In this project-based learning lesson, students will read articles and view digital media to gather information about plant growth. They will learn about the nutrients plants need and the environmental factors that contribute to healthy plant growth. They will explore how people who live in urban areas get their food as well as learn alternative gardening methods including hydroponics, aquaponics, container gardening and vertical gardening. The students will research at least two of the gardening methods that interest them using multiple sourc-es such as interviews, articles and videos. They will compare and contrast the gardening methods they research and then write an opinion essay on the gardening method they prefer, us-ing evidence from their sources to support their position. The students will then work in teams to design and construct an alternative garden using recycled materials. Using the rubric, they will organize their information and use digital resources to prepare a presentation.

Students will become familiar with the important role Florida’s broiler production and broiler companies play. The students will continue to expand their knowledge by utilizing their math skills to calculate the space needed to adequately raise broiler birds and read graphs pertinent to the poultry industry.

The purpose of gardening within an educational setting is to utilize the garden as an educational tool. The garden and skills developed by gardening provide concrete examples of theoretical or abstract concepts or processes. This is critical for some students and will result in both greater understanding of difficult concepts and application of those concepts across diverse topics. Before one can garden well, a great deal of science needs to be understood and applied. The understanding of photosynthesis is the first of those concepts. This lesson is designed to make this relatively abstract process concrete for students and, in particular, young students.

The difference between human nutrition and plant nutrients is often one of the concepts that students misunderstand. This is proven in documented errors found in standardized test questions. Students hear the term “plant food” and take that term literally, believing that plants eat (as animals do) to obtain nutrients. The intent of this lesson is to clear up that misconception as well as to teach students about the actual nutrients that plants require and the source of those nutrients.

This activity introduces what influences students’ own food choices and those of people in different cultures.

Students will evaluate their meal selections, determine the caloric content and evaluate eating and exercise options to maintain a healthy weight.

USDA’s “Nutrient Database” will be the focus of research to identify which foods contain necessary nutrients and which foods grown in the garden are most nutrient dense or will meet specific nutritional needs.

Students explore the meaning of essential nutrients, using periodic tables to compare the elements that are essential to people and plants. Students make predictions as to where in the environment plants obtain each of their essential elements.

This lesson is a sensory exploration of the herbs and spices that create food scents and flavors with a mystery twist- geographic and cultural examination. Herb growing in the garden will be encouraged. Students will be asked to explore antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that herbs provide.

Using a WebQuest, students will research foods grown in Florida and nutritional requirements of different age groups to determine if survival consuming only foods from Florida is possible.