Gardening is Elementary
Applicant: Amy Fulton, Easton Community Member
Target Population: All SSES Students and the Easton Community
Content Area of Project: Science
Amount of Grant: $1,000 in 2006
Easton resident, Amy Fulton, received a grant from ELF to create raised flower beds at SSES. With help from many parent volunteers she built six beds that sit in the bright afternoon sun between the neighborhoods in the back of the school, showcased by the windows along the back corridor.
In the late spring, the kindergarten teachers choose a day when their classes can come out and plant in the raised beds. Amy and the students plant annuals.
Before the children begin planting, they discuss the fact that the flowers that they will be planting were chosen to attract butterflies. Amy explains to them that in September when they return to 1st grade they will be studying the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly. By planting these flowers in the spring they are creating a safe haven to release their butterflies in the fall once they emerge from their chrysalis. Not only will these gardens offer their butterflies a place to dry their wings but they will also provide them with the nectar needed to begin their long migration. This project aligns with the science curriculum for these SSES students.
