School gardening : A project of the NTTC 2011 students – grade 10

Before it did not look nice and clean behind the NTTC building. So the students of grade 10 decided to change things and create a garden. Together with her teacher Zin Maung Maung they developped the project, made plans, cleaned the area behind the building, digged, watered and seeded roselle, pumpkin and carrot. So they have been learning what conditions plants need to grow. We call such projects „learning by doing“, one of the subjects of modern teaching.

Dorothea Essig­-Bruch

Last Month, December we got a small donation from Dorothea to start on
the school gardening.
We bought seeds from the shop and grow Roselle, Pumpkin and Carrot.
2011 Grade- 10 Students observe the seed as it germinates. Which
sprouts first the root or the stem? Which way do they grow?
Give them some questions:

• Do seeds need water to germinate?
• Do seeds need light to germinate?
• Do seeds need warmth to germinate?

Plant our germinated seeds in pots and in the school gardening. We
keep our seedlings watered and watch them grow. Students have learned
that seeds can germinate under the soil, without light. But after
germination, young plants need light and space, as well as water, to
grow well. Some plants need warm weather to grow well, but others can
grow in cold places.
We show the stages of germination. Students observe and record the
germination and growth of a bean and tell the conditions needed for
germination.

I got a short essay from two students- Htun Htun Lwin and Htun Wai
Aung. They wrote about their experiences of doing school gardening at
the backyard of NTTC Building.
“Throughout the world, there are so many different kinds of garden
that some are created by people but others are by means of nature.
Both of those kinds of garden are actually painting our world and also
they show one kind of beauty to our living place, the earth. Indeed,
gardens are composed of numerous plants and that are supported by
soil, air, the sun and water and especially by human.
In the same way, we, NTTC 2011 students created and made a wonderful
garden by team work and also by zeal. Firstly, we dig and clean some
area of the ground which is behind our school building and in the east
of Nadi Stream. Then we picked the rubbishes and made a ground clean
and grew the plants around that compound. After that, we watered on
that compound in order to become a good soil. When the ground was
getting good enough to grow, we began to throw some seeds namely
Roselle, Pumpkins and Carrot. We covered some soil on that seeds and
watered them again. Besides we made a fence to that compound. Because
of making with plastic string and wood block, it is not strong. But it
is beautiful when someone see our school garden. By growing those
kinds of seeds, our school will become beautiful and perfect more and
more.”

5.1.2016  Zin Maung Maung