18. Queen Mary Elementary School

Project Title

Give Peas a Chance! School Garden Workshop Planning

Queen Mary Elementary School

Organization Information

Organization Name

Queen Mary Elementary School

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 peas, how peas are used around the world, and how peas are planted and harvested in our local climate. The grade 4/5 students will learn about different cultural contexts for radish use, and where peas 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 peas in diverse contexts (How have peas been used historically? How are they used around the world?)
  • Are there differences in planting and harvesting peas 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 peas are used around the world
  • Investigation skills, find out how different cultural cuisines use peas and why it is important to celebrate cultural differences
  • Critical thinking: contextualizing radish 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 peas. The specific date is to be decided with the community partner.

Is a criminal record check required?

  • No

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:

Additional Materials

Outcomes

Intended Project Outcome (Short Term Outcome)

Grade 4/5 students at Queen Mary Elementary will have greater knowledge and excitement of peas 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 peas
  • 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
source: https://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:Course:LFS350/Projects/W2023/QME