Do you want to stay current on your gardening knowledge? Consider helping teachers at one of Cobb’s many school gardens. Nothing keeps you up to date like teaching! ????
They have looked at and felt the different soil textures, colors and structure
So, what do you do with 25 third and fourth grade students in the winter months? We have been learning about soil, water and the environment:
- They have looked at and felt the different soil textures, colors and structure.
- Called the extension service to find out about the timing for soil samples, and costs for soil testing.
- Learned why we compost and how earth worms are great for the soil.
- We made a worm viewing jar for observing how worms mix the different colored layers of soil and compost.
- Used math to calculate how much water each of us has in our bodies.
- Observed water run off (lots of rain)!
- Learned how the water cycle cleans and refreshes our earth, and ways we can conserve and protect this valuable resource that is necessary for all life.
Helping birds through the winter with pine cone bird feeders
Ethel Shockley is teaching the chapter on Ecology and Environmental Horticulture which was full of fun activities. From caring for the environment through recycling. To helping birds through the winter with pine cone bird feeders. Students had fun cleaning the seeds off of our school grown sunflower heads for the birds. Other topics included understanding pollution, Arbor Day (which shows what one person can do), and why we practice organic gardening in our school gardens.
Outside in the gardens the fall broccoli and cauliflower headed up nicely over Christmas and gave us six weeks of snacks. Other fall crops have been removed and the soil turned for spring planting. Sugar snap peas, carrots and radish seeds have been sown; garden paths and trees have gotten a fresh layer of wood chips. Newly emerging spring bulbs have been moved from the old garden to the new one and are blooming beautifully along with the early flowering perennials. Our fall planted Service Berry tree is also in bloom!
We meet every Monday after school for JMG Club. There is always something new to learn!