Environmental Science @ Valley View Secondary School
In the Curriculum
Environmental Science is a new course. It was introduced to the school earlier this year (in 2011). Over the year, students in years 8-10 continually volunteer and are approached by school counsellor and Tech Studies teacher Malcolm Burgan to participate in the outdoor, hands on course centred on a series of small but interconnected gardening projects around the school.
With the assistance of Education Department program 'Recovery', who provide some supplies and the leadership of a horticulturalist Matthew Moores from this program, the course is run by the school every Tuesday and Thursday morning. The projects currently underway include an Aboriginal garden, a fruit orchard and a vegetable garden.
With the assistance of Education Department program 'Recovery', who provide some supplies and the leadership of a horticulturalist Matthew Moores from this program, the course is run by the school every Tuesday and Thursday morning. The projects currently underway include an Aboriginal garden, a fruit orchard and a vegetable garden.
Student Views
'We all work as an affective group of year 8 and 10 students we have good team skills and we all work very hard to get the job done' (Todd Sampson, Yr 8).
'We all participate and work as a good team, we all have good team skills, we all work very hard to try and complete the garden' (Teah Hoeppner, Yr 8).
Zoo Food
This term we have embarked on planting a variety of trees to help our school in the near future. Some of the fruits that we planted will go toward helping animals at zoos. In year nine I helped in a project to provide bamboo for the giant pandas in Adelaide zoo, because if Adelaide’s bamboo growers didn’t provide the food for Wang Wang and Funi, the Adelaide Zoo alone would struggle to provide food for the giant pandas. In time, the trees that we planted will grow and start producing apples. Some of the other trees that we planted were a variety of pear trees (Ryan McDonnell, Yr 10).
I can't wait to see the trees fully grown in a few years. I bet the fruit will be great! (Tyson Larsen Yr 8).
Over the past few weeks we have been doing some gardening around the school. We have been planting some fruit trees and bamboo trees for the animals at the Adelaide zoo. We are working around the school Tuesdays and Thursdays in lessons 1,2 and 3. During week 8 we began watering all the fruit and bamboo plants and then we have dug a line around 25 meters long and 7cm high and long to go to all the plants so we don’t have to keep watering them as much (Todd Sampson, Yr 8).
This term we have been helping Matt (visiting horticulturalist) and Mr Burgan plant trees. For 3 to 4 weeks we have dug a series of square holes in the ground to then plant apple trees. We watered them, then we put mulch around the tree to discourage fungus and grow healthy fruit. This week we dug up a line to put plastic tubing in the ground for a watering system to supply water to both the apple trees and the neighbouring bamboo each day (Matt Cole, Yr 10).
I can't wait to see the trees fully grown in a few years. I bet the fruit will be great! (Tyson Larsen Yr 8).
Over the past few weeks we have been doing some gardening around the school. We have been planting some fruit trees and bamboo trees for the animals at the Adelaide zoo. We are working around the school Tuesdays and Thursdays in lessons 1,2 and 3. During week 8 we began watering all the fruit and bamboo plants and then we have dug a line around 25 meters long and 7cm high and long to go to all the plants so we don’t have to keep watering them as much (Todd Sampson, Yr 8).
This term we have been helping Matt (visiting horticulturalist) and Mr Burgan plant trees. For 3 to 4 weeks we have dug a series of square holes in the ground to then plant apple trees. We watered them, then we put mulch around the tree to discourage fungus and grow healthy fruit. This week we dug up a line to put plastic tubing in the ground for a watering system to supply water to both the apple trees and the neighbouring bamboo each day (Matt Cole, Yr 10).
Aboriginal Garden
Next week we are working in the aboriginal garden out the front of the school, planning to make it bigger and making it work more effectively. We don’t know what’s going to be in the aboriginal garden yet we are still all working that out (Todd Sampson, Yr 8).
In week 8 we put same poison inside the marked yellow square beside the existing Aboriginal garden. The intention is for the weeds to die because it needs to... (Matt Cole, Yr 10).
Next week we are working on the aboriginal garden, planning to make it bigger, and making it work more effectively; eye catching, eco friendly, more of a garden (Teah Hoeppner, Yr 8).
Two common native Aboriginal plants;
In week 8 we put same poison inside the marked yellow square beside the existing Aboriginal garden. The intention is for the weeds to die because it needs to... (Matt Cole, Yr 10).
Next week we are working on the aboriginal garden, planning to make it bigger, and making it work more effectively; eye catching, eco friendly, more of a garden (Teah Hoeppner, Yr 8).
Two common native Aboriginal plants;
Carpobrotus rossii (Pig Face)
Santalum acuminatum (Quandong)
Students at Work
