from work to come and see the school garden. Also if we work in the garden then maybe you can show your parents what you can grow in a short space of time. (10 15m.) In groups of four get the learners to design the invitation; they must keep in mind all the things discussed about what to include in their invitations. (30 m.) Development stage 2: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages) Getting the school/classroom ready: Having a day at school for all the parents is requires a lot of work, and there are things that need to be done. Ask the following: 1) What would they like to show to their parents? 2) What do they want everything to look like? 3) What do they want their classroom to look like? 4) What needs to be done in the garden? 5) What do they want to tell the parents? 88
Teach: Remember that you can get everything done, all it takes is time and for everyone to help out around the school, in the garden, and in class. This is a day when you get to show off to your parents what you have done and learnt. (10 15m.) Divide the learners into groups of four and assign tasks to help get everything ready. (As needed)
Development stage 3: (Natural Science, Life Orientation, Languages, and Maths) Each group must design a poster based on a concept they have learnt (i.e. photosynthesis, food security, or the environment) from the project. Each group must do a different concept and poster. Ask the following: 1) What would they like their parents to know? 2) What is the concept they have chosen? 3) How would they tell someone else about the concept? 4) What is the number one, most important thing about the concept? Teach: Remember that all these posters will be displayed on the classroom walls or around the school for all the parents to see. They must be careful and make a poster that they can be proud of. (15 20m.) Divide the learners into their groups and let them design the poster. (As needed)
Conclusion: (Life Orientation, Natural Science, Languages, Maths) Reflect on what they have learnt. Things they could write in their workbooks: Has the garden changed? What would they like to show mom or dad in the garden? What would you tell mom or dad about the garden? What have you learnt about food gardening? Would you like to grow food at home? (10 15m.) Assessment: Did the learner demonstrate enthusiasm for this weeks work? Was the learner able to follow instructions properly? Was the learner able to demonstrate, through written work, what they felt about the garden?
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Companion planting
Each plant creates a microclimate where it grows, making the conditions better for other similar plants (but too little variety leads to monoculture, with many associated problems). Plants will grow well within their own type, or with companion types, as long as you don't have competition for the same space at the same time (i.e. radishes & parsnips). Plant type Cucurbits Examples/ type squash, gourds, cucumber, melons garlic, onion, chives, leek, shallots Virtually any leafy or headed green: cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, mustard, broccoli Companion Fences antagonists Field planting legumes Deter rabbits Also called Cruciferae from the shape of their flowers, whose four petals resemble a cross. Widely considered to be healthy foods, they are high in vitamin C and soluble fibre and contain multiple nutrients and phytochemicals with potential anti-cancer properties. Many sharptasting substances in these vegetables are produced from substances called glucosinolates. Legume plants fix atmospheric nitrogen with bacteria found in root nodules. The nitrogen fixation ability of legumes is enhanced by the availability of calcium in the soil and reduced by the presence of ample nitrogen. Grain legumes are cultivated for their seeds, and are also called pulses. The seeds are used for human and animal consumption or for the production of oils for industrial uses. A combination of legumes with grains can provide all necessary amino acids for vegetarians. Common examples of such combinations are dal with rice by Indians, and beans with corn tortillas, tofu with rice, and peanut butter with wheat bread. Detail
Alliums
nightshades
Brassica
legumes or alliums
nightshades
Legumes
Beans, peas, lentils, lupins, and peanuts
brassicas, nightshades
alliums
Nightshades
Potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, tobacco
beans
brassica
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Helper plants (natural pesticides, soil improvement, etc.)

NB Aromatic plants include most kitchen herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, taragon, and dill. Each has particular effects, detailed in the master table; this is a digest for quick reference. Plant type Aromatic Flower Indigenous Carrot Mint strawberrie s Detail Confuse pest insects and many other crop predators and pests Any brightly coloured plant will attract insects like butterflies and bees Attract significantly more local wildlife, since the ecosystem is designed for those plants. Work with everything Works with cabbage very well Works well with brassica
Helpful weeds
Considered one of the "magic bullet" companion plants, benefiting almost any crops around it in some way, and not known to hurt any Provides a humid microclimate that benefits many plants by stabilizing their moisture. Highprotein source of food, but generally only eaten in survival situations. Also used for yellow dye Tap root breaks up hardened soil and brings up nutrients from deep down, benefiting plants with weaker or shallower roots without competing with them. Leaves/ flowers edible. More effective insulator than goose down, breaks up hard soil, allowing nearby plants to develop healthier root systems. Attracts predator insects. Young plant parts are edible, as is much of the plant when blanched or otherwise prepared. Attracts bees. Breaks up hard soil and hardpan, brings nutrients and water up from deeper than crops can reach, provides healthy ground cover, stabilizing soil moisture, contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant Young roots are edible Deters rabbits, rose hips can be used in herb tea
Nasturtium
Helper food
Everything
Clover
Helper weed
Brassica, corn, cucurbits Grasses grains and
Nightshades Poisonous to some livestock
Cocklebur
Helper weed
Dandelion
Helper weed
Various grains, tomato plants Corn, basil, potatoe s Broccoli, tomato, valari an, mint, fennel Corn, solanums like tomatoes and peppers everything Strawberries, grapes, roses
Milkweed
Helper weed
Nettle
Helper weed
Purslane
Helper weed
Dill, parsnip, radish
Queen Anne's Lace Wild Rose
Helper weed Helper weed
Dill, parsnip, radish
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Companion planting examples: seed kits

These are examples of plants that will work well together. To check details, please see the following plant guide.
Seed groups to help your other plants

1. Baby Spinach (Dash), Sweet Rocket, Rue, Lemon Basil, Sorrel, Oreganum, Dill, Chives, Chamomile, Anise, Pennyroyal. This kit can be grown intensely in a small space and provides tasty herbs and spices. Because it is aromatic, if planted in your garden it will deter pests and attract predatory insects. 2: Inedible help: Use flowers, such as Lobelia, African Daisy, Gazania, Alyssum, Marigold, & Tansy. Aside from beautifying your space, it will attract a variety of butterflies, birds and insects. Brighter colours attract more birds and wildlife, and indigenous plants attract significantly more wildlife of all kinds 4. Helper: a group that improves soil &vegetable quality, deters pests, and attracts predatory insects. Plants to help your other plants, that you can eat; Garlic Chives, Nasturtium, Borage, Lovage. Flowers, to deal with ants, and attract predatory insects: Pennyroyal, Anchusa, Lobelia, Chervil, Marigolds.
Food sets
1. Allium & Brassica: (Allium): Onion (Texas Grando) (Brassica): Spinach (Fordhook Giant), Radish (Champion), Cabbage (Copenhagen Market). (Helpwe plants): Marigold, Nasturtium, Borage 2. Nightshades & Legumes: A cooks food kit; all the things you need to bring out the tastiness of your food. 2. Covers 5m Legumes: Peas (green feast), Beans (star 2001) Nightshades: Eggplant, Tomatoes Helper seeds: Carrots, Borage 3. Brassica & alliums: Brassica : Cabbage (Copenhagen Market), Spinach (Fordhook Giant) Helper Brassica : Radish (Champion), Mustard. Allium: Onion (star 5522 & Texas Grando) Boutique kit I: Help: This kit improves soil & vegetable quality, deters pests, and attracts predatory insects. Nasturtium, Coriander, Marigold, Borage, Lovage, Thyme, Dill, Garlic Chives
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Master Plant guide

The following guide is a list of common edible and helpful plants that the average gardener may come into contact with, This guide includes planting, germination and harvest times, in addition to the respective plants companions and antagonists. It is correct as far as our research has taken us (since much of the information is from packets and the like, large sections are incomplete, particularly germination times).
Plant African Daisy African Daisy Alfalfa Alyssum Anise Asparagus Aubergine Aztec Herb Baby Spinach Banana Tree Basil Dash Creeper small, leafy light tree Carpet of Snow Pimpimella medium height, flowery Type High Noon Silverhill White Germination Description Fr. To 4 4 -14 7 ---7 -7 6 6 -21 14 ---14 -14 Harvest Fr. To 45 45 -98 120 ---35 -35 45 45 -98 120 ---45 -50 Tomatoes Everything except Brassica Nightshades, brassica, carrots, corn Nightshades, oregano, petunias, Brassica, Carrots, Corn Everything except Alliums, Potatoes Alliums Nightshades Common rue, sage, Annual, shiny leaves, very aromatic rosemary Common rue, Is said to make tomatoes taste better, sage, deters various insects. Attracts rosemary butterflies. Hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria, a good fertilizer for some plants, too much for others Marigolds will deter nematodes. Extremely sweet; good for diabetics Supposed to increase the essential oils in many herbs like basil Companions Antagonists Companions Indigenous. Attracts bees, butterflies, etc. Indigenous. Attracts bees, butterflies, etc. Fixes nitrogen, improves soil, breaks up tough soil, and attracts predatory insects.
Bush
Basil
Ocimumbasilicum
chamomile, anise
--
--
60
90
Beans Bear's Lime Beetroot Beets Borage Broccoli Bush Beans Bushbine Butternut Cabbage Cabbage Cabbage Cabbage Cabbage Carrot Catnip Cauliflower Celery Chamomile
Star 2052
Sticks large tree
--7 --
--10 -14 10 14 -14 10 10 10 10 10 14 -10 -21
60 -80 -120 65 50 -110 75 90 90 100 110 90 -80 -90
80 -100 -120 70 60 -110 85 110 95 130 140 100 -85 -120
Alliums Buildings
Star 1105
Alliums, brassica Almost everything Brassica, alliums
Beans
Boragoofficinalis
Sunset Star 3317 Cape spitz
big, flat leaves Kale tall, thin aloe-type low creeper low kale low kale
7 7 7 -7 7 7 7 6 7 10 -7 -14
Leaves which have up to 25% magnesium. Borage is the magic bullet of companion plants; grow everywhere Fixes nitrogen for other plants
Alliums
Glory of enkhuisen low kale Copenhagen market Drumhead Ideal red low kale low kale root
Carrots, strawberries, mint Carrots, strawberries, mint Carrots, strawberries, mint Carrots, strawberries, mint Carrots, strawberries, mint Nightshades, alliums, brassica
Nightshades Nightshades Nightshades Nightshades Nightshades Especially tasty cabbage
Wallaby Matricariarecutita tall Daisy-like
Basil,
Attracts assassin bug, lacewing, Dill, parsnip, parasitic wasp, yellow jacket and other radish predatory wasps. Deters flea beetle. Nightshades Corn wheat, Aromatic, increases essential oil
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flower
onion, cabbage, cucumber, other herbs 7 14 30 Radish, broccoli lettuce,
production in herbs. Makes nice tea. Attracts wasps. Loves shade, grows well with shadetolerant food plants; will make radishes grown near it taste spicier. Deters aphids
Chervil
Anthriscuscerefoli um
Parsley-like
Chilli Chives Coriander/ Dhania/ Cilantro Corn Cucumber Cumin Dill Drumstick Bean Garlic Garlic Chives Gazania Anethumgraveole ns Moringaoleifera Allium sativum Orange Glechomahederac ea low creeper delicate, fernlike leaves small tree Bulb Allium Allium schoenoprasum Coriandrumsativu m beans, peas
-7
80 14
80 90
90 120
Everything Alliums except Apples, carrots, tomatoes, Beans, peas brassica Spinach Sunflowers, legumes,cucurbits Tomato, celery , potato Tomato, Sage Cabbages, corn, Carrots, lettuce, onions, tomatoes cucumbers
Deters aphids
cabbage
worms, carrot
fly,
14
21
35
40
Deters aphids, spider mites and potato beetle. Retains soil moisture.
---7 -10 7
---14 -15 14
--120 40 -90 100
--120 60 -120 120
Attracts predator insects, deters pests Small flowers, many uses
Everything
Ground Ivy
Creeper
--
--
--
--
Hemp Jalepeno Pepper Leek Lemon Balm Lemon Basil Lemon Tree Lettuce Lettuce Lettuce Lettuce Lettuce Lobelia Lovage Marigold Marigold Melon Pear Milkweed Mint (Peppermint) Mint Spearmint Mustard Melissa officianalis Ocimumbasilicumv small leafy ar strong, short tree Baby leaf small, leafy Commander Major Butter Cos Crystal palace low kale low kale low kale small, leafy pepper (fat)
-16 10 7 7 -7 7 7 --10 Asteraceae calendula tagetes Crackerjack Asclepias Menthapiperita Pineapple Menthaspicata Brassica nigra short, yellow flowers 7 7 ----7 7 at
-18 12 14 14 -14 10 10 --20 14 14 ----14 10
-75 270 120 90 -35 50 60 40 -40 -120 56 56 ---60 60 14
-80 270 120 120 -45 55 90 90 -90 -150 84 84 ---90 120 21
Brassica Tomatoes, geraniums, petunias Celery, carrots Beans, brassica Legumes
Deters rabbits, aphids, ants Edible flowers. Indigenous. Attracts bees, butterflies, etc. Used in European traditional medicine for inflammation of the eyes, tinnitus, a diuretic, astringent, tonic and gentle stimulant. Deters moths, ants, aphids, cabbage fly, ants Doesn't grow easily Deters rabbits, aphids, ants Contains citronella. Deters insects. Makes nice tea. Can be used as sedative tea for headaches & tension
Mint Buildings Brassica Nightshades Brassica, beans, Brassica carrots Brassica, beans, Brassica carrots Brassica, legumes, Brassica Carrots Brassica, legumes, Brassica Carrots
Use fresh Everything Everything Plant everywhere in your garden. Plant everywhere in your garden. Sap reduces poison ivy symptoms. Attracts predatory wasps. Brassica Cabbage Cabbage Brassica Nightshades Deters moths, ants, aphids, ants Deters moths, ants, aphids, ants Deters moths, ants, aphids, ants
94
Nasturtium
Gem (dwarf)
Nasturtium Onion Onion Onion Oregan(O/U m) Parsley Parsley Parsnip Paw Paw Tree Peas Pennyroyal Pepper (Green) Peppers Petunia Potato Pumpkin
Tropaeolummajus Star 5522 Brown Red creole Origanumvulgare Moss curled
top bushy, broad leaves bushy, broad leaves bulb bulb
flat
--
--
--
80
Cucurbits
Radish, cauliflower Radish, cauliflower Legumes Legumes Legumes
flat
-7 12 --14 14 ---
-7 12 -21 28 28 --10 14 ------7 7 7 14 14 --14
-155 200 -70 70 70 --120 90 ------21 21 21 30 90 80 -90
80 155 200 -90 80 80 --120 120 ------28 28 28 50 120 90 -120
Cucurbits Nightshades Nightshades Alliums, brassica Nightshades, many others
small, dense leaves Very bushy Short, bushy
Both work as trap crops for aphids, is among the best at attracting predatory insects. Entirely edible. Both work as trap crops for aphids, is among the best at attracting predatory insects. Entirely edible. Deters rabbits, aphids, ants Deters rabbits, aphids, ants Deters rabbits, aphids, ants Provides ground cover and muchneeded humidity for pepper plants if allowed to spread among them
Flowers left to seed will attract predatory insects. Root toxic to flies, mites, pea aphids. Everything except Roses Everything except Tomatoes, geraniums, petunias Cucurbits Sunflower, Tomato, Cucumber Young roots are edible Brassica Brassica Brassica Nightshades Nightshades Nightshades Ready when radish top rises out of the soil. Eat raw. Alliums Beans, brassica Is a trap crop almost identical to geraniums in function Horseradish increases resistance of potatoes the disease Alliums Fixes nitrogen, creates shade, grows readily Makes good tea. Repels aphids. Don't use if preganant.
Green feast Methapulegium
medium, broad top ground cover
7 7 ---
Petunia x hybrida
----5 Small round fruit Small round fruit small, leafy 5 5 10 7 --7
Queen Anne's Daucuscarota Lace (Wild Carrots)) Radish Radish Radish Rocket Rocket Rosemary Rosemary Rue Champion Sparkler Cherry belle Sweet Erucasativa Rosmarinusofficin alis Halfa blue
Flea Beetles are warded off by radishes Some recent scientific support for its historic use as a herbal contraceptive. Attracts predator insects.
Sage, cabbage, Basil beans, carrots Peach trees, tomatoes, Basil strawberries Rosemary, cabbage, beans, carrots Oreganum Legumes Legumes Legumes
Deters cabbage flies, repels many bean parasites Perennial, small flowers Deters mant insects Deters cabbage flies, repels many bean parasites Eat raw like spinach, or in soups, salads, Aids kidney, digestion, flushes toxins, treats abcesses.
Sage
Salvia officinalis
--
--
--
--
Sorrell Spinach Spinach Spinach Squash Star Jasmin Sunflower
Rumexacetosa Fordhook giant Star 1801 Greenwave Smarag Trachelospermum Helianthus annuus
small leafy large, bushy, leafy short, bushy, leafy short, bushy, leafy creeper
7 10 10 10 ---
14 14 14 14 --18
60 40 40 40 70 --75
70 60 60 60 70 --80
Corn Tomatoes, geraniums, petunias Beans, brassica
Keep moist White scented flowers from spring Ants herd aphids onto sunflowers, keeping them off neighbouring plants.
Sweet Pepper California wonder
pepper (bell)
14
95
Tansy
small yellow Tanacetumvulgare flower
14
20
20
Beans, cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, etc), corn, roses Everything, especially eggplant but
Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs and ants. DO NOT EAT!! Annual. Disliked by most pests, enhances growth and flavour of crops grown with it, harvest after flowers appear & before leaves turn yellow. Deters cabbage worm.
Tarragon Thyme Tiny Tomatoes Tomato Tomatoes Tomatoes Turnip
Artemisia dracunculus
14 ---
21 ---10 14 10
180 90 ----50
180 100 --110 90 50
Rodade Floradade Oxheart (large, heart shaped) Early purpletop
-10 7 7
Everything Alliums except Everything Alliums except Carrots, alliums, celery Carrots, alliums, celery
Feeding the Self contact details

Chirag Patel chirag.patel@feedingtheself.org Nicholas Molver nick.molver@feedingtheself.org Marc Robson marc.robson@feedingtheself.org Co-ordinator; Project design & Strategy 0735578909 Oversight, analysis 0780622204 Lesson and material design 0842613244
FTS garden & teaching docs | General teaching material Gardening research | Useful NGO docs Project data All documentation available on Scribd.com; just search for Feeding the Self All material free to use, copy or distribute Donate at http://apotheosis.givengain.org Feeding The Self is a trademark of Apotheosis, PBO# 930038248
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How To Teach Science With A Garden (& Maths, Languages and Life Orientation, Too!)

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How To Teach Science With A Garden (& Maths, Languages and Life Orientation, Too!)

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Complete v2 teaching pack

Produced in conjunction with

Nutrition, Plants and healthy living

Seed distribution I Seed distribution II

Home planting Grow your own I food

Harvesting seeds Change over time.

Expansion into Ecosystems community I Expansion into Re-planting community II

Full curriculum integration outline (weeks 1-6)

2. Fun in the garden, planting and seeds

3. Maintaining soil quality

4. Expanding the garden

5. Insects, insect hunt and insect house

Full curriculum integration outline (weeks 7-12)

Growing food is easy!

To grow your own food there are things you need:

Growing food is fun!

The garden and the school

The garden as a teaching/learning space:

Examples for teacher use

Ecology and Ecosystems

Potting Soil: Compost:

Week 1: Plants as food

Vegetables are an important part of any healthy diet, and life

1: Getting your hands dirty.

Remember: Be gentle when you remove the seedlings.

Introducing the Garden

LO2: Constructing Knowledge

Week 2: Digging a permaculture bed

dig down or build up

Why dig so deep?

Plants, the soil and habitats.

2: Lizards can Help

One: Check your garden

Two: The soil.

Three: The Lizard Island

The Soil and the Environment

Learning Programme Theme Activity Purpose of the activity

LO2: Constructing Knowledge

From the sun:

comes sunlight, which is energy.

Chlorophyll is why leaves are green .

3: The soil, sun and rain

3: Its all about the Soil

Two: Planting flowers and seeding the seed trays

No Life without Soil

LO2: Constructing Knowledge

To be able to influence the environment positively.

Week 4: Grow your own food at home

A garden improves the environment in lots of ways!

Gardening is fun and easy!

For a successful garden you need

Where can I find all these things?

All around you!

4: Energy from Plants

From the sun to us

Energy & Sunlight

How plants use light.

Where do we get energy from?

So our energy (sugar) comes from eating plants!

4: Garden, Garden everywhere

One: Expanding the garden at school

Two: Translate the dig poster for your community

Three: Try growing a garden at home