Intro: Review first two songs in packet and introduce third song, “Oh what a seed”
Quiz from last week. If they get the answer right they get a dixie cup of grape juice.
- What kind of fruit tree did we visit? (Fig tree)
- Besides eating the food you harvest, tell me a benefit you will receive from working in the garden or on a farm
- Releases extra energy (so you can sit still when it’s time to sit still)
- Makes you healthy
- Gives you exercise
- Makes you drink water
- Gives you fresh air
- Helps you be useful in any line of work (Helps you develop discernment, problem solving skills, teaches cause and effect, teaches you to plan ahead, work hard, be observant, research, be on time
- Makes you stronger (develops your muscles)
- Helps you study better because it equalizes the blood flow in your body
- Builds your character (develops patience, perseverance, faith in God, compassion for sick animals, gentleness with delicate plants)
- Helps you be a better missionary (when you can meet someone’s physical needs, they will listen to you for their spiritual needs) On a farm you become familiar with things like plumbing, carpentry, mechanics, as well as how to grow food.)
- Helps you financially (by saving money you would otherwise spend on groceries and can earn you a livelihood.)
- Makes you smarter (you’ll know a lot about the ecosystem, the weather, mental math, insects, soil, minerals, etc.)
- If we want the cause of God to advance young people need to develop a love of _______ (WORK)
- If you have chronic problems with digestion, what could help you get better? (become a farmer!)
- How much better is working in the open air than in-door labor? 10X (Tell them that if they had to choose between sweeping the patio and sweeping the kitchen, they should sweep the patio because being outside is 10X better for their health than being inside!)
- Who is healthier, a farmer or a mechanic? (A Farmer)
Go over Planting Calendar Handout
Explain to them how the calendar works. Underneath the date is another number that is highlighted. It represents how many days from the first day of planting. Quiz them – In the notes it says that dino kale and spinach will be ready on the 12th, how many days did it take to grow to maturity? (They should say 45 days). Go through other veggies so they see there are different growing times. Point out when the first frost is estimated.
Explain how to plant a seed. “We will be going over to the barn in just a few minutes and you will be in a group of 3. Each group will get a seedling tray that has 15 cells. That means each person will plant 5 seeds. I want you to put one seed in each cell. Do not stick your finger in, make a hole and plant a seed. That will likely be too deep for your seed unless you’re planting beans or squash. The seeds we are planting today are small and you only need to lay them on the top of the soil, then press them down slightly and barely cover. The principle is that you plant only as deep as the seed is big. So you should be able to stack one seed on top of the seed before getting to the top of the soil.
(I actually didn’t explain all this since they seeded A LOT with Timothy last year so I assumed they knew it. A few groups sprinkled their seeds in the tray and I (thankfully) did not freak out on them but inside I was like (Ahhhh!!! That’s so wasteful!) If I had more time and a few tweezers handy I would have loved to make them correct their mistake, but it was time to go back to class so I had to “let it go” and know that this was part of “education” and mistakes will happen, both in my teaching/explaining directions and in their application.
I won’t lie. Having 18 students in the barn was like herding cats. I had a few students open the bags of seeding soil and dump it into a Rubbermaid container and then a few other volunteers mix the water into the soil to get it to the right wetness. Since only a few can help at a time, the rest were chasing each other and shouting. Then, when it was time for them to get into their groups and seed, it was a challenge to communicate above the noise and excitement. I advise more than one adult to be there for “hands on” activities. I had to tell their teacher that they were a bit too “energetic.” The teacher was concerned because they have a field trip coming up and gave them a little talk and the class apologized before I left. We will see how tomorrow’s class goes. Every class has a different personality and judging by last week, I don’t think it will be as challenging to keep their attention and secure their calm cooperation.
I would have more pictures of them seeding, but my hands were covered in dirt and I was trying to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing and doing it correctly.