How do we create and grow a sustainable garden within the school?

Year 9
Stem Unit Preview

Problem / Challenge

The school currently has a small kitchen garden. Students who study hospitality prepare and cook meals for the school and wider community. However, over the long summer break, plants in the garden did not thrive. By building a larger, more productive and sustainable garden, we can provide the school kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables.

Brief

In groups, your task is to design and create a garden which will grow in a sustainable manner in a school environment so that it does not need attention during the holidays and weekends.

Resources

Unit Preview (PDF, 196KB)
Planning Template (Word, 2.3MB)

Australian Curriculum Links

Science

Science Understanding

Ecosystems (ACSSU176)

Science Inquiry Skills

Formulate questions or hypotheses (ACSIS164)
Plan an investigation (ACSIS165)
Select and use appropriate equipment (ACSIS166)
Analyse data (ACSIS169)
Draw conclusions (ACSIS170)
Evaluate conclusions (ACSIS171)
Critical analysis of information for solving problems (ACSIS172)
Communicate scientific ideas and information (ACSIS174)

Design and Technologies

Technologies and society

Social, ethical & sustainability considerations (ACTDEK040)

Food and fibre production

Food and fibre production (ACTDEK044)

Materials and technologies specialisations

Characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment (ACTDEK046)

Design Process

Investigating and defining (ACTDEP048)
Generating and designing (ACTDEP049)
Producing and implementing (ACTDEP050)
Evaluating (ACTDEP051)
Collaborating and managing (ACTDEP052)

Digital Technologies

Processes and production skills

Develop techniques for acquiring, storing and validating quantitative and qualitative data (ACTDIP036)
Analyse and visualise data to create information and address complex problems (ACTDIP037)
Design and validate algorithms and programs (ACTDIP040)
Implement modular programs using an object oriented programming language (ACTDIP041)
Plan and manage projects (ACTDIP044)

Mathematics

Measurement and Geometry

Areas of composite shapes (ACMMG216)
Surface area and volume of cylinders and right prisms (ACMMG217) (ACMMG218)
Ratio and scale factors (ACMMG221)
Pythagoras’ Theorem (ACMMG222)
Trigonometry (ACMMG224)

Statistics and Probability

Numerical and categorical variables in primary and secondary data collection (ACMSP228)
Measures of central tendency and spread (ACMSP283)

School Overview

Clarence High School is a co-educational government secondary school located in Bellerive, a riverside suburb of greater Hobart, Tasmania. The school has around 500 students in Years 7 to 10.