Title: Garden Mosaics in South Africa Discovering connections between people, cultures, science, and action
1Garden Mosaics in South AfricaDiscovering
connections between people, cultures, science,
and action.
- Kendra Liddicoat, Dr. Marianne Krasny, Jamila
Simon - Cornell University
2What does Garden Mosaics offer?
- Educational Materials
- website and online databases
- training DVD
- program manual
- colorful science pages
- i. m. science investigations
- Gardener Story,
- Community Garden Inventory,
- Neighborhood Exploration,
- Weed Watch.
- Action Projects
Connecting youth and elders to investigate the
mosaic of plants, people, and cultures in
gardens, to learn about science, and to act
together to enhance their community.
3Garden Mosaics in South Africa June 2005, the
beginning
- Environment and Language Education Trust (ELET)
- Training teachers, developing English language
teaching materials, promoting health education
(cholera and HIV/AIDS), planting trees at KZN
schools, and the INK Greening Project.
Pilot programs at two township schools in the
Durban area participating in ELETs INK Greening
Project.
INK Greening (Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu) A
2-year project which aims to green school yards
in INK, promote social and economic development
of adjoining communities, and employ 180
gardeners.
4EE in Southern Africa
- Well established and coordinated across the
region. - Supported by SADC-REEP, EEASA, Share-Net, and
Rhodes University. - Broad in scope and actively involved in the UN
DESD.
The Environment
Political
Social
Economic
Biophysical
5EE in Southern Africa
- Active Learning Framework
Information Seeking
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
6EE in Southern Africa
- Active Learning Framework
What do we already know?
Information Seeking
What do we need to find out?
Who can we contact for help?
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
What can we report on the issue?
How will we investigate the issue?
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
What can we do?
7Kethamahle Senior Primary SchoolKwaMashu
- grade 7 learners,
- 4 educators, and
- 3 community workers
8Sandasonke Primary SchoolNtuzuma
55 grade 7 learners, 3 educators, and 3
community workers
9Neighborhood Exploration
i m science investigations
Learning from aerial photographs and topographic
maps
10Neighborhood Exploration
i m science investigations
- Learn how to make and use a key.
- Locate where we can
- get fresh vegetables
- attend a community event
- talk with friends
- get exercise
- enjoy nature
- At our school!
- Take a virtual or actual tour of the community.
11Gardener Story
i m science investigations
Where are you from? How did you learn to garden?
What vegetables do you grow? How are they
planted? How do you water and weed them? Who
eats the vegetables from the garden?
What indigenous herbs do you grow? How do your
gardening practices relate to your culture?
Then review the information and, if possible,
share it through the Garden Mosaics website.
12Choosing a Project
action project
- Planning in groups
- Come up with 3 realistic ideas.
- What would you need?
- Why would you do this project?
- planting vegetablesplanting herbs
cleaning the schoolbuilding housesfixing
shoesclearing more landmaking broomsmaking
trash binsplanting treesmaking a sports
fieldselling the vegetables starting a tuck
shop - Our decision focus on marketing the vegetables.
13Designing Signs and Price Lists
action project
14Focus Group at Kethamahle
evaluation
- What did you like and learn?
- Looking at our school on the map and seeing
places to develop in the community. - I know why they do the garden, to feed people
who are sick. - The gardeners says that we must eat the
vegetables because give us vitamins--good for our
bodies. - How to prepare the garden, need to dig a deeper
hole, measure for the spinach. I like watering
and preparing plants. - I went into the garden to pick up papers,
plastic. To clean the garden.
15Focus Group at Kethamahle
evaluation
- What did you learn about people and plants?
- Respect the gardeners, and plants are needed to
feed their families so don't step or kill them. - Need to know that the principal and everyone
uses the garden to survive. - In the garden don't walk in the plants. They
are people, they breathe just like me. - Cannot live without plants--give us food,
medicine, shelter. - I learned not to look down at gardenersGarden
is not for old people. - Garden is very important in my community. Don't
play, run, disturb.
16Interview with the Principal
evaluation
- What impact do you think Garden Mosaics had on
your school, your learners, your educators, and
the community workers? -
- They developed a love of working in the field,
knowing that the soil is everything. This was for
the educators as well as the learners. The
educators never showed interest in the garden
before. Now I know that they will accompany the
learners and go to the garden with them.The
learners were so eager. They would come to the
office and remind me.It was excellent for the
community workers. It made them know that even
you from overseas work in the garden. It showed
them dedication and love and support.
17Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning
framework used in the SADC region.
Information Seeking
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
18Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning
framework used in the SADC region.
What do we already know? NELabeling places
from memory
Information Seeking
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
19Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning
framework used in the SADC region.
What do we already know? NELabeling places
from memory
Information Seeking
Who can we contact for help? SPprinted
resources, GS--meet elders
What do we need to find out? GSseek help with AP
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
20Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning
framework used in the SADC region.
What do we already know? NELabeling places
from memory
Information Seeking
Who can we contact for help? SPprinted
resources, GS--meet elders
What do we need to find out? GSseek help with AP
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
How will we investigate the issue? NEanswering
questions GSasking gardeners
What can we report on the issue? GSenter data on
website
Action Taking
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
21Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning
framework used in the SADC region.
What do we already know? NELabeling places
from memory
Information Seeking
Who can we contact for help? SPprinted
resources, GS--meet elders
What do we need to find out? GSseek help with AP
Reporting Ideas
Inquiry Encounters
Focus
How will we investigate the issue? NEanswering
questions GSasking gardeners
What can we report on the issue? GSenter data on
website
Action Taking
What can we do? AP
ODonoghue, R. B. (2001)
22Lessons learned about Garden Mosaics in South
Africa.
- GM can work in South Africa as a special in-class
project - How can it be integrated into the curriculum?
- What informal settings are possible?
- GM in South Africa should place greater emphasis
on food production as a reason for gardening. - To move GM in South Africa forward, teacher
trainings and adapted educational materials are
necessary.
23Lessons learned about adapting environmental
education programs.
- Program materials should be flexible and
adaptable. - Youth learning indigenous knowledge from elders
makes the scientific content relevant to
participants in many countries. - Language issues must be considered and are
especially complex in South Africa.
24Siyabonga
- National Science Foundation (ISE) and Cornell
University - Garden Mosaics Program Director, Keith Tidball
- And to our many friends in South Africa who
welcomed us, answered our questions, translated
for us, drove us around, provided important
insights, and invited us to come back. To name a
few of you - ELET staff Nontobeko Gasa, Mervin Ogle, Shradha
Singh, Zain Amod, Govin Reddy, Hajira Mohamed,
George Pillay, Cecil Fynn, and Udeshan Reddy - Ms. Ngema and the learners and educators of
Sandasonke. - Ms. Mtshali, Ms. Ngidi, and the learners and
educators of Kethamahle. - WESSA/SADC-REEP Bridget, Elizabeth, Jim, Mike,
Mumsie, Priya, Shephard - Participants in the July 2005 Attachment
Programme. - Durban Botanic Garden, Southern African Wildlife
College, and Kids in Kruger