Living Lab: 2016-2017
This project is divided into three part: Living wall, Moveable/Mobile greenhouse, and Investigation Station
Living wall
At our school, we engaged in an upcycling project by constructing a living wall using deconstructed pallets. We think that a living wall can help Nellie McClung students by helping them feel calm (enjoying nature) and focused at the same time (being in the moment). By planting plants on our living wall, we can help to convert CO2 (carbon dioxide) into oxygen. The clean oxygen that everyone breathes can fill our brains and the cells in our body that need oxygen daily. We also feel that by bringing nature into our school it will create a stronger appreciation for our natural environment and create curiosity to learn about our local ecology.
This project started last year in grade 4. We did a task design project where we got into groups and pretended we had billions of dollars to use to transform our Learning Commons. We invited experts into our class to help us learn about interior design, school structures, and living wall designs. We planned and built mini models of what we thought the living wall (and living lab) could look like in our Learning Commons. There were creative designs with fish tanks, plant-made chairs and computers. Some even had transparent tunnels in the roof for squirrels to climb through! We shared our models and ideas by displaying them in our Learning Commons for everyone in the school to see.
At the beginning of this school year in grade 5, we took away bits and pieces of some of the awesome ideas from grade 4 and combined it all into a living wall (part of our Living lab) that is more realistic and affordable. This is how we came up with our living wall structure: an upcycling project using deconstructed wooden pallets to create a wooden living wall structure with wooden planter trays, and commercial LED lights for the plants to grow.
A dedicated parent helped us by cutting and sanding all of our wooden boards after taking apart found pallets around Calgary. Together in a small group of dedicated Nellie’s Naturalists students with the help of our teacher and parent volunteer, we spent a day staining all of the wooden boards and planter boxes for our wall. After all the wood was stained and dried, we screwed in all of the brackets onto the bottom of the planter boxes that will allow them to hang on the wall. Our group stayed at school working until 6:00pm completing this part of the construction process.
This project started last year in grade 4. We did a task design project where we got into groups and pretended we had billions of dollars to use to transform our Learning Commons. We invited experts into our class to help us learn about interior design, school structures, and living wall designs. We planned and built mini models of what we thought the living wall (and living lab) could look like in our Learning Commons. There were creative designs with fish tanks, plant-made chairs and computers. Some even had transparent tunnels in the roof for squirrels to climb through! We shared our models and ideas by displaying them in our Learning Commons for everyone in the school to see.
At the beginning of this school year in grade 5, we took away bits and pieces of some of the awesome ideas from grade 4 and combined it all into a living wall (part of our Living lab) that is more realistic and affordable. This is how we came up with our living wall structure: an upcycling project using deconstructed wooden pallets to create a wooden living wall structure with wooden planter trays, and commercial LED lights for the plants to grow.
A dedicated parent helped us by cutting and sanding all of our wooden boards after taking apart found pallets around Calgary. Together in a small group of dedicated Nellie’s Naturalists students with the help of our teacher and parent volunteer, we spent a day staining all of the wooden boards and planter boxes for our wall. After all the wood was stained and dried, we screwed in all of the brackets onto the bottom of the planter boxes that will allow them to hang on the wall. Our group stayed at school working until 6:00pm completing this part of the construction process.
Moveable/Mobile Greenhouse
We also have a mobile/moveable greenhouse that consists of compact fluorescents. On In our greenhouse we have been growing small plants in trays and pots. Our hope is that teachers throughout the school year move the cart into their classrooms to help build a stronger understanding of plants (flora and fauna)
Members of our Nellie’s Naturalists group planted almost 1000 plants in April from seed. We chose to plant everything from edible plants, such as like lettuce, tomatoes, and pumpkins, to beautiful flowers, like marigolds and milkweed. These plants were then transplanted into larger pots as they grew on our first day of our Nellie U course called “Nellie’s Naturalists”. Jason, Noa and Tao water the plants on our living wall and moveable greenhouse and check on them daily. Since our living wall is indoors and our school does not have enough windows for our plants, we use fluorescent and LED lights to act as the sunlight for the plants. At the end of the year, each student at Nellie McClung will take home a small plant to help them become more interested in nature as well as learning how to care for nature. Our hope is to create a stronger connection between students and the earth.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
Members of our Nellie’s Naturalists group planted almost 1000 plants in April from seed. We chose to plant everything from edible plants, such as like lettuce, tomatoes, and pumpkins, to beautiful flowers, like marigolds and milkweed. These plants were then transplanted into larger pots as they grew on our first day of our Nellie U course called “Nellie’s Naturalists”. Jason, Noa and Tao water the plants on our living wall and moveable greenhouse and check on them daily. Since our living wall is indoors and our school does not have enough windows for our plants, we use fluorescent and LED lights to act as the sunlight for the plants. At the end of the year, each student at Nellie McClung will take home a small plant to help them become more interested in nature as well as learning how to care for nature. Our hope is to create a stronger connection between students and the earth.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
Investigation Station
As a group we are working on an investigation station to inspire young minds to observe, question, and be more engaged in our environment. The investigation station is for students to look at all the little details of various items found in our natural environment. We have a variety of scientific tools to help students learn about nature and it’s importance. The investigation station is going to be in the Learning Commons for students to study a variety of found items from our local environment, such as plant life (flora and fauna), animal homes, animal tracks and scat, and much more. This will help students have a growth mindset and help students bring their appreciation for nature from outside to inside and come to understand why it is important to care for our local ecosystem.
Within the Learning Commons, the investigation station part of our Living Lab area with a moveable component. Students will be able to learn about plants and animals and look closely at them. The investigation station will have things such as microscopes, animal photos/identification reference sheets, cloud charts, scat identification sheets, and much more!
Our goal is to give students a chance to investigate nature and the environment. Above all, our goal is to help everyone to be absorbed in the wildlife space around them and their learning about nature!
Within the Learning Commons, the investigation station part of our Living Lab area with a moveable component. Students will be able to learn about plants and animals and look closely at them. The investigation station will have things such as microscopes, animal photos/identification reference sheets, cloud charts, scat identification sheets, and much more!
Our goal is to give students a chance to investigate nature and the environment. Above all, our goal is to help everyone to be absorbed in the wildlife space around them and their learning about nature!