Hosted by OSOS , contributed by Myrtollari on 18 June 2019
Raise awareness of the importance of bees and the necessity to provide sources of nectar for them.
Raise an awareness of the values of pollinating agents such as bees with other organisms such as wildflowers growing in an ecosystem and encourage students to become active facilitators in creating suitable soils in small urban spaces so that the wildflowers will grow and the bees will thrive.
We wish to use 3 plant boxing areas in a city school to grow Irish wild flowers and other plants, promote a circular economy by sourcing waste coffee grounds to grow the plants and make the plant boxing area a nature reserve for bees. It would be great to involve the local community in the provision of growth material, reduce waste being sent for disposal and potentially use herbs grown in the boxing area for human consumption. The importance of our buzzing pollinators in bring food from seed to plate would be studied.
Raise awareness of the importance of bees and the necessity to provide sources of nectar for them. We wish to use 3 plant boxing areas in a city school to grow Irish wild flowers and other plants, promote a circular economy by sourcing waste coffee grounds to grow the plants and make the plant boxing area a nature reserve for bees. It would be great to involve the local community in the provision of growth material, reduce waste being sent for disposal and potentially use herbs grown in the boxing area for human consumption. The importance of our buzzing pollinators in bring food from seed to plate would be studied.
LEARNING OBJECTVIES:
Students will:
- Raise greater awareness amongst urban dwellers about the importance of bees as primary pollinators for food production.
- Examine flower plant structure and describe the various parts involved in plant sexual reproduction with particular attention being given to pollen
- Demonstrate that small planting zones s in urban areas can be used to produce plants that can be aesthetically pleasing and produce food for pollinating organisms such as bees.
- Research the types of native wildflower species that are the best sources of pollen for bees.
- Justify the introduction of man-made nesting habitats for the bees in the school grounds
- Reflect on the importance of designing out waste from being sent to landfill
- Visit local cafes in the village.
- Evaluate the volumes of spent coffee grounds sent to landfill from local cafes.
- Organise the collection of spent coffee grounds ( the by products of coffee making techniques in local cafes) for use as a planting medium into the soil to increase the nutrient content of soil.
- Analyse the structure of soil in the school grounds as this will be the growth medium for plants.
- Experimentally evaluate the best ratio of soil to spent coffee grounds as a suitable growth medium for herbs, wildflowers, fruit and vegetables.
- Conduct a survey amongst staff regarding the herbs that they most use in their homes and whether they buy a full plant or cut herbs in plastic packets in shops.
- Evaluate the results of the survey and choose what herbs to select for growth in school.
- Sow onions and plant rhubarb stock.
- Incorporate herbs from the school garden in the preparation of food dishes in the Home Economics kitchens.
- Present finding and report to management,, parents association and staff at end of school year.
- Sow onions and plant rhubarb stock.
- Incorporate herbs from the school garden in the preparation of food dishes in the Home Economics kitchens.
- Present finding and report to management,, parents association and staff at end of school year.
RRI principles
One of the key aspects of OSOS is the inclusion of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)principles (more information at RRI-Tools.eu). This is how this Accelerator fits into the RRI model:
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Governance |
Students will work together with the stakeholders involved in the activity in a transparent and reflective manner, and with the aim of sharing responsibility for the results and conclusions presented in this Accelerator.
I.e.: students may be in contact with stakeholders such as beekeepers, families or local coffee shops, with whom they will communicate continuously with the objective of making them participants in the project and its results. |
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Public engagement |
Students will move towards collaborative decision-making, both between the working group and with other stakeholders, and making them participants in the project and establishing new relationships that can be beneficial for all parties.
I.e.: Students will be in contact with different stakeholders, asking them both for theoretical issues about beekeeping and the importance of bees in society, as well as asking them to participate in decision-making when dealing with challenges and problems during the project. |
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Gender equality |
Students will take into account the gender dimension in the research carried out during this project, and ensure gender equality in decision-making.
I.e.: students will work in equal research teams, and will encourage the participation of stakeholders that are both men and women. |
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Science Education |
Students will inform citizens about their opinions around the topic addressed in this Accelerator, and will reflect on their conclusions.
I.e.: students will work to raise awareness among different stakeholders (families, neighbors) about the importance of beekeeping in society, and will reflect on everything learned through scientific thinking. |
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Ethics |
Students will be able to reflect on the concerns of society regarding the problem posed by this Accelerator, and will align the project with the needs around society's awareness.
I.e.: students can align the project carried out with the awareness of society about the world of beekeeping, involving different stakeholders and reflecting on the opinions of people about the subject. |
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Open Access |
Students can create their own materials and publish them on the Internet with reuse rights, so that they can be reused by other Internet users.
I.e.: as they advance in the project, students will be able to generate materials that at the end of the project they will publish and share both on the Internet and to the neighbors of the school. In this way they will be able to disseminate the awareness work carried out. |
Addressed Challenge: Students will be able to enter this FEEL phase in the world of pollination, including both the reproductive structures of plants (male and female) and the work of pollinating insects. Through a series of materials, documents and websites, and with the help of the teachers, students will be able to understand the importance of pollination, to later promote it and raise awareness among the neighbors around the school.
AVAILABLE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
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Families |
Be involved in examining types of herbs used and making home gardens. |
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Local coffee shops and café |
Be involved in recycling coffee grounds to use in the school garden |
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Beekeepers |
To provide expert knowledge to the students |
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University |
To provide access to expertise and instrumentation |
RESOURCES NEEDED:
- School garden: Shovel, Gardening Forks, Wildflower seeds, Onion Seeds, Rhubarb Stools
- Science materials: Microscope,Glass slides Flower pots,, laboratory balance
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