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EarthBites

All students in the school participate in the Earthbites program that expands the classroom to include the garden boxes.  Activities include working in the garden and creating healthy and nutritious snacks.
Check out their Facebook page for photos of our garden
www.facebook.com/EarthBites/
 

EARTHBITES’ Unit 3 - Seeds and Transplants (February/March 2021)

Spring Gardens
This module focuses on sowing spring seeds either indoors or directly in the soil (peas, spinach, beets, radishes, mesclun, lettuce, kale, chard, etc.).  Students will explore their school garden to observe plant growth and insect and animal activity. 
Activities Include
  • Seed starting for growing indoors
  • Planting spring seeds outside
  • Exploring habitats around the school 
check out the calendar to see when your student is doing Earthbites and ask them about their Kindergarten Observation walk  or Germination Prediction worksheets.
Calendar link:
https://teamup.com/ksute7dbs78xnsrtbh
Earthbites Winter Newsletter  https://mailchi.mp/earthbites.ca/earthbites-spring-gardening-lesson-plans-4197613

EARTHBITES’ Unit 2 - Microgreens Garden (Nov 2020)

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Winter Gardening
Students learn about Growing Microgreens, why and  how to grow them. Microgreens and Sprouts are superfoods, so let's learn how to grow at home rather than buying them.

Activities Include
  • Why to grow microgreens?
  • How to grow microgreens?
  • How to prepare microgreens?

  • Students learned about growing miniature crops (Microgreens) that are packed with nutritional value. Crops that are easy to grow, fast to produce and grow year-round. Great for small spaces in urban environments.
  • Students seeded their own microgreens and took them home for caring.
  • Attached is the students handout listing all the steps to grow microgreens,  the vegetables that can be grown as microgreens and  where we can get seeds and supplies.
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EARTHBITES’ Unit 1 - Garden Cycle and Vegetable Leaf Profile (October 2020)

Fall Gardening
Students learn about the Garden Cycle, this year we are gardening by watching and taking cues from the natural world. It is an approach used for centuries by Native American nations that involve building a relationship with nature rather than trying to control the natural world. Students make careful observations of vegetable leaves, then find ways to describe and record leaves features accurately.
Activities Include
  • Harvesting vegetables
  • Tilling garden beds
  • Planting cool season crops
  • Garden maintenance
  • Students learned about the Medicine Wheel and its connection with the Cycle of Life happening in the garden. Also students learned that in Fall we should cultivate crops that stand cold temperatures, limited sunlight, wind and rainy days. Crops such as: cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, arugula, radish, beets and carrots grow well in fall. Students tilled the soil and planted/seed fall crops.
  • Students learned about leaf types and its main characteristics (shape, margin, tip, base, and venation) by describing vegetable leaves present in the garden.
In addition students learned that Native American Nations cultivate several crops that we take for granted these days. Attached is a list of crops cultivated by Native American Nations.

check out the calendar to see when your student is doing Earthbites and ask them about their Describing Leaves worksheets.
Calendar link:
https://teamup.com/ksute7dbs78xnsrtbh

EARTHBITES’ module 3 Season Planning (February/March 2019)

 Season Planning
Students will learn about soil formation, soil composition, and soil texture and their combined effects on vegetables.
Using their senses, students will classify soil using its texture as a guide.
Sedimentation jars will be built by the whole class to explore soil horizons.


Students will be able to:
(1) Identify and name components of soil composition
(2) Identify differences in soil using their sense of touch, sight and smell, and
(3) Create a sedimentation jar for any garden area and determine it's soil composition.

check out the calendar to see when your student is doing Earthbites and ask them about their worksheets.
On-Line Calendar
https://teamup.com/kse4pwyhk6qv3gunz5

EARTHBITES’ students are learning about Preserving the Harvest (Fall 2018)

Welcome back teachers and students to another year of gardening and nutrition! We hope you had a wonderful summer filled with vegetables, fresh fruit, and lots of sunshine. Have you visited the garden yet? We are so lucky that the start of school coincides with a time of plentiful harvest. So this module, we will be talking about “Preserving the Harvest”.

Activities Include
  • Making Kale chips
  • Amending soil
  • Planting cool season crops
  • Garden beds and site maintenance

EARTHBITES’ STUDENTS are learning about SPRING GREENS

What we did in the garden
• Identify what plants grow in the Spring,
• Name three nutrients in Spring Greens

What we did in nutrition
•
Review why it is important to eat Spring Greens in the Spring.
•Identify and explore three main parts of Spring Greens and their health benefits for their bodies.
•Explore and discuss the role of the digestive system and why cleansing and nourishing is important to keep our bodies healthy.
•Make and taste a fibre-rich snack
​
Green Hummus Recipe:
● 4 cups Spring Greens
● 1 (15-ounce) can Chickpeas
● 1 Large lemon
● 1 small Garlic Clove
● 2 tbsp Olive Oil
● 1 tsp Cumin
● Dash Salt and Pepper (for taste)
Add everything (except the spring greens) into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
Add in the Spring greens little at a time until blended nicely.
● Corn Chips
Serve with Corn Chips

EARTHBITES’ STUDENTS are LEARNING about HABITAT and BUILDING IMMUNITY

At the garden,students explored about habitat and living things needs. Inside they explored immunity and enjoyed ginger ale. 
What we did in the garden
• Learned about everybody needs a home
• Discussed the benefits of mulch
• Collected tree leaves for mulch

What we did in nutrition
•Discussed reasons why we might get sick in the Fall and Winter
•Brainstormed ideas about how we can help keep ourselves healthy
•Talked about foods that can keep us healthy
•Prepared a drink with fresh ginger, rosemary and lemon
​

Ginger Ale Recipe:
• ginger root to make 30 ml ginger juice (see step 3 )
• 15 ml lemon juice 
• 45 ml honey
• 1 liter sparkling water (not soda water)

1. Mix 15 ml lemon juice – or juice from 1 whole lemon with 45 ml honey
2. As you mix the two together the acidity in the lemon juice will break down the honey and make honey-lemon syrup. (it will become runny)
3. Finely grate ginger with a rasp (fine grater) over the container so the juice is added to the mix – use a big chunk of ginger with a
finer grater. The grated ginger should measure 30 ml before you squeeze out the juice. Squeeze the grated ginger so the juice
comes out. Do not include the pulp.
4. Give your honey-lemon-ginger syrup a mix.
5. Add 1 litre carbonated water; gently so all the bubbles don’t get fizzed away before you have a chance to enjoy your yummy drink.


EARTHBITES’ STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ABOUT PRESERVING

Pumpkin pie pudding Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 tablespoons dry chia seeds
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Optional spices :
Ginger powder
Clove powder
Cardamom powder
Cinnamon powder
Nutmeg powder
  1. Soak the chia seeds in the coconut milk. Stir well. Let soak for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight. Play with the soaking time to adapt the texture to your liking. Stir again before using
  2. to make sure chia seeds are evenly distributed in the milk.
  3. In a bowl, mix the soaked chia seeds, the pumpkin, and the maple syrup until well combined.
  4. Add a small sprinkle of the spice(s) of your choice! Remember that spices are strong, you can always add more if there is not enough but can’t take it away if there is too much!
  5. 4. Serve in two small bowls and enjoy!
Picture

EARTHBITES’ STUDENTS ARE BUSY EXPLORING SPRING GREENS

Prior to spring break the EarthBites team were busy exploring pollination.  Students enjoyed creating honey bee bites with oats, honey, raisins & olive oil.  Students also experimented with growing lots of seedlings that will be planted in the beds during this Session.  
 
EarthBites current session focuses on delicious and nutritious Spring Greens.

Your RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist) is exploring with students & teachers the cleansing benefits of WILD & FARMED Spring Greens.

Primaries will be creating a no-nut Gomae snack using Spring Greens & explore the health benefits of three minerals found in spring greens.

Intermediate students will be helping to create a Spring Greens salad and exploring the health benefits of vitamins found in spring greens.

Your urban farmer is helping students plant the Spring Greens & herb seedlings they started in the Spring break.  They will also amend the soil with a rich Veggie Compost, plant seeds like peas, radish, carrot and beets and plant potatoes.
 
Students will be hosting a Spring Market on Thursday May 4th where they will be selling Spring greens.  Look out for your pre-order form through email.

 Stay tuned for details of our upcoming adventures in summer gardening.
Recipe: No Nut Raw Gommae
nonutrawgommae.pdf
File Size: 100 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Boosting  Immunity

Fall workshops focused on things in the garden that can boost the immune system and keep us healthy

Ginger Garlic Broth

 2-­‐3 tablespoons chopped chives
 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
 4 cups  water, boiled

1)  Add chopped chives and grated ginger to teapot and pour boiling water over.
2) Steep broth for 5-­‐10 minutes or until desired flavour is reached.
3) Once steeped, pour broth through mesh strainer into mugs.  Can add a sprinkle of sea salt or seaweed flakes if desired.
Nettle Tea
1 rounded tbsp nettles
1/2 thumbs length ginger
1 tbsp honey
4 cups water

1) Bring the water to a boil, add ginger. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-20 minutes.
2) Remove from heat, stir in nettle and honey
3) Let steep for 5 minutes.
4) Pour through a strainer into a tea pot, or pour into a bodum. Serve.

Primary (Kindergarten - Grade 3 ) Lesson Plan
earthbites_-_fall_b_boosting_immunity_lesson_plan_-_ginger_chive_broth.pdf
File Size: 433 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Intermediate (Grade 4 - Grade 7 ) Lesson Plan
earthbites_fall_b_-_immunity__intermediate_lesson_plan.pdf
File Size: 136 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Monthly Gardening Guide
laurier-monthlygardeningguide.pdf
File Size: 919 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School
Parent Advisory Council

​7350 Laurel St, Vancouver, BC V6P 3T9
  • Home
  • About
    • What is PAC
    • PAC Committee
  • Events
    • Fundraising events
    • PAC Meetings >
      • AGM
  • Programs
    • Hot Lunch Program
    • Read-a-thon Fundraiser
    • After School
  • Volunteer
  • Donate