Pedagogical guide for a domotic school garden
INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 2
PEDAGOGICAL GUIDE FOR A DOMOTIC SCHOOL GARDEN
Intelectual Output 2.pdfEXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED
Collage Activity
Collage activity involves students and teachers in gathering information, taking photos and interviewing parents, grandparents and farmers about the farming traditions, the agriculture in the region, the most common local produce - crops, vegetables, fruit, herbs. All the materials are used for designing a collage illustrating the school facilities, the position of the proposed school garden, garden areas, classrooms, the crops grown in the region, the agricultural scientific institute in the town, the family traditions in organic farming, the products sold at the local farmers' market.
The traditional paper made collage combined with the digital video collage are a perfect way of popularizing the idea of Domotic School Garden Project.
SEED BANK
Students search the internet for information about seeds and seed banks. They ask their parents and grandparents how to collect seeds and learn about the mission of seed banks and the importance of carefully and intentionally preserving the genetic information from a diversity of plant species. Τhey are getting involved by opening the vegetable, taking seeds from inside and drying them. Older Students teach younger ones how to take and preserve seeds and also how to storage them. All students together will create a school seed bank with 20 different seeds from the school garden and 50 more different seeds provided by special groups.
LEARNING ABOUT THE GARDEN AND AGRICULTURAL SENSORS
The main goal is to learn the concepts of sensor, analog and digital signal, the management of a signal, the activation of sensors and software programming and to Know the BBC micro: bit learning platform.
QUICK BBC MICROBIT PLATFORM TUTORIAL
The final objective of this activity is using the initial teaching material of BBC micro :bit platform in a school garden. This purpose will be introduction for the use of DSG weather station in different local agronomic practices. In addition, it will be used by students and teachers of school as well as the leaders of small gardens.
FOOD & SUSTAINABILITY
THE THREE R’S OF ECOLOGY
INSECTS HOTEL
Putting an insect hotel in the garden provides shelter and structure for small animals. It is a powerhouse of the environment because lots of creatures can have a lot of places to hide in the Domotic School Garden. Some of them are predators, others parasites or pollinators, etc.
There are lots of different ways to build an insect hotel, the way you design it can affect the sorts of creatures that you attract. Maybe, this is the reason why firstly you should research the native insects available in your area and then, decide which insects you want to attract to your garden.
In order to build an ideal hotel, you should use recycled materials and choose the place in your DSG where the insect hotel will be located, so take into account that the hotel needs sun and must be protected from strong winds and rain.
WHAT IS THIS?
This activity is intended for students to perceive the fruits and vegetables of their area through their senses. To do this, an activity will be carried out with different indigenous products that students must guess through their senses (touch, smell, taste).
The teacher, who knows the students as well as the timing of the classes, and the dimensions of the center, will adapt the methodology proposed in this activity and the sessions in which it will be carried out to optimize the expected result of the same.
MANDALAS
Mandala is a word that means sacred circle. The mandala is an ancient art originating in India that allows, through a graphic support, to reach meditation and concentration, while developing creativity. According to some authors, the mandala has therapeutic virtues that allow to regain balance and internal calm.
They are effective in harmonizing, stabilizing and controlling states of crisis, anxiety and imbalances.
COMPOST TEA
Compost tea is a high-quality liquid compost extract that contains beneficial microorganisms and nutrients that give crops vitality and strength to cope with diseases and pests. It is about avoiding and reducing the use of fungicides, herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In this activity the students will learn how they can take care the plants using liquid compost which they will be able to prepare in order to avoid chemical pesticides.
My grandpa's garden
The aims of the proposed activities are to apply STEM approach in our school curricula, to spark students' interest in agriculture and environmental protection, to involve the parents in school work, to build connections and collaborative lessons with the other schools in the region with the view of exchanging good practices, knowledge and experience. In addition we aim at boosting our students' and teachers' presentation and research skills, as well as their English language competence.