Iowa City West seniors teaching science in the new garden of Weber Elementary School
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Wednesday at 8:00 am. Krisha Kapoor and Zoe Scott, her seniors at Iowa City West, teach her sophomores at Weber Elementary School about environmental science in an outdoor garden built for that purpose.
Kapoor and Scott have been visiting second graders at least once a week since the start of the school year to highlight the importance of composting and recycling and the nutritional value of different types of vegetables.
With the onset of cold weather, Kapoor and Scott had to shift the lesson from focusing on plant growth to teaching students how to prepare their gardens for winter.
“We taught them how to plant and identify plants, and we also want to sprinkle in some games so they can have an interactive experience,” says Kapoor.
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For Kapoor and Scott, it’s a way to give back to the school they once walked down the halls of. They want their students to start thinking about potential careers in the environment and science early, but also have hands-on, hands-on experience.
There are pumpkins, pumpkins, zinnias and snapdragon flowers in the garden. The flower bulbs were donated by the City of Iowa’s Landscape and Garden Center, Scott says.
Kapoor said at least six other high school students are volunteering to help students at Weber Elementary learn about environmental science. According to Scott, each lesson is structured so that he gives a 20-minute lecture and spends the rest of his hour outside at Wichinok Gardens.
Kapoor and Scott teach a similar lesson to Weber’s 6th graders.
“It’s fun to connect with the kids and see them get a little bit of the material,” Kapoor said.
“We are not teachers, so for the first time, it is really heartwarming to see that they all care about this issue and give us their full attention to learn about it. ”
How the Garden Began and What’s Next for Students
Kapoor plans to study environmental science in college, and Scott is going into healthcare. The two seniors attended Weber Elementary School and were in the same her third grade class.
“We got interested in this because of its ‘scientific’ side, and we want to build interest and awareness of science in our students early on,” said Scott. increase.
Funded by the Iowa City Community School District, the garden was the result of much brainstorming by Kapoor and her high school teachers.
“We decided we needed to build a community garden, so we had to fill out a form with all the information about what we were planning to do in this garden,” says Kapoor. “I received $750 from the district.”
In early June, Scott and Kapoor spent a day planting the garden and preparing it for a hands-on learning experience for elementary school students. The girls got help from some of their peers.
“We helped with the planting, which was great. We also got people coming because West High’s shop class made beds for us,” Kapoor said. Told.
That collaboration and input from the community was Kapoor’s main goal.
“Our ultimate goal is to create a community around this garden, so eventually teachers can come here and give lessons,” said Kapoor. say.
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Travis Dyer, deputy principal at Weber Elementary School, said other faculty members at the school had contacted him and wanted their class to participate in the project.
Dyer went to see the girls’ lessons several times and saw the children engaging in activities. Dyer said it’s important for students to learn outside the classroom.
“It’s great for students to teach other students,” Dyer said.
Scott said he hopes the classes he teaches to 2nd and 6th graders will be memorable and spark environmental concerns.
“The coolest part is that they think there are other things they can do with science, gardening, etc.,” Dyer said.
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