Introduction to the Project
This project focuses on the development of a school kitchen garden, aligning with the curriculum outlined in the NCERT vocational education textbook ‘Kaushal Bodh.’ Students from class 6 will have the opportunity to engage in a hands-on learning experience centered on organic farming practices. Through this initiative, they will cultivate their understanding of agriculture and its significance in sustaining food sources.
Learning Objectives
The primary objective of this kitchen garden project is to instill a sense of responsibility and teamwork among students. They will learn essential agricultural practices by participating in activities such as planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops. Additionally, the students will gain insights through field visits that highlight the importance of sustainability in farming. The knowledge acquired here will serve as a practical extension of their academic learning.
Resources for Students
To enhance the learning experience, a variety of resources will be made available, including chapter readings from the ‘Kaushal Bodh’ textbook. Students will also have access to a YouTube video featuring a question-and-answer session, which reinforces key concepts learned during the project. This dual approach, combining textual resources with visual aids, aims to address different learning styles and encourage active participation among students.
Overall, the school kitchen garden project stands as an enriching initiative, reinforcing the principles of organic farming and agricultural practices while fostering a collaborative learning environment among students.
NCERT Question Answer
Page 9
1. Which plants are being grown?
Answer: Different plants like tomatoes, spinach, coriander, brinjal, and mint are grown in the nursery.
2. Were all the plants planted at the same time? If not, why?
Answer: No, plants were planted at different times because each plant has its own growing season.
3. Can all the plants be grown in a kitchen garden? Yes/No
Answer: No, because some plants need more space and deep soil, like mango trees, while small plants and herbs can grow in a kitchen garden.
4. How is the soil prepared for sowing or planting?
Answer: The soil is plowed, loosened, and mixed with manure before planting seeds.
5. How are the plants provided nutrition in addition to what they get from the soil?
Answer: Plants get nutrition from manure, compost, fertilizers, and water.
6. How can plants be protected from any kind of harm from animals and pests?
Answer: By using fences, organic pesticides (like neem spray), and scarecrows to keep away animals and insects.
7. What were the two most interesting things you learnt during your visit?
Answer: a. How plants grow from seeds into big plants.
b. How farmers take care of plants using natural fertilizers and compost.
Page 13 & 14
1. Are you planning to make your school kitchen garden in the land available in school or in pots or both?
Answer: The garden can be made in both land and pots, depending on the space available.
2. How are you going to calculate the area of your kitchen garden?
Answer: We can measure the length and width using a measuring tape and calculate the total area.
3. What factors did you consider when selecting a location for the garden?
Answer: The location should have good sunlight, water drainage, and enough space for plants to grow.
Page 16
1. Which materials you used to make the vermicompost?
Answer: Kitchen waste, dry leaves, fruit peels, and red earthworms.
2. What types of food scraps did you add to the bin?
Answer: Vegetable peels, fruit peels, coffee grounds, and eggshells (but no oily food or meat).
3. What changes did you notice in the compost bin over a period?
Answer: The waste turned into dark, rich compost with an earthy smell.
Page 17
1. How did you prepare the soil for planting?
Answer: The soil was cleaned, loosened, and mixed with manure.
2. Did you use organic manure? If yes, what proportion did you use for mixing organic manure with soil?
Answer: Yes, we mixed one part manure with three parts soil to make it fertile.
Page 21
1. What are the materials that you will use for fencing?
Answer: Bamboo sticks, wooden poles, old pipes, and string.
2. How many poles and the length of string will you need for fencing?
Answer: It depends on the size of the garden. More poles and string are needed for a bigger garden.
Page 22 & 23
1. How do you know when a plant needs water?
Answer: If the soil looks dry and the leaves droop, it means the plant needs water.
2. How often do you need to water your plants?
Answer: Every morning or evening, but not too much to avoid overwatering.
3. What is the best time for watering plants?
Answer: Early morning or late afternoon to prevent water loss due to heat..
4. What factors influence the quantity and frequency of watering?
Answer: Weather, plant type, and soil type decide how much water is needed.
Page 28
1. Which crop(s) you harvested?
Answer: Spinach, Tomatoes and Brinjals.
2. How did you know they were ready for harvesting?
Answer: The vegetables changed color size and looked ripe.
3. Which tools did you use to harvest the plants?
Answer: We used garden shears, a trowel, and our hands.
4. What precautions you took to avoid damaging the plants while harvesting?
Answer: We cut gently and used tools carefully to avoid hurting the plant.
5. What did you do with the produce after harvesting from the kitchen garden?
Answer: We washed and used the vegetables in our school kitchen.
Think and Answer
1. What did you enjoy doing?
Answer: I enjoyed planting seeds and watching them grow.
2. What were the challenges that you faced during the activities?
Answer: Protecting plants from insects and watering them daily was a challenge.
3. What will you do differently next time?
Answer: I will use better fencing and organize plant spacing properly.
4. What were the conditions that helped your plants grow?
Answer: Good sunlight, water, organic manure, and pest control helped the plants grow.
If your plants did not grow well, what should you do next time?
Answer: Use better soil, protect from pests, and water properly.
5. What jobs are related to the project?
Answer: Farmer, gardener, agricultural scientist, and organic farming expert.
