North Park Elementary

Last Friday (April 26th) Aaron and I went to North Park Elementary in Fridley.

We met with 2 - kindergarten classes we took the lead and taught the classes individually how to plant chili peppers and cauliflower. They were so excited to get their hands dirty and one of the little girls asked me "Can you stay here?" They loved having visitors and getting the opportunity to switch up their "normal" schedule. We also met with a 1st grade class who had planted Marigolds. We spoke to them about the requirements for seed germination. They enjoyed being able to interact with us and were interested in what we had to say. We also talked about how not all plants need the same requirements (cactus), and what plants look like (all of them are different of course!). They also wanted us to talk about college (why it's important, what we do, what it's like, etc). Over all it was a great experience interacting with the children and hearing the joy in the classroom.

Last Wednesday was another successful day at the MNIC school.  The class size was a little smaller than we expected, but the lesson plan still ran smoothly.  At the beginning of the class period, we looked at the micro-greens the students planted two weeks ago. We discussed how they grew and then the class planted another batch of micro-greens.  In our next activity, we asked the students to make posters that demonstrated what plants need to grow. The students got very creative and made some great posters. My favorite part of the lesson was determining the parts of the plants that we eat. For example, broccoli is the flower portion of the plant.  Overall, the lesson was a success. The students now have a better grasp for parts of a plant and what plants need in order to grow.

In the following pictures, the students are trying to decide which part of a plant the coffee bean and a head of lettuce belong to.

   

School Garden Criticism and a movie

Hey All,

I mentioned this article once in class.  "Cultivating Failure" It's about how school gardens don't prepare students properly.  I think most people who know anything about education theory or school gardens disagree with the points in this popular 2010 article in The Atlantic, but it's always good to be familiar with your opposition!

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/cultivating-failure/307819/

This next one, is a St. Paul teacher/volunteer talking about The Atlantic article and other criticisms she has experienced from urban students

http://grist.org/food/2011-11-09-food-studies-talking-about-race-in-school-gardens/


On a totally opposite note, this documentary "Food Beware" is about a town in France that has all food in it's cafeteria and hospitals local and organically produced.  I should warn you that it is very one-sided, but it's super inspirational and I highly recommend it.  My favorite quote from the mayor of this town is something like:  "Many people ask me how we can afford to eat organic and local food in our schools and public institutions, and I tell them 'you can't put a price on your conscious.'"

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/70124890?strkid=859220590_0_0&trkid=222336&movieid=70124890

Enjoy the next couples days of good weather! Jake told me it's going to drop down again starting Wednesday :/  See y'all in class tomorrow

Jenny

Honeycrisp!

Since a few of our partner schools are getting Honeycrisp apple trees, I thought I would write up a post about one of the most famous fruits developed at the University of Minnesota.

Photo courtesy zomppa.com

Malus domestica 'Honeycrisp' was originally bred in 1960 at the University of Minnesota's Horticultural Research Center and designated as MN 1711.  It was released for commercial production in 1991 and has been a big hit ever since.  In fact, the Honeycrisp was designated the official state fruit of Minnesota in 2006 after a petition from a group of elementary students was sent to the state legislature.  They are growing in popularity worldwide, with production really taking off in New Zealand and parts of Europe.

Honeycrisps are great for storing over long periods and are known for their crisp bite and mixture of tart and sweet taste.  They are good for eating raw or in baked goods. 

Hopefully the trees going to our partner schools will be highly productive and shower them with crisp, delicious Honeycrisp apples!

Champlin Brooklyn Park Academy Microgreens Project

I visited Champlin Brooklyn Park Academy on Wednesday to plant microgreens with the first grade class.  We had a blast!  They have a beautiful greenhouse with lots of projects getting started. When we arrived, some fourth grade students were doing their daily job watering all the seedlings.  

I met with three first grade classes, so about 60 students throughout the morning. We went through the steps of planting the microgreens while talking about what plants need to grow.  The students had very thoughtful answers.  We also talking about what the word "micro" means so that the student could figure out on their own what a microgreen was.  

For our microgreens, we planted black oil sunflower seeds. I was really impressed by how many students were able to guess what the kind of seed it was.

The first graders were really excited to get their hands dirty.  It was great to see how engaged they all were.  There wasn't a singe student who wasn't interested in the activity in some way.  They worked well in their groups and were proud to show us their finished flat of seeds.

The kids dirty hands show how hard they worked!

I learned a lot about what works with kids and am really excited to plan the next visit, when we will harvest the microgreens and talk about the different parts of a plant.  I think the most important thing that I learned is that kids LOVE playing with soil.  Next time, I want to give them as much time as possible to do that.   Also, the more people you have there to help, the better. I'm glad that Mary was able to come along and lend a hand.

 Overall, I think the day went well!  My objectives for the lesson were to help the kids learn about plant needs and provide teachers with a fun indoor gardening activity and I feel like I accomplished that.  We had a fun day and I look forward to our next visit!

As Jenny mentioned earlier, visiting the Minnesota Internship Charter School was a success. We got to meet some great students with a genuine interest in horticulture.  It was a fun experience to look at the school's aquaponic system and see what the students knew about horticulture. We will be meeting with the YEA corps again this Friday to discuss our lesson plan for next week.

The whole class got a chance to grow their own micro-greens.

Tierney got to sit down and talk with students about the anatomy of seeds.

Jenny was showing a student how to sew micro-green seeds.

Tierney created a fun game where the students were shown a picture and had to decide if it was a micro green of a sprout.

MNIC First Teaching

Abby, Tierney, and I did our first teaching at MNIC yesterday, and I thought it went really well.  I think Abby took some pictures so maybe she can add them :)

We started by going around the room saying our names, where we're from, and something we did over spring break.  If we repeat this activity again (which I think we should because the students really enjoy discussion time), we need to make it faster and a more engaging/less distracting topic.  Tierney had the idea in the car on the way back that we should have everyone say name and one idea for marketing microgreens.

Next, we asked everyone what they know about microgreens.  We wrote the discussion points on the board.  After that I taught basic seed anatomy (seed coat, plumule, hypocotyl, radical, cotyledon) with a drawing on the board.  We discussed what each was and its function in the seed.  After this we planted microgreens in small Driscols quart containers.

Next, Tierney led a discussion about the differences between microgreens and sprouts.  After the discussion, we did an activity that I thought was really successful.  Tierney passed out pictures of sprouts and of microgreens and students had to say whether or not their picture was a sprout or a microgreen and why.  The students were paying attention and participating the whole time and it tied in really nicely to the seed anatomy lesson. 

Finally we ended the hour with a review game for seed anatomy.  I thought this activity was also really successful because the students were paying attention and participating.  I passed out 10 cards--5 had definitions of each part of the seed, and 5 had pictures and names of these parts.  Students had to find their matching card and then we reviewed all the answers as a class.  


We gave MNIC the rest of our soil and seeds, and as we were leaving students from the class were showing some late comers how to sow the microgreens :)  Overall, I thought we did pretty well.  We are meeting with YEA corp again on Friday to plan what we will be doing next time!

How is everyone else doing with teaching?

Have a great weekend!


Jenny

From abandoned lot to lush garden

It's hard to believe that this used to be an abandoned lot in one of the world's most populous cities:

 

Christchurch school in London has taken a once empty, trash-strewn lot and turned it into an urban oasis filled with beautiful raised beds, a greenhouse, and a forthcoming shed for tools.  The garden serves as a place for the children to learn about growing their own food and the importance of caring for our environment.  We visited the school to learn more about the garden and how it is integrated into the curriculum.

 We met with a classroom full of students and worked with them directly one on one in the garden, sowing seeds and learning about the care needed for plants to germinate.  The students were attentive and eager to learn, and it was obvious that they were very proud of their beautiful garden.  One student told me that he and his friends used to play in the empty lot and called it a "wasteland", but said that now it's a beautiful place that can be enjoyed by all.  He was very happy with the changes being made by the school, and he was eager to show me around the various nooks and crannies of the garden.


After we bade the students farewell, a few of us stuck around to help prune trees grown in the French Espalier style.

Turning once-abandoned lots into productive places to grow food and learn about nature is something that can be done anywhere in the world!  I encourage everyone reading this to think about novel ways in which we can use the spaces around us more effectively for the benefit of all.

Ron Finley TED Talk

Everyone should watch this super inspiring TED Talk urban gardens

http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html

Kew Gardens

I loved spending time at Kew Gardens.  Getting to take a behind the scenes tour of their research labs was a pretty special honor.  For a horticulture student, standing in a room filled with THOUSANDS of dried plant specimens is kind of like letting a kid loose in a candy factory.  Upon returning home, I found out from my grandma that my grandfather does have plant specimens housed at Kew!

One of Four Wings of the Herbarium

After touring the labs, we were cut loose to explore the gardens.  Since a lot of the outdoor gardens weren't in full bloom yet (except the daffodils of course), I especially loved the glass house gardens.  They had more air plants on one pole than I have seen in my life.  The orchid collection was fabulous.  They had hundreds of cacti specimen, all displayed in terrariums throughout the conservatory. Overall, it was a lovely place, perfect for a chilly spring London day.

A Reflection..

What an amazing opportunity we had as individuals to go into schools in London and help them to improve and advance their school gardens.  The experience at each school was different, and rightfully so. Not only were we interacting with children of different ages, but with schools that were in areas with different populations entirely, whether that be due to financial difficulty or cultural background.

The first school we visited was Brandlehow Primary school in East Putney, a short tube ride from our home base in Earls Court. The school garden was well developed with a pond for observations as well as many different beds housing a wide variety of plants for the students to work with. Our group presented to a class of young children, year 1 I believe, about Minnesota grown or originated crops such as Honeycrisp Apples and Native Rice. The students were engaged and excited to learn about what we had to present.

Our class with the students at Brandlehow Primary

The second school we visited was Hampton Hill. We also had the pleasure of meeting a representative from the Royal Horticultural Society, Jim Bliss. This was the beginning of a more structured interaction with the schools, as we were able to help students in the classroom, as well as directly make an impact on their school garden buy helping students plant and work in it. I had the opportunity, along with Aaron to help students plant a pear tree in an area just past their playground, where students can sit and visit. 

Myself with a selection of student from Hampton Hill with the pear tree they named "Fred"

The third school we visited was one that serviced children in a more impoverished area of London. Christ Church School has come an incredibly long way in the success of education for their students in the last decade, and a huge part of their success can be attributed to their garden. Students were incredibly excited to show us the work they had done, as well as explain the future plans they had for their beautiful garden. We helped these students plant tomatoes, and some of the group later helped to prune fruit trees. Jim Bliss also was present at this school to help facilitate the students work in the garden. It was obvious that the students recognized Jim, and were overjoyed to get to listen to his plans for the afternoon. 

Myself with Shae, Harry, and the tomatoes we planted for their beds

The fourth and final school we visited was a secondary school in an impoverished area as well. This school has also made great strides in its ability to reduce violence and give children a quality education. Their garden was by far the largest and had the most undertakings. They also had chickens and rabbits as a part of their project. While we did not work directly with students at this school, we did have the opportunity to visit with educators and discuss the challenges that their school, and England as a whole faces when it comes to gardening in the schools and encouraging students to pursue career paths in this important industry. We also had the pleasure of meeting four students from Phoenix that were interested in gardening and taking horticulture classes. 

Our group with educators from Phoenix Secondary

I had such a wonderful time in England and feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people and had the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of so many students. 

More next time on some of the more "touristy" things I did, as well as different sights I had the pleasure of visiting! 

Love, Heidie

The Road Less Traveled

It was an amazing experience to get the opportunity to travel to London with twelve other wonderful individuals. However, I found myself wandering around the town by myself so I'm going to let you in on what London looked like through my eyes!

The first unique opportunity I had the chance to take part in was going into the River Thames in downtown London on Sunday. We were visiting Cleoptra's Needle right on the river and I decided it would be a great photo opportunity to go down the steps down to the river. However the environment of algae covered stairs matched with my traction-less TOMS were conditions that were not so good together and I ended up skidding down the stairs and right into the river.

My khaki's were ruined and I was wet up to my waist. Since we were right by the festivities for St. Patrick's Day in Trafalgar Square I thought I might as well go with the group. However I realized it was time I headed back to the hotel and changed out of my wet clothes.

So after a nice shower and figuring out the washing machine, I headed back out into downtown London. When I headed out I went toward the Millennium Bridge and saw Shakespeare's Globe Theater while I was in the area. I ended the night by going to the Hard Rock Cafe which is a tradition within my family and a key item on my bucket list.

On Monday I did not do anything too far away from the group, mainly it was going to the London Eye with a few others within the group.

Tuesday I found myself away from the group when I headed over to Savile Row which a professor of mine had recommended checking out while I was in town. The main thing he mentioned about Savile Row was that it was a street dedicated to high-end tailored suits. Knowing this, I was expecting some expensive items, but I thought maybe I could find a cool top hat for a few pounds.

When I got there most of the stores were closed so I was a bit worried but I found one that was still open. After walking down the streets a couple of times I walked in and the attendants were two nice fellows. I'm sure they could tell I was a tourist but I went ahead and asked if they had any top hats. Unfortunately, and most likely mistakenly, they told me top hats were not really in style at the moment.

However, one of the gentlemen told me he would see what hats he could find. When he came back, he had a couple of hats with him and one of them did not look too bad. I picked it up and gave it a look over and then I quickly glanced at the price. The tag said £235. I nearly had a heart attack. I put it down and the gentlemen asked "Not quite your style? That's alright." I think he could tell I was way out of my league, but he was kind about it.

So off I went to see what else I could find and headed back to the apartments for the night.

I was with the group most of the time on Wednesday, except when Mary left me behind on the way to the community garden...

Then on Thursday was the main day I had by myself. In the beginning of the day we visited Kew Gardens and while we were there I walked around a bit and the main portion I did there was go on the tram tour. While it went around it was nice to see all the sites Kew had to offer, but it was a shame none of the flowers were really in bloom.

After I left Kew I headed out for the Harry Potter Experience. This was the main highlight of my week in London. It was neat to see the studio Harry Potter was filmed in and all the props they had around the area. However, I wish I would have taken the opportunity to ask others to take my picture at the different attractions, but I'll be sure to bring along a picture taking buddy the next time I go there.

I soaked it all up and took as many pictures as I could manage. Overall it was truly beautiful to see it all, but I'm definitely going to have to go back. I went to town in the gift shop, but it was neat to see all the things they had there and how it all tied back into the whole experience. I will definitely remember this moment for a while and I will be reminded of it every time I watch the Harry Potter films.

After the experience I stopped at a random tube stop on the way back to the apartments. While I was there I headed out and just walked the streets. I was starving by that point and there were so many unique places to eat. I think that when I go back to London I will certainly have to make a point to go out and simply walk the streets and see what I find. This time I went to too many touristy places, which is nice and comfortable, but I did not do enough general exploring.

On Friday I went to Buckingham Palace by myself after visiting Phoenix High School. The others had already been to Buckingham after my incident with the Thames so I had to go and see what I missed. Unfortunately there was not much to see because the guards had already changed for the day, but it was still an iconic site to see.

After Buckingham, I went to the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert museum. There were some cool and neat pieces overall but I did not have enough time to truly soak it all up. That is definitely something I will again have to do the next time I come to London.

On Saturday I started my day early to head over to Camden Market to meet one of my brothers in FarmHouse, Nick. It was neat to be hanging out with a fraternity brother in another country and we had a good time with it. While I was with Nick and some of his friends we mainly looked around the markets, but there was a lot to see.

Once we split up I went back into the market to buy a few things and the greatest purchase I made was buying a top hat. After walking around Camden for quite some time I headed out for Portobello Road. This is another market that more focuses on antiques.

So while I was at Portobello Road I looked for any neat cribbage boards I could find. The only ones I could find were well over £100, so clearly not quite in my budget. I was disappointed, but I was able to find a local photographer that had some beautiful pictures for sale. I picked up two pieces and headed out for my next destination.

To end out my adventures I went to Borough Market. Now Borough Market is all food, which was fitting because I was quite hungry. My first stop was getting a lamb sandwich which really hit the spot. I got some delicious desserts as well while I was there. The final stop after looking around was getting two jars of raw honey, which is always a favorite of mine.

I had plans to head to some more museums after the markets, but I was just too tired to do anything more. I headed back to the hotel to end my adventures that day.

Overall London was a good experience, but like I said, I saw a majority of the touristy places and did not do enough wandering. I will certainly have to go back to London to see Kew Gardens in full bloom, see and really soak in the museums, visit the Harry Potter Experience once again, and just walk around and see what I can find. Also I need to see some of the work by Banksy because I tried to ask somebody where I could find some of his work, but no one knew where they were.

Now you know how London looked like through the eyes of Vinz Karl. I had a great time with all of the school visits and such with the rest of the group, but I had my own adventures beyond it. I know more adventures await me in London and I can't wait to see what I can find in my next visit!