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    The broad strokes of the Edible Learning Lab Program.

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    A guide to help teachers visualize their edible education program.

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    Beginner Lessons

    The Beginner Lessons form the foundation with a sound overview of the core concepts of food production.

    Intermediate Lessons

    The Intermediate Lessons allow students to experiment and prove the core concepts.

    Advanced Lessons

    The Advanced Lessons give students an opportunity to apply what they've learned in the previous levels.

    Lessons By Station

    Seed Starting Curriculum

    Soil Management Curriculum

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    Teaching Kitchen Curriculum

  • Blog

    Our Top Posts

    What is a Food Desert?

    Gain insight into food deserts, the communities they impact, and how edible education may offer a solution.

    The Difference Between Rainwater and Tap Water

    Not all water is created equal especially when we're talking about the health and development of plants and people.

    Why Rain is Important

    Rain or the lack of an adequate supply can have profound effects on farming and the communities that rely on the harvest.

    Anatomy of a Seed

    It all begins with a seed and this article dives deep into the 5 primary parts of the seed that make it all possible.

Raise the Roots!

Raise the Roots!

Reinvent the Raised Planter
Lesson: 2.2
Level:
Intermediate
Station: Soil Management
Format: Class Project
Rating:
Intermediate Lesson 2.2 Raise the Roots

Lesson Overview

Raised planter designs vary greatly from a simple box to self-watering units. This lesson explores raised planter designs and asks students to improve on them to increase efficiency and production.

Goals

  • Students will be able to describe the benefits of raised planters and ways to make them more efficient.

Outcomes

Students will redesign the raised planters in the Lab in order to make them more efficient and productive.

Teach the Teacher

  • The Benefits and Challenges of Raised Planters

Tools & Materials

  • CAD program or grid paper
  • Pencil
  • Scale or ruler

Activity

Raised planters offer flexibility and mobility. They can be used indoors to produce a substantial harvest year round. But what makes raised planters most appealing to urban farmers is the ability to tailor their function to the needs of the space where they are being used.

The raised planters that we designed for the flagship Edible Learning Lab in Buffalo, WY were built for shorter students, specifically those K-5 that participate in our after school program. They have integrated drains to prevent overwatering but are stationary and quite heavy with a few hundred pounds of soil.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to design a more efficient raised planter. What would make the planter in your Lab more efficient? More effective given how you are using it? Consider designs that are self-watering, mobile, have deeper soil levels, include integrated systems for trellising and plant support, or even a design tailored to a specific plant variety.

Related Lessons

Give the Advanced lesson a try now that you’ve completed the Intermediate Lesson! Or revisit the Beginner Lesson as needed.

This lesson, and all other lessons on this website, are intended for use by teachers in the classroom. These lessons are protected by US and International copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of lesson content, supporting materials, or digital creative is prohibited with written permission from Modern Steader LLC.

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