Back to Project List Plant Propagation with Jughandle Farm Applicant and/or teacher sponsor: 4th and 5th grade teachers: Antoinette L. Ryan, Spencer Brooks, Scott Fraser Student Groups /Teachers/ Community Members/ Partnerships Involved: 4th and 5th grade students Americorps Watershed Project Jughandle Farm Laytonville School Anderson Valley School Ann Slattery Marcia Connelly Number of students affected: 78 Length of project: 1997-98 school year 1. Brief description of the project: Students will learn to propagate native plants from seeds and cuttings. Each class will take a field trip to Jughandle Farm to learn techniques and observe the gardens. Students will take this information back to their watershed where they will be involved in native plant propagation in the schoolyard, community and watershed restoration projects. 2. Connections How does the project connect with our theme of people, history, and place? How does the project interact with the community? How will you evaluate or assess the community impact? How does the project connect with other NCRCN sites? The beginning of this project will be a learning process that will lead to habitat restoration, educational gardens, and community and school site landscaping with native plants. Once the students have learned the plant propagation techniques at Jughandle Farm, students will teach other Arena Elementary students what they have learned. The project addresses the theme of people, place, and history through its emphasis in learning the natural and social history of the cycles of our watershed. Students will involve the community in the project through plant sales and tours of the schoolyard and greenhouse where their projects will have been implemented. Community members will also be utilized as resources to share their local knowledge and experience with the students. To connect with other NCRCN sites, students will combine efforts and exchange knowledge with schools involved in native plant projects in Laytonville and Anderson Valley. To promote student planning and choice in the project, students will inventory the native plants at their school site, determine the most appropriate native plants for their schoolyard, and locate the most beneficial sites for the plantings. 3. Student Learning How will the project improve student learning? How will you evaluate or assess what students have learned? What kind of data will you collect? Will you have an Action Research question? How will students be involved in the evaluation of the project? How does the project invite student planning/student choice? How will students share their project and learning with others at their own site, other sites or within the community? Will your project have a service learning component? If so please describe. This project will improve student learning through providing hands-onexperience in native plant propagation for their watershed. They will learn how to care for the plants, record data, and share their knowledge with other students. They will also learn skills in working as a group. Students will keep journals of their learning process and data recordings. They will be evaluated on their cooperative group work, journal writing, sharing knowledge with others, and organizational skills. Students will be involved in watershed projects which require cutting, seed gathering and native plant restoration. The progress of the students' service learning and reflection will be evident in their journals, notes, photos, and class discussions. These tools will then be shared with other classes on site, as well as other NCRCN schools. This project will impact the community in the following ways: site beautification and restoration, development of stronger school/community relationships, and encouragement of more effective communication skills among students.In summary, this project provides a place for school and community members to participate together in the stewardship of the environment through creating an awareness of the vital role that native plants play in the life cycles of our watershed. 4. Support What kind of support would you like from the coordinator/TSA? What kinds of funds will you need for the project? Please supply a general budget. (Staff development, release time for planning, transportation, materials.) What other sources might provide additional funding for the project? Necessary support from the Teacher on Special Assignment will include: coordinating the field trip to Jughandle Farm, assistance in coordinating small group field trips to the watershed, providing support for student teaching projects at the school. FUNDS REQUESTED Staff resource (from Jughandle Farm): 2hrs at $15.00/hr = $30.00 x 3 classes = $90.00 Transportation: $100.00 x 3 classes = $300.00 Supplies (cans, soils, amendments): $20.00x3 = $60.00 ------- TOTAL $450.00