by Rita LeRoy
Another fabulous school year of ‘hands-on’ learning at Loma Vista Farm has begun. The Learning Center is abuzz with a range of healthy lessons for our students to be learning from in our
newly named “Kaiser Kitchen” area the students gather around with their freshly harvested vegetables, fruits, grains, herbs, and eggs to participate in cooking activities. Cooking is one of the
most engaging ways for students to learn across the curriculum. The measuring of ingredients helps them practice their math skills. and reading the recipe and the adjoining picture book makes reading fun and rewarding. The chemical reaction of ingredients mixing together, the changing of liquids and solids, and the botany of learning about plant parts create a well-understood lesson in science. Add in the history and cultural learning that goes into understanding where the plants originated from and what cultures the food is commonly grown and eaten in teaches students that food is an incredible springboard for understanding humanity’s similarities and roots.
Examples of new recipes are: Dried Fruit or Veggies-use our large dehydrator to make healthy snacks, Fruit Slushy-blend up a seasonal blend of frosty delight, Herb Tea-choose from a variety of mints, lemon verbena & more, Popcorn-Farm grown blue popcorn made in a hot-air popper, and Salsa-pick your ingredients directly from the salsa garden.
In the Science area, the Vallejo City Water Department has provided a hands-on lesson about the importance that water plays in our daily lives. The students learn through the “Life
Box” lesson what four things are needed for life. The students open the containers to find clues: a bag of soil and a bottle of water. What are the other two components in the open box
that are not visible but are also crucial to life? If you guessed air and light, you would now understand that water, soil, light, and air are resources that we can’t take for granted.
The Science area also contains kits for learning such as: Ladybug/Insect Study, Worm Study, Spider Web Sites, Wool Study, Pond Pondering, George Washington Carver’s Soil Science
Study, Measurement Matters, Weather Station Study, and Map Study,
In the ‘Children’s Kindness Network’ area, the children gather up to Moozie the robotic cow to listen to her interactive songs, stories, and poems that teach the importance of kindness to
each other, the animals, and the environment. Moozie asks the children what are examples of kind behavior and the children eagerly raise their arms high in the air to give their responses
such as helping my mom, picking up litter, or petting the animals gently. Moozie sets the stage in an engaging way for our young students to learn lessons in teamwork, anti-bullying, and being good citizens.
