Our own garden

Year 7
Stem Unit Preview

Problem / Challenge

We have an available place that could be used to provide fresh produce for the school kitchen and for sale to help raise funds for the school. It is desirable to grow such produce locally, in the interests of freshness and affordability because of the town’s geographical location,

Brief

Design a model of a garden given the available space. Include a planting guide for your garden.

Constraints:

  • seasonal planting
  • sustainable use of water
  • efficient and appropriate use of space
  • user friendly for all ages
  • pest proof (possums, birds, wallabies)

NOTE: The construction phase of this project will occur in a separate subsequent unit.

Resources

Australian Curriculum Links

Science

Science Understanding

  • Interactions between organisms (ACSSU112)
  • Renewable and non-renewable resources (ACSSU116)

Science as a Human Endeavour

  • Use of science understanding in occupations and influence on development of human activity (ACSHE121)

Science Inquiry Skills

  • Identify questions and problems to be investigated scientifically (ACSIS124)
  • Conduct a range of investigations (ACSIS125)
  • Measure and control variables, select and use appropriate equipment (ACSIS126)
  • Construct a range of data representations (ACSIS129)
  • Summarise data (ACSIS130)
  • Reflect on investigation and evaluate quality of data (ACSIS131)
  • Evaluate claims based on findings from investigation (ACSIS132)
  • Communicate scientific ideas and information (ACSIS133)

Design and Technologies

Technologies and society

  • Products, services & environments and the impact of social, ethical & sustainability (ACTDEK029)

Food and fibre production

Design Process

Mathematics

Measurement and Geometry
  • Areas of rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms (ACMMG159)
  • Volume of rectangular prisms (ACMMG160)
Number and Algebra
  • Fractions –equivalent, positive & negative, mixed numbers (ACMNA152)
  • Fractions, Decimals and percentages conversions (ACMNA157)
  • Percentages of quantities, one quantity as quantity as a percentage of the other (ACMNA158)
  • Problems involving simple ratios (ACMNA173)
  • ‘Best buys’ (ACMNA174)
Statistics and Probability
  • Numerical data from primary and secondary sources (ACMSP169)
  • Describe and interpret data using mean, median, and range (ACMSP172)

School Overview

Tasman District School is a K–Year 12 school with approximately 250 students. It is situated in the holiday and fishing town of Nubeena on the Tasman Peninsula, in Southern Tasmania. The school is located over one hour away from the larger regional centre of Sorell.