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HEALTHY PLANET, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
5th graders planted lettuce in hydroponic gardens, which use water-based solutions, instead of soil, to grow plants. The exercise was part of a science unit on sustainable farming in local and urban settings. Students researched the upsides of hydroponic gardens, which use 90% less water than traditional growing methods and can grow anywhere, anytime because they do not need soil. As students learned, the downsides are higher start-up costs, more electricity use, and the need for nutrient additives as compared to traditional or industrial farming.
“In a city, there is usually no room for a garden,” Nayada Pavli-Stock said in a presentation to her class. “That means that the food in cities comes from places far away, and that can cost more money.”
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Growing food locally, either in hydroponic or community gardens, can help alleviate the inequities caused by “food deserts”—geographical areas where access to affordable, healthful food options is limited due to physical and social factors.
“In food deserts, unhealthy foods or junk foods can mean people don’t live as long,” Kellan Priestap explained. “Hydroponic gardens can grow healthy foods right in the city.”
Middle School science teacher Gary Cutler used this unit to explore water shortages, such as the Colorado River drought, caused in part by climate change and overuse of the river’s water to grow crops.
In parallel with their classroom study, students visited a local farm to learn about sustainable practices and did service work around campus as part of Green Corps, the 5th-grade track for community engagement and experiential learning. They weeded the elevated GDS garden beds, painted planters for the school greenhouse, and helped beautify the Kamal Nashid Terrace, an outdoor learning space at the Lower/Middle School building in memory of a GDS student who lost his life nearly four years ago.
Looking ahead to late spring, students will grow strawberries in their hydroponic gardens and watch GDS senior artists put the final touches on a new mural at the entry to the Terrace.
