Lakeview 5th-Grade’s Hydroponics Year-long Unit

There’s an interest in agriscience germinating in the Lakeview Elementary’s 5th grade class– and it all buds from their teachers. Lakeview’s 5th-grade team recently earned a $10,000 Hydroponics grant from Green Our Planet, meaning the students now have access to hydroponic gardens. 

To quote Green Our Planet website,

“Hydroponic gardens provide a natural laboratory for students to learn STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), conservation, nutrition, financial literacy, and more in a hands-on, experiential way.”

So far, students have germinated seeds, transplanted them into a hydroponics system, measured nutrients required for growth, and are currently tracking growth using graph charts. They’ll eventually generate discussions about hydroponics on a large scale and its applicability in Utah. Overall, students cover several core standards through assignments through extended, hands-on experiences.

Students are growing kale, lettuce, spinach, basil, mint, thyme; you name it, they’ve got it. At the end of their project, Lakeview’s 5th graders might host a farmer’s market to fundraise for future science projects or hold a salad party. Either way, they’ve got an appetizing end-of-year project that will last with them longer than even the fruits of their hydroponics system. Seeding a love for learning in our youth is worth celebrating, and we thank Lakeview Elementary for giving us something great to celebrate.