agricultural sustainability building a greenhouse to grow plants in a way that helps the society and...
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Agricultural SustainabilityBuilding a Greenhouse to grow plants in a way that helps the society and the environment
J.Paas
Background Information Plants are
essential for sustaining life on our unique planet.
Plants provide many ecosystem services.
Three important services plants provide are:
Serving as food for organisms
Providing oxygen through photosynthesis
Using carbon dioxide to reduce excess greenhouse gasses which increase climate change
Serving as food: Humans rely on
plants for nutrition, energy for life and metabolism, health, and sustenance.
Providing oxygen through photosynthesis The conversion of solar energy into
chemical energy occurs through a process called photosynthesis, which plants have the ability to perform. It is through photosynthesis that glucose used as food and oxygen are produced.
Using carbon dioxide to reduce excess greenhouse gasses For their
consumption of carbon dioxide, plants are needed to restore and sustain the carbon cycle balance
Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable agriculture is a concept that carries hope for the world to have enough food for its ever-increasing population without compromising the well-being of future generations.
As an alternative to monoculture and other technological agricultural techniques, sustainable agricultural offers a significant food source without negative environmental and economic consequences.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture Four ways this is accomplished
are: Crop rotation reduces depletion
of important nutrients so synthetic fertilizers are not needed.
Using natural predators, such as ladybugs, to eliminate pests rather than using chemical pesticides that cause biomagnification of deadly toxins throughout the food chain.
Sustainable agriculture Hand-pulling of weeds,
rather than petroleum-based machinery which increases the negative effects of climate change.
Hiring local people which benefits the society and economy of the communities involved.
Greenhouses for Sustainability
Greenhouses may be built to grow plants in environmentally controlled areas. Solar radiation passes through the polycarbonate or glass walls and is absorbed by the plants and soil inside.
Heat sinks Heat sinks such as a
black barrel filled with water or a small pond may be placed inside the greenhouse to absorb and retain the solar heat.
Solar energy transfer The transfer of heat
inside the greenhouse is caused by convection from the re-radiation of the thermal energy from the plants, walls and other heat sinks inside the building.
Applying the Concept To apply the concept of
sustainable agriculture, the students will work on an STSE project which will give them an opportunity to plan and construct a greenhouse so they can grow a sustainable garden to benefit their home and school.
Lesson SequenceLesson 1 The Necessity of Plants
This lesson will explain the ecosystem services plants provide and their role as producers. Photosynthesis will be explained. View these videos with great diagrams and pictures
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=62625
photosynthesis animation
Lesson 2 What is Agricultural Sustainability? This lesson will define sustainability and
give research examples of working sustainable farms and greenhouses. The students will begin their STSE project: begin the greenhouse plan in groups. Here is a sample video for an example:
“Its Winter and Everything is Green. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jPVreSYS5w
Lesson 3 Factors that Affect Plant Growth
This lesson will discuss nutrients, soil, water, CO2, O2 and practical requirements for a successful organic garden. The students will plan their garden in groups. For an interactive lesson online teaching factors that affect plant growth view: http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/factors_plant_growth/eng/Introduction/MainSessionPart2.htm
Lesson 4 Constructing a Greenhouse Part One
The students will bring their designs and collaborate to finalize a class plan. For an introduction, watch this instruction about greenhouses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jILdnz4q2Xs
Lesson 5 Constructing a Greenhouse Part Two
The students will gather materials and begin construction. This construction will continue for a length of time designated by the teacher.
Lesson 6 Planting a Sustainable Garden
The students will begin planting their garden according to the group plans that were submitted and approved by the instructor.
Lesson 7 Reaping the Reward The students will tend their
garden and share their harvest with their family and school community. They will write a reflection on what it is like to be an organic gardener and what difference they made for the community and/or the environment.
Student Difficulties Some students may have difficulty grasping
the concept of not using technology such as machinery and pesticides for agriculture, since we live in a technological age. I have attached a problem-solving activity which will help them see the cost/benefit analysis of sustainable agriculture.
Students may have trouble working cooperatively. This plan has several types of differentiated instruction activities so students can interact at their own pace.
Considerations for Special Needs and ELL Students:
The nature of the STSE project, designing a building a greenhouse, and then planting a sustainable garden is conducive for all students. Assessments for and as learning activities using cooperative learning methods such as K-W-L charts, jigsaw and think-pair –share will be used. The written application reflection will be an Assessment of learning at the end of the project.
Considerations for Special Needs and ELL Students:
The project will be a group assignment, first in small groups to gather information, do the research and then collaborate to present to the class. This will be a tiered assignment where the instructor will decide which parts of the research, and later, which physical tasks each special needs student will benefit the most from.
Considerations for ELL and Advanced Students:
ELL students will benefit from the hands-on aspect of the concept, which is conducive to natural English conversation and problem solving. Word boards will be used to develop vocabulary.
There are many tasks that will engage the expertise and research skill of a advanced student. The teacher will reinforce this student’s interest and motivation to make calculations, do in-depth research, etc. in the design and construction of the greenhouse.
Picture Sourceslisted in order shown
Jewelweed in Concord by Haley Curtiss bcgreenhouses.com 1860‑1.jpgsummerfieldbooks.com PowerPlantEmissions.jpgweathersavvy.com adybug_large.jpggreentreelandscaping.ca
Picture sources cont. gardener‑harvest‑300.jpgthedailygreen.com heating_greenhouse‑light.gifschool-for-champions.com HeatSinkInletScreenOutside.jpgroperld.com 1‑s2.0‑S0038092X08001540‑gr4.jpgsciencedirect.com bcgreenhouses.com greenhouse.gifeuropagreenhouses.com greenhouse‑2.jpghome.howstuffworks.com
Written and Video Sources BC Greenhouses.
LTDhttp://www.bcgreenhouses.com Dunlop et al., Biology 11, McGraw-Hill Ryerson,
Toronto, ON, CANADA, pgs. 528-625. Extreme How-To Video Building a Greenhouse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jILdnz4q2Xs Its Winter and Everything is Green.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jPVreSYS5w Photosynthesis in animation, http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgu2RzkCkJU&feature=related
Plants-Interactive science http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/factors_plant_growth/eng/Introduction/MainSessionPart2.htm
Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink - Solar www.reuk.co.uk/Solar-Greenhouse-Heat-Sink.htm
Resources, cont. Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink - Solar www.reuk.co.uk/Solar-Greenhouse-Heat- Sink.htm TeacherTube videos, http://
www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=62625
The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2008, http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/2009science11_12.txt
JocelynPaas 7/18/12