1. Agricultural Sustainability
Building a Greenhouse to grow plants in a way that helps the society and the environment
J.Paas

2. Background Information
Plants are essential for sustaining life on our unique planet.
Plants provide many ecosystem services.

3. Three important services plants provide are:
Serving as food for organisms
Providing oxygen through photosynthesis
Using carbon dioxide to reduce excess greenhouse gasses which increase climate change

4. Serving as food:
Humans rely on plants for nutrition, energy for life and metabolism, health, and sustenance.

5. Providing oxygen through photosynthesis
The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy occurs through a process called photosynthesis, which plants have the ability to perform. It is through photosynthesis that glucose used as food and oxygen are produced.

6. Using carbon dioxide to reduce excess greenhouse gasses
For their consumption of carbon dioxide, plants are needed to restore and sustain the carbon cycle balance

7. Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is a concept that carries hope for the world to have enough food for its ever-increasing population without compromising the well-being of future generations.

8. Sustainable Agriculture
As an alternative to monoculture and other technological agricultural techniques, sustainable agricultural offers a significant food source without negative environmental and economic consequences.

9. Sustainable agriculture
Four ways this is accomplished are:
Crop rotation reduces depletion of important nutrients so synthetic fertilizers are not needed.
Using natural predators, such as ladybugs, to eliminate pests rather than using chemical pesticides that cause biomagnification of deadly toxins throughout the food chain.

10. Sustainable agriculture
Hand-pulling of weeds, rather than petroleum-based machinery which increases the negative effects of climate change.
Hiring local people which benefits the society and economy of the communities involved.

11. Greenhouses for Sustainability
Greenhouses may be built to grow plants in environmentally controlled areas. Solar radiation passes through the polycarbonate or glass walls and is absorbed by the plants and soil inside.

12. Heat sinks
Heat sinks such as a black barrel filled with water or a small pond may be placed inside the greenhouse to absorb and retain the solar heat.

13. Solar energy transfer
The transfer of heat inside the greenhouse is caused by convection from the re-radiation of the thermal energy from the plants, walls and other heat sinks inside the building.

14. Applying the Concept
To apply the concept of sustainable agriculture, the students will work on an STSE project which will give them an opportunity to plan and construct a greenhouse so they can grow a sustainable garden to benefit their home and school.

15. Lesson Sequence Lesson 1 The Necessity of Plants
This lesson will explain the ecosystem services plants provide and their role as producers. Photosynthesis will be explained. View these videos with great diagrams and pictures
photosynthesis animation

16. Lesson 2 What is Agricultural Sustainability?
This lesson will define sustainability and give research examples of working sustainable farms and greenhouses. The students will begin their STSE project: begin the greenhouse plan in groups. Here is a sample video for an example:
“Its Winter and Everything is Green.

17. Lesson 3 Factors that Affect Plant Growth
This lesson will discuss nutrients, soil, water, CO2, O2 and practical requirements for a successful organic garden. The students will plan their garden in groups. For an interactive lesson online teaching factors that affect plant growth view:

18. Lesson 4 Constructing a Greenhouse Part One
The students will bring their designs and collaborate to finalize a class plan. For an introduction, watch this instruction about greenhouses:

19. Lesson 5 Constructing a Greenhouse Part Two
The students will gather materials and begin construction. This construction will continue for a length of time designated by the teacher.

20. Lesson 6 Planting a Sustainable Garden
The students will begin planting their garden according to the group plans that were submitted and approved by the instructor.

21. Lesson 7 Reaping the Reward
The students will tend their garden and share their harvest with their family and school community. They will write a reflection on what it is like to be an organic gardener and what difference they made for the community and/or the environment.

22. Student Difficulties
Some students may have difficulty grasping the concept of not using technology such as machinery and pesticides for agriculture, since we live in a technological age. I have attached a problem-solving activity which will help them see the cost/benefit analysis of sustainable agriculture.
Students may have trouble working cooperatively. This plan has several types of differentiated instruction activities so students can interact at their own pace.

23. Considerations for Special Needs and ELL Students:
The nature of the STSE project, designing a building a greenhouse, and then planting a sustainable garden is conducive for all students. Assessments for and as learning activities using cooperative learning methods such as K-W-L charts, jigsaw and think-pair –share will be used. The written application reflection will be an Assessment of learning at the end of the project.

24. Considerations for Special Needs and ELL Students:
The project will be a group assignment, first in small groups to gather information, do the research and then collaborate to present to the class. This will be a tiered assignment where the instructor will decide which parts of the research, and later, which physical tasks each special needs student will benefit the most from.

25. Considerations for ELL and Advanced Students:
ELL students will benefit from the hands-on aspect of the concept, which is conducive to natural English conversation and problem solving. Word boards will be used to develop vocabulary. 
There are many tasks that will engage the expertise and research skill of a advanced student. The teacher will reinforce this student’s interest and motivation to make calculations, do in-depth research, etc. in the design and construction of the greenhouse.

26. Picture Sources listed in order shown
Jewelweed in Concord by Jocelyn Paas
bcgreenhouses.com
1860‑1.jpg
summerfieldbooks.com
PowerPlantEmissions.jpg
weathersavvy.com
ladybug_large.jpg
greentreelandscaping.ca

27. Picture sources cont. gardener‑harvest‑300.jpg thedailygreen.com
heating_greenhouse‑light.gif
school-for-champions.com
HeatSinkInletScreenOutside.jpg
roperld.com
1‑s2.0‑S X ‑gr4.jpg
sciencedirect.com
bcgreenhouses.com
greenhouse.gif
europagreenhouses.com
greenhouse‑2.jpg
home.howstuffworks.com

28. Written and Video Sources
BC Greenhouses. LTDhttp://
Dunlop et al., Biology 11, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Toronto, ON, CANADA, pgs
Extreme How-To Video Building a Greenhouse.
Its Winter and Everything is Green.
Photosynthesis in animation,
Plants-Interactive science
Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink - Solar

29. Resources, cont. Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink - Solar
Sink.htm
TeacherTube videos,
The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2008,
JocelynPaas 7/18/12