Project Title
Great Garlic! School Garden Workshop Planning
Organization Information
Organization Name
Mission and Vision of Organization
- Our mission is to build a respectful community of lifelong learners.
- We work towards being caring, accomplished and cooperative citizens.
- We aim to provide an enriched environment in which children are encouraged to think, question, create and wonder.
Guiding Principles + Values
- Demonstrate personal responsibility and self-control
- Respect each other, respect each other and respect property
Contact Information
- Primary Contact Person(s): Maria King
- Email: mking@vsb.bc.ca
- Phone: 604 713 5464
- Address: 2000 Trimble Street, Vancouver BC
- Website: Queen Mary Elementary School
Note: As the QME school day ends at 3pm, meetings will need to take place after 3:10pm.
Preferred Method of Contact
- Best method(s) to contact: Email, Text Maria's cell if needed, during business hours only (778 834 6478), M-F 9am-4pm
- Preferred platform(s) for project meetings: Email, Phone, Text
- Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
- Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons
Project Description
Note: This project takes place in person
Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?
Queen Mary Elementary has on-site raised European-style garden beds and Native plant areas. Staff have been working with students and a variety of community groups for the past several years to make the best use of these resources as teaching spaces. Classroom teachers and students plant and harvest throughout the year.
UBC students will work with the grade 4/5 students using a tri-mentoring model. They will research and present cultural uses of garlic, how garlic is used around the world, and how garlic is planted and harvested in our local climate. The grade 4/5 students will learn about different cultural contexts for garlic use, and where garlic comes from in the world. The grade 4/5 students will share information with children at nearby Quadra Daycare, and mentor the children through garden planting activities (Covid-19 safety measures permitting).
Note: We do not expect UBC LFS students to be teachers. Any and all interactions with elementary students will be led and facilitated by classroom teachers with input from UBC students and through collaborative planning.
Main Project Activities and Expected Deliverable(s)
- Research uses and cultural significance of garlic in diverse contexts (How has garlic been used historically? How is garlic used around the world?)
- Are there differences in planting and harvesting garlic in our local climate compared to other climates?
- Students will create an engaging and educational presentation/workshop for the QME grade 4/5 students
Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)
- Research skills, to find out how garlic is used around the world
- Investigation skills, find out how other cultures use garlic and why it is important
- Critical thinking: contextualizing garlic cultivation. How is agriculture in Canada similar and different in terms of production and use of land in different countries?
- Organization skills: to present the information in an organized, thorough, clear format to the grade 4 and 5 students who will present the information to the pre school students
- Interest in education and working with children
Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?
- A key deliverable is a presentation on garlic. The specific date is to be decided with the community partner.
Is a criminal record check required?
- Yes, to be initiated by the students at the first community partner meeting
How much self-direction is expected from the students?
At the first partner meeting, students should clarify their partner's expectation in the following aspects of the project. Who will take the lead, who will support, and when might responsibilities be shared equally between partner and students?
- Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Led by students, with some community partner input
- Developing the activity plan and timeline: Led by students, with some community partner input
- Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.): Led by students
- Implementing the activity plan: Led by students
- Finalizing the deliverable(s): Led by students
Related Community Service Opportunities for Students
- Students are always welcome to volunteer in the classroom! Please ask about opportunities.
Required Reading
Project/Partner Orientation Materials
Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:
- Cullen, T. et. al (2015). Food literacy: Definition and framework for action. Perspectives in Practice, vol. 76. DOI: 10.3148/cjdpr-2015-010 Sumner, J. (Ed.) (2016).
- Learning, food, and sustainability: Sites for resistance and change. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. Available from UBC Library. Students should read the Introduction before the first community partner meeting.
Additional Materials
- All About Garlic (2021). West Coast Seeds.
- The community partner will provide a site visit to the school garden and daycare gardens
- Lyiscott, Jamila (2019). Black Appetite. White Food. Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom. Available from UBC Library.
Outcomes
Intended Project Outcome (Short Term Outcome)
Grade 4/5 students at Queen Mary Elementary will have greater knowledge and excitement of garlic and gardening, which they will then share with Quadra Daycare children during shared gardening activities. Garlic planted by students in the school and daycare programs will enhance the local, organic content in QME's school programming.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Through this project, I think students will learn about...
- Diverse cultural and historical uses of garlic
- Different ways to incorporate gardening in school curriculum
- Tri-mentoring approaches
By working on this project, I think students will develop skills and/or awareness of...
- The research, thought, and planning needed to develop engaging and age-appropriate educational activities
- The role educators can play food systems change
- Putting pedagogical theory into practice
By the end of the project, I believe students will come to appreciate...
- The many potential roles of school gardens in education
- The potential for school gardens to address loneliness and disconnection in our communities