Mass Agriculture in the Classroom

KEEPING YOUR CLASSROOM FRESH AND GROWING!

Fall Greening the School Conference

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Clay Conference Center of the Dexter and Southfield Schools

Brookline, Massachusetts

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Fill in and mail a Conference Registration Form

Print a PDF Flyer of conference brochure

Massachusetts Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is sponsoring a conference for educators on Saturday, November 7th at the Clay Conference Center of the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline. The school borders Allandale Farm where tours will be offered during the morning.

The theme of the fall conference will be Greening the School. All workshops will focus on composting, gardening at the school, taking the garden into the classroom, herbs, recycling and other green initiatives. Four workshop sessions with multiple workshop choices will be held throughout the day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tour the solar panels, wind turbine and planetarium at Clay Center.

The Clay Center for Science and Technology is a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory and learning center. In addition to the observatory's seven research-grade telescopes, this five-story building contains sophisticated computer and science laboratories, a multi-media lecture hall, classrooms, dining, and meeting spaces, and a solar energy roof deck and wind turbine.

Allandale Farm is Boston's last working farm -- located in Jamaica Plain and Brookline. The farm follows practices that meet the growing methods of the National Organic Program, although they have chosen not to pursue federal certification. They rotate crops, amend the fields with organic fertilizers and their own compost and do not use herbicides or conventional fungicide. The farm offers Community Supported Agriculture Shares, a farm market featuring farm grown and other locally grown and artisan foods, a summer youth camp and there is even a school on the property.

Don’t miss this day of discussion, interaction and opportunities for exploring new ideas for your Massachusetts classroom. The $45 fee includes all workshops; workshop materials; breakfast snack; beverage and dessert at lunch, and 10 pdp’s with a related classroom activity.

Advanced Registration fee: for the full day, including lunch, is $45.

Registration on the day of the Conference: $50 (Subject to space availability.)
Exhibitor fee: $50. (An 8 by 10 foot table will be supplied; exhibitors should be set up no later than 8:30 a.m.)

Professional Development Points: 10 PDPs are available for those who attend the full day conference, carry out a related classroom activity, and send in a brief report of their experience.

Click here for Directions

Conference Schedule - November 7th, 2009
Workshops and Tours
8:00 a.m.: Registration, coffee, tea and breakfast snack

8:30 - 9:00: Introductions & Welcome Presentation

9:00 - 10:10: Workshop Session 1 (Concurrent sessions, choose one of three workshops/tours)

Gardening on the Rooftop

The students at the Josiah Quincy School in Boston have been gardening on the rooftop for the past 11 years. Aided by a mini-grant from MAC in 1996, Lai Lai Sheung and other teachers at the school created an urban container garden on the rooftop that became an extension of the classroom for hands-on science, math, writing and visual art learning activities. Children learn about nutrition and experiment with seeds indoors to prepare for transplanting in the garden. In 2007, they expanded the garden by installing 50 state-of-the-art greenroof modules built by the children. The low maintenance modules help to reduce the temperature of the rooftop as well as reducing surface runoffs. Learn about this exciting program.

Instructor: Lai Lai Sheung teaches at the Josiah Quincy School in Boston where she has gardened on the roof for 11 years.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Vegetables - Seed Starting to Harvest

Yes, you can grow vegetables in the classroom! In this step-by-step hands-on workshop Marlo Pedroso, Marisol Pierce-Quinonez and Jo Ann Whitehead from the SLUG Program of the Boston Natural Areas Network and Teresa Strong from Hayes ECC in Roxbury will share how to start seeds, when to transplant seedlings, the care vegetables need indoors, the kinds of vegetables that will grow indoors, when the vegetables are ready to harvest. You will participate in a brief interactive session to connect the vegetable growing activities to learning standards - math, science, language arts!

Instructors: Marlo Pedroso, Marisol Pierce-Quinonez and Jo Ann Whitehead from the SLUG program with the Boston Natural Areas Network and Teresa Strong from the Hayes ECC in Roxbury

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Worm Composting in the School

Take a step towards developing your own green classroom. Learn how food wastes from snack time are composted in worm bins right in the classroom. Janice McPhillips from Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset has taken composting programs out to as many as ten schools in south coastal Massachusetts. She’ll offer an overview of how to get started, setting up waste separation, student involvement and following the waste materials from the school to the garden. Activity ideas related to composting will also be offered.

Instructor: Janice McPhillips, Holly Hill Farm, Cohasset

Tour of Allandale Farm

Allandale Farm is Boston's last working farm located in Jamaica Plain and Brookline. The farm follows practices that meet the growing methods, following the National Organic Program, although they have chosen not to pursue federal certification. They rotate crops, amend the fields with organic fertilizers and their own compost and do not use herbicides or conventional fungicide. The farm offers Community Supported Agriculture Shares, a farm market featuring farm grown and other locally grown and artisan foods, a summer youth camp and there is even a school on the property.

Instructor: John Lee, Manager of Allandale Farm and Past President of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom.

10:20 to 11:30: Workshop Session 2 (Concurrent sessions, choose one of three workshops/tours)

Getting Started With Composting

Karen DiFranza has taken her composting efforts to local schools implementing an active composting and gardening program at the Hubbardston Center School and nearby Quabbin Regional High School in Barre. Using images from the programs at these two schools and a small, portable compost bin, she will show how 6 tons of food and yard wastes each year are recycled into rich compost, which is then used to grow food for student consumption. Learn how the compost bins were built, about working with teachers and cafeteria staff, how the students divide the duties and about the garden that is a result of the labor. Try some interdisciplinary classroom activities. Continue the composting demonstration into lunch.

Instructor: Karen DiFranza of Hubbardston is a small-scale organic farmer/ gardener and avid composter, as well as an educator. She has developed composting programs at the Hubbardston Elementary School and Quabbin Regional High School in Barre.

Vegetables - Outdoors in the Cold

Yes, vegetables really can grow outdoors in the wintertime! This workshop will show you what
vegetables will thrive in colder weather, what kind of cover will keep them healthy through the coldest winter, when and how to plant and harvest. Instructors Marlo Pedroso, Marisol Pierce-Quinonez and Jo Ann Whitehead from the SLUG program with the Boston Natural Areas Network and Teresa Strong from Hayes ECC in Roxbury will use the example of setting up an indoor-outdoor thermometer, you will participate in a brief interactive session to connect the vegetable growing activities to learning standards - math, science, language arts!

Instructors: Marlo Pedroso, Marisol Pierce-Quinonez and Jo Ann Whitehead from the SLUG program with the Boston Natural Areas Network and Teresa Strong from Hayes ECC in Roxbury

Incorporating Solar Energy Into the Curriculum

Students from Lexington High School and their teacher, Steve Wilkins will bring ideas and resources that they are using to incorporate Solar Energy into their curriculum. Try out some of the activities and equipment that they use in the classroom.

Instructors: Steve Wilkins and students from Lexington High School

Tour of Allandale Farm

Allandale Farm is Boston's last working farm located in Jamaica Plain and Brookline. The farm follows practices that meet the growing methods, following the National Organic Program, although they have chosen not to pursue federal certification. They rotate crops, amend the fields with organic fertilizers and their own compost and do not use herbicides or conventional fungicide. The farm offers Community Supported Agriculture Shares, a farm market featuring farm grown and other locally grown and artisan foods, a summer youth camp and there is even a school on the property.

Instructor: John Lee, Manager of Allandale Farm and Past President of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom.

11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.: Lunch, and Speaker

Key Note Speaker: John Lee from Allandale Farm in Brookline/Jamaica Plain

12:50 to 2:00 p.m.: Workshop Session Three (Concurrent sessions, choose one of three workshops/tours)

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Authentic Agricultural Curriculum Connections

Properly connected to the curriculum, school yard agriculture can provide unique, memorable, and relevant learning experiences at all grade levels. By starting with your learning objectives and working backwards to what you plant and what you do with what you plant, you can develop an agricultural program that is both efficient and effective in teaching many aspects of just about any subject. Years later, students will remember and be able to apply concepts that were learned through agricultural connections. The workshop presenter Bill Cassell teaches 3rd grade at the L.D. Batchelder School in North Reading where he works cooperatively with the other 3rd grade teachers in his school where students grow a small farm plot on the school grounds of wheat, potatoes and three sister crops and then bring their harvest into the classroom.

Instructor: Bill Cassell teaches third grade at the L.D. Batchelder School in North Reading. He is the 2007 Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Healthy Local Foods Go to School

Learn about the Massachusetts Farm to School Project and the great work that they are doing to connect school cafeterias to local farmers. Ann Cody will also describe the new kindergarten gardening initiative that they are conducting in Worcester.

Instructor: Ann Cody, Massachusetts Farm to School Project

The Science of Compost

This workshop will offer an overview of the science of composting. Learn how to get started, construct the compost pile, balance nitrogen and carbon materials, and reach optimum moisture and temperature in the bin. You will also study the organisms in the compost, such as red wigglers, mold, and bacteria. Karen Kullas will also offer tips for presenting compost to students and ideas for what works and captures their attention.

Instructor: Karen Kullas of Berkley, MA has been a DEP certified home composting coordinator since 1994.

Tour of The Clay Center

The Clay Center for Science and Technology is a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory and learning center. In addition to the observatory's seven research-grade telescopes, this five-story building contains sophisticated computer and science laboratories, a multi-media lecture hall, classrooms, dining, and meeting spaces, and a solar energy roof deck and wind turbine.

Instructor: Bob Phinney, Manager of the Clay Center for Science and Technology of the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline

2:10 to 3:20 p.m.: Workshop Session Four (Concurrent sessions, choose one of three workshops/tours)

Student Driven Biofuel Project

The environmental science students at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School are working on a new biofuel project under the direct of teachers Brian Dempsey and Fred Hohn . The students received a grant for a biofuel processor and are converting fry oil into biodiesel to run one of the school buses. They also have plans to purchase an EcoVan that will run on biofuel or used cooking oil. meet the students and learn about their efforts and how they got started.

Instructors: Brian Dempsey and Fred Hohn and students from Acton Boxborough Regional High School

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Using Herbs to Enhance Your Classroom Experience

Want to learn more about herbs? How can you use them in your classroom and tie it into the Massachusetts Curriculum Standards? Herbs are a wonderful addition to the classroom! Pots of herbs around the classroom add aroma, color and an opportunity to have many hands on activities. I will show you how they can be added to your science or history lesson. Also, we can look at the historical uses of some herbs. You might be interested to know what herbs can help you in the upcoming flu season! The workshop presenter Deb Galanos is a preschool teacher at the Head Start program in Leominister. She is also an Herbalist, Reiki Master and Reflexologist. She believes bringing herbs into the classroom is one way to reconnect today's children to nature. (Limited to 12 participants.)

Instructor: Deb Galanos is a preschool teacher at the Head Start program in Leominister. She is also an Herbalist, Reiki Master and Reflexologist.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Agriculture, the Sun and the Heavens

John Briggs, a faculty astronomer at the Dexter and Southfield Schools, will introduce teachers to the astronomy program at the Clay Science Center. He will connect astronomy to agriculture, the seasons, the natural growing cycles, and interesting issues in physics. Discussion will include a demonstration of the approximately 1000 watts per square meter rate of solar power present at the Earth's surface. The focus will be on terrific shareware software called Stellarium, which any teacher or student can install, and use, free. It offers terrific demonstrations of the seasons and the harvest moon and is great for demonstrating historical and multicultural issues in astronomy and star lore, which connect nicely with the early history of agriculture and the development of the different calendrical systems. If possible, have your laptop and pre-install the Stellarium software from http://www.stellarium.org/. The presentation will be useful even if you do not have a laptop. (Limited to 16 participants.)

Instructor: John Briggs, a faculty astronomer at the Dexter and Southfield Schools.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Tour of Clay Conference Center

The Clay Center for Science and Technology is a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory and learning center. In addition to the observatory's seven research-grade telescopes, this five-story building contains sophisticated computer and science laboratories, a multi-media lecture hall, classrooms, dining, and meeting spaces, and a solar energy roof deck and wind turbine.

Instructor: Bob Phinney, Manager of the Clay Center for Science and Technology of the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline

3:20 p.m.: Evaluation and Wrap Up

Review Comments from Teachers About our Workshops

Click here to send us a message or add your name to our mailing list

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom

P.O. Box 345

Seekonk, MA 02771

(508) 336-4426 Fax: (508) 336-0682

www.aginclassroom.org

Return to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Homepage