A project which began last year keeps growing at Coldwater Elementary School.
Under the direction of third grade math and science teacher Todd Willis, eight- and nine-year-old students at CES are getting their hands dirty as they grow a school garden and learn fundamentals at the same time.
Willis, said the project began slowly, but has grown, literally, and will continue to produce new learning experiences for the children involved.
The garden features a variety of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, Japanese Eggplants, several varieties of lettuce, onions, radishes and more. For the cooler months, Willis said the garden will also include cauliflower and other cool weather plants. Additionally, the garden features several varieties of flowers to attract butterflies.
Each child is assigned a number and must care for their plants since every child is assigned a plant from each of the species available in the garden.
Each child was assigned a specific plant earlier in the year. The child was required to submit a report on the plant and then provide a presentation. The presentations were then recorded and uploaded to YouTube. A unique QR code was developed for each video and printed with a photo of the child and the plant’s name. As visitors stroll through the garden, they can scan the QR code with their mobile devices and learn about the plant from the child who studied it.
However, Willis didn’t stop at plants for teaching tools for the children. The school also has chickens, and the children are responsible for collecting the chicken eggs, washing them and measuring them. Willis explained the children receive valuable hands-on lessons not only about the development of the embryo inside the chicken egg, but the children also get to cook and eat the eggs produced at the school. The hutches for the chickens were made and donated by the students at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Additionally, the school has several racing pigeons. The pigeons are tagged and taken to various locations in the county and released. The pigeons fly back to the school and their times are recorded. Willis explained the children use this lesson to learn about elapsed time and can use valuable math skills.
The next addition to the school and garden will be a nature trail. Willis said the trail will focus on local native species of plants and trees. Each variety along the trail will also feature the QR code plaques identifying the species. Willis said the trail will be ready in the next few months.
