WATER ON THE FARM
At the beginning of the day, Next Step School students gathered around the chalkboard to review and fill-in the water cycle with familiar Spanish as well as with new English vocabulary. This set the tone for the tour of the water sources on our farm--the creek, wells, aquifer and ponds serve as a means for experiencing and learning about water quality and quantity, and their vital role on the farm as well as in our daily life.
Students after measuring the water line to calculate how much water from the spring has evaporated or sunk back into the aquifer.
After learning the basics of the farm's irrigation system, students participated in a Mulching Relay Race to determine which team could carry the highest number of wheelbarrows full of wood chips to the berry patch. They laid the mulch over drip lines to keep the moisture in. The winning team got a prize, and the farmers benefitted from a beautifully-mulched field.
The farm became an outdoor classroom--offering teachers (on the right) and students the opportunity to interact and learn together in a playful learning environment.
Farm to School programs at Rocklands are a multi-sensory experience. It wasn’t enough to experience the creek just by looking; they wanted in!
