Clyde Waterfront Education curriculum resources Lesson/project idea Health Health Title Planting apple trees for health Lesson/project focus Lesson: Apples of the Clyde and Scotland Project: Research what apple varieties grow well in Scotland, the history of your local apples and how to source and plant a tree Short description Curricular area Health and Wellbeing Cross curricular links Expressive Arts Science Social Studies Language Maths Age group Upper Primary Lower Secondary Time allocation 8 periods Cross cutting themes Curriculum for Excellence; Enterprise in Education; NEET; ICT; Study Skills; Citizenship; Personal and Social Dev; Parents as Partners; Learning Outdoors; Sustainable Development Research into Scottish apple varieties, select the most suitable, plant in your location, maintain and harvest. Description This idea will develop a knowledge and understanding of Scottish growing apple trees. It will especially look at the Clyde Valley orchards and their history. We will apply this knowledge in a real life context, by planting a local variety of apple tree in a suitable location for pupils to maintain and harvest. Aims of learning To meet learning objectives of lesson topic e.g. understanding the variety of apples that grow in your local area, and understand why local varieties can be the best Gain purposeful understanding by putting learning into real context by researching local varieties, ordering a tree and getting this tree planted correctly in a suitable location Achieve and identify the development of 4 capacities of a Curriculum for Excellence (i.e. enterprising skills and attitudes)
Outcomes of learning Subject knowledge gained and enhanced e.g. understanding of the variety of Scottish apples and an understanding of their history, when to plant, and how to plant trees Enterprising skills improved by developing creativity, positive attitude; increasing motivation to learning; taking responsibility and making decisions; raising achievement and fostering ambition Developed employability skills: communication, planning, organisation, time management, researching, co-operating, contributing, sourcing, negotiating, analysing Confidence of working independently from teacher-led lessons demonstrated by undertaking research on apple varieties, deciding what tree to plant as a group Pupils have developed 4 capacities of CfE: - confident individuals as they have learned research skills - successful learners because they have learned and put into practice something they have researched - effective contributors by discussing their ideas in a group context and coming to a consensus - responsible citizens through improving their local environment Resources The Glasgow Children s Orchard: www.weegarden.co.uk email john@weegarden.co.uk www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk Business partners parks, business contacts, allotments etc www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/index.html Resources for project ITC access to internet for research Access to spades and hand tools - via Glasgow Children s Orchard, Parks, allotments or via parents or school staff Access to suitable grounds either in school or nearby Access to funds ( 18 per tree approx) Relevance to curriculum Supports 5-14 Environmental Studies Eco-schools Health promoting schools Enterprise Education Active schools and outdoor learning Curriculum for Excellence
How to develop an enterprising lesson How will you provide a real context for learning? Developing confident individuals Pupils put their learning into a real context by researching apple varieties, selecting a suitable tree, ordering and planting it Teams will take part in a real life situation by organising a tree planting event that staff, parents and others can attend. Perhaps also a suitable event for local press Partners in learning: make contacts with business and community groups who can offer advice/support on tree selection and planting Look at the jobs that are linked to this task in a real context e.g. work in parks, in gardening, in garden centres Action & participation activity: pupils work to complete their research and selection of apples within a time constraint and have to use their knowledge to plant a tree How will you give responsibility to pupils for their learning? Developing responsible citizens Independent learning was demonstrated through research and contributing Pupils took responsibility for this learning by researching apple varieties Pupils made decisions about deciding which apple variety to choose Pupils had a choice about what and where they would plant How will you develop relationships? Developing effective contributors Pupils co-operated in the task by sharing with their peers in a team to organise an event to mark the tree planting Internal and external partners in learning were engaged and consulted i.e. parks staff, parents, garden centres Pupils contributing and communicating was shown by press coverage writing or photographing event for newsletter How will you reflect on this learning? Developing successful learners Test k/u knowledge at end of unit (learning outcomes for lesson) by looking after and maintaining the tree to a successful harvest Record evidence for EiE and CfE by photography Progression identified self awareness raised when the pupils recognised their knowledge and ability to manage to look after plants The impact of using this approach to learning was shown by the use of the harvest
Developing lifelong and employability skills How will you establish links with external partners in order to put this into a real context and make this more relevant for young people? Employers/business engagement - Orchard owners - Fruit market and shops - Parks and other landowners - Community garden projects to provide information/talks/advice/judging and commentating on results Local community - participation in tree planting Families were involved through discussions about the impact of local food and fruit growing community Input from specialists e.g. in understanding the importance of traditional skills and how greater self sufficiency in food is desirable and achievable Is there an opportunity to highlight career opportunities? Working with the businesses above will highlight opportunities to possible career options such as agriculture and horticulture. Parks and community gardens, garden centres and nursery work The experience of improving the local environment will give the pupils a taste of being a part of a volunteer team Career information can be included in worksheets while pupils are working through them e.g. on jobs related to gardening and horticulture At subject option choice time, pupils will be more aware of how gardening and horticultural knowledge can impact on careers profiled If this is a lesson idea, how could you involve other curricular areas? Reviewing the process Science Biology plant science Social Studies Geography routes where does most fruit come from now? Where did it come from in the past? Transport how does it get here how was fruit transported in the past? History of fruit growing in the Clyde valley and why that declined Modern Studies communities linked by planting food together Art and Design Craft and Design using old apple wood to create objects of use and beauty.. Fruit wood is used in creating musical instruments and other uses. Art the blossom and fruit can inspire arts http://www.england-in-particular.info/appleday/a-vgall.html Photographs and film Languages Press releases, creative writing, poetry, research are all part of the project described Could it be incorporated into an activity/project with a higher profile (for example, presentation, competition, production of materials, event)? Display of knowledge/art for The Wee Apple in local libraries and other public buildings Film how to plant an apple tree
Brief outline of plan Timing Input and content Teacher activity Pupil activity 1-2 periods Introduction of topic baseline knowledge. What do children already know about apples? Establish the outcomes of learning. Establishing that many apple varieties grow in Scotland and introducing them to the many varieties that exist Examine why most people in the inner city know little about Scottish fruit growing Difference between locally grown apples and imported fruit Understanding where fruit imports come from, and introducing idea of air lines Introduce lesson on Clyde/Scottish fruit by asking: What do you already know about Scottish apple varieties - how many varieties grow in Scotland? How many grow in the world? What are the differences? Where do we find them? How can we find out more information about Scottish apples and fruit growing? Probing why people in the inner city know rather little about the apple varieties which grow locally? What is the economic value of Scottish fruit? What other values and benefits can there be, for having varieties of apples which grow locally? i.e. benefits to environment they are beautiful they are part of heritage Asking children if they have picked fruit from a tree 1. Pupils research their own baseline knowledge what are they/what types are there? Where do they grow? What is our baseline understanding of Scottish apples? Discuss the significance of a low baseline knowledge 2. Working in groups pupils research the resources available to them to find out more: A variety of internet sources can be used In October when apples are ripe examples of local apples can be brought in as props Link with Science, History, Geography, Economics/Home economics at this point would support and help explain what makes a strong structure Getting them thinking about why local apple growing has declined? What they can do to reverse this? 2-3 periods Outline benefits of local growing of fruit Individual ideas to begin with Using group work decide what would be needed to plant new Introduce lesson on benefits of local fruit by asking: How far should fruit travel before you eat it? Will local varieties be better adapted for growing than those from far off? 1. Investigate where apples in the local fruit shop/ market come from? Using the knowledge they now have, work out the miles and methods of travel How long ago where the apples picked? What stops them going bad before they get to us? 2. Links to outside groups who work on planting
fruit trees - and what skills are required What is needed to plant fruit trees? How could we work together and with others to make fruit trees part of the life of the Clyde again? What does one need to be able to plant an apple tree? What is the calendar of the orchard year? When is fruit ripe? When would you plant trees? local food the children s garden, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, allotments farmers and small holders who would support this work. Pupils could make contact and organise a visit to sites of existing fruit trees 3. Examine video created by other pupils of how to plant an apple tree 4. Resources 2/3 periods Selection of a suitable location How to find a tree to plant Resources needed Long term maintenance - how long will the tree be there? Planting for real. Teacher gets pupils to identify: Site teacher takes pupils into school ground and looks for a suitable location Soil samples? ph measurement is possible Worms - indicator of soil health Prevailing wind/shelter? Sun available to ripen Conflicts with other use of ground? i.e. playing football etc NB. Links to other subjects here - science 1. Pupils get a fruit tree and then have to decide where they can plant it. 2. In an outdoor setting pupils can investigate the various sites available and look at the various factors and try to determine the most suitable location, taking account of soil, sun, shelter and other uses for the ground 3. When decision is taken tree can be planted using information derived from research. This can be ceremonial asking local councillor and parents to attend