By Kate Trudeau
This February the second grade students at Mt. Eccles Elementary School graduated from growing lettuce to growing bok choy in their classroom! This cabbage, a common ingredient in Asian cuisine, grew from seed to harvest in only six weeks!
During the growing period, the students watched over their plants. Students dutifully observed plant growth and compared the sizes of those grown directly under the grow lights with those on the edges.
What do you do with bok choy? Little did the second graders know, in addition to being awesome classroom aides, Ms. Rowena and Ms. Bev are also fabulous cooks! Ms. Rowena and Ms. Bev helped the children use their bok choy to make popular Filipino dishes, including lumpia and pancit. Students learned about the ingredients and the significance of the different dishes as well as where the Philippines is located. Some students shared their experiences visiting the Philippines and the Filipino dishes they eat at home. For other students, this was their first time trying bok choy and pancit.
All the students left the classroom begging for more and clutching baggies of bok choy to take home to share with their families.
The Prince William Sound Science Center facilitates hydroponics in the classroom as part of the Discovery Room. Throughout the year, the second grade learns about plant needs and the role of plants in the ecosystem. The hydroponics lessons address Alaska state science standards as a hands-on experience while demonstrating ways the community can use technology for problem-solving and community resilience.
Kate Trudeau is an education specialist at the Prince William Sound Science Center.
