Working with Plants - HALF DAY OPTION 1 Plant Care

 

Special Needs:

• Learning Disabilities / Developmentally Challenged (appropriate for ages 8 and up)

All students benefit from learning how to work with plants. Designed for students with learning disabilities and/or mental challenges, this program provides a “hands-on” opportunity for students to learn about caring for plants in a greenhouse setting. Activities may include planting, watering, misting, cleaning, debugging and caring for the worms in the vermicomposter. Activities are selected according to the needs/abilities of the students.


Program Length: half day (9:30-11:15 am)
Availability: fall (November to December), winter (January to mid-March), spring (mid-March to April)
Location:TUSC Greenhouse
Fee: $3.00 per student ($1.25 per student for schools with an LOI number of 1-150)

User fees help ensure the continuation of these learning experiences through partial cost recovery; both fee schedules reflect rates subsidized by the Toronto District School Board.

TTC: each student requires 2 TTC tickets

Maximum: 30 students

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Working with Plants - HALF DAY OPTION 2 Procedural Writing

 Special Needs:

• ELL / Learning Disabilities / Developmentally Challenged (appropriate for ages 8 and up)

All students benefit from learning how to work with plants. Designed for students with a variety of special learning needs, this program provides a “hands-on” opportunity for students to learn about caring for plants in a greenhouse setting. Activities may include planting, watering, misting, cleaning, debugging and caring for the worms in the vermicomposter. Activities are selected according to the needs/abilities of the students.

Students will use cameras to document the equipment and steps involved in completing each of the activities outlined above. Teachers will receive an ebook template built in power point or keynote for use as a follow-up activity back at school. The ebook will allow students to write the procedures for basic plant care activities and illustrate their writing with the photo’s they took at the greenhouse.

Program Length: half day (9:30-11:15 am)
Availability: fall (November to December), winter (January to mid-March), spring (mid-March to April)
Location: TUSC Greenhouse
Fee: $3.00 per student ($1.25 per student for schools with an LOI number of 1-150)

User fees help ensure the continuation of these learning experiences through partial cost recovery; both fee schedules reflect rates subsidized by the Toronto District School Board.

TTC: each student requires 2 TTC tickets

Maximum: 30 students

Working with Plants with Vermicomposting Workshop - ONE DAY SPLIT OVER TWO HALF DAYS

Half Day 1

- as outlined in Half Day Option 

Half Day 2

 - during the winter months, the TUSC staff brings a highly engaging workshop to your classroom to introduce students to the "how to’s" of vermicomposting. After a short introduction, students rotate through four activity stations (supported with instructional videos on iPads):

• No Place Like Home - examining the empty vermicomposter and working together to make bedding for the worms 
• Worm Works - investigating worm anatomy (examining the worms!) and preparing "grit" (crushing egg shells) to aid worm digestion
• Time to Dine - discovering what to feed worms along and preparing a "worm salad" for their "new friends"
• The Real Scoop - examining worm cast and learning how to harvest and use this rich organic matter

The workshop culminates with the building of a vermicomposter for students to care for in your classroom. NOTE: The presence of a vermicomposter in your classroom may be used to support your school’s EcoSchool Certification and provide students with special needs the opportunity to take a leadership role with respect to vermicomposting.

Program Length:

 full day spread over two different half days (9:30-11:15 am)

Availability:

 greenhouse program: fall (November to December), winter (January to mid-March), spring (mid-March to April); vermicomposting in class workshop: winter (January to mid-March)

Location:

 TUSC Greenhouse and your classroom (vermicomposting workshop)

Fee: $300.00 per class

User fees help ensure the continuation of these learning experiences through partial cost recovery; fee schedule reflect rates subsidized by the Toronto District School Board.

TTC:

 for the visit to the TUSC Greenhouse, each student requires 2 tickets

Maximum: 30 students