Social Justice Equity

Our service learning project directly correlates with social justice and equity. Our theme for the ITU is Human Impact on the Environment. For some, negative thoughts might come into mind such as deforestation and population.  However, humans can also have a positive impact on the environment. One of our service learning projects is to build an organic garden.

This ties in all of our subject together. In Social Science, students will be learning about the Dust Bowl and how farmers were not left with very much land to cultivate during this period in time. In Biology, students will be going the plants and produce we will be planting and how having diversity will help the garden thrive. In Math, students will make calculations on the supplies we will need and measurements for the garden. Lastly in PE, students will actually be working on the garden. Here, students will also learn about the difference between organic produce and non-organic produce as well as what families can do to maintain a nutritious diet with the produce they receive from the garden.

Building an organic garden address our theme because it correlates directly to how humans can impact the environment. However, there is also a social component that ties well with it. From we know, there are many families who do not really consume fresh vegetables and fruits due in large part to the cost. Organic produce can be expensive for those who do not have the means to pay for it. Families with low income levels do not generally think about what is the healthiest food they can buy with their money, they think what can they buy to get the most food for their money. Often, it is not very healthy food.

By building a garden on campus we are having a positive impact on the environment since we will not use pesticides that harm the environment. We also make the community more socially just because since students will be the ones contributing in the manual labor, they will be the ones taking the produce home. We also plan on opening the garden to members of the community for them help out and receive produce. Our goal would be to further down the road develop more community garden around the city of Oceanside, so that people can put in some work and go home with fresh produce. Having this garden will make eating nutritious, fresh produce more accessible to everyone in the community not just those who have the means to purchase it.

Student Expectations

Students will work together and communicate with others in order to plant a community garden. Students will spread awareness by contributing to the website and bringing family members to contribute to the garden. Students will be in charge of maintaining garden by watering, pulling out weeds, and performing any other maintenance. Students will be graded on how well students work together, their contribution to the garden, and how they relate and reflect  on this project regarding  social justice.

Student Directions

"You will work in groups of 4 -6 people to build an organic community garden. You are in charge of building the soil boxes (based on the measurements you completed in math class). After you build your boxes you can then start building your garden. Remember to implement what you learned in science class in order to make your garden grow. You and your team members are responsible for working together, making positive contributions to the garden (watering, etc) as well as spreading awareness, and lastly engaging in discussion about connections between this project and social justice. You will have three days to complete your garden but you are always welcome to keep contributing. The produce we harvest will be given to families who have made positive contributions to our garden."

Rubric for grading