Spring and Summer Announcements 

How far apart should we plant cucumber seeds? How do potatoes grow? When is the best time to plant tomatoes? These are questions the Explorations in Learning group have researched in the last two months.  We have used a variety of learning tools to find answers to our gardening questions: library books, newspaper clippings, seed packets, diagrams of plants found on Google Image, tape measures, graph paper and our hands.
           
The Explorations in Learning group along with two WLC volunteers have planted a small vegetable garden across the street from the WLC office in a community space provided by the Broadway Youth Center. This project came about through a group discussion of heart healthy foods. Two of the three Exploration learners have high cholesterol and were told by their doctors to eat foods that would lower their risk of a heart attack. After I presented the idea of growing our own healthy food, the learners voted on their favorite vegetables. Thus, the seed was planted for our summer literacy project. At the center (or you could say heart) of the project was the learners' needs.

 In preparation for planting, the group completed many reading and writing activities. The following list includes lesson ideas that any ELL or ALP tutor could use with his or her own learner:
 
* Enlarge the directions on the back of a seeds packet. Use this text to find words the learner has been studying. The Exploration group highlighted words such as "seeds", "space" and "inches".
 
* Record the planting dates and expected harvest time using a calendar. This is good practice with writing and numeracy.
 
* After spending time in the garden, have your learner describe his or her experience to you while you dictate what is said. You will remember from training, this exercise is referred to as a Language Experience Approach (LEA).
 
* Encourage your learner to make written observations of what he or she notices each time they visit the garden. Ask your learner to try to use "focus" words to describe what is occurring. For example, the Exploration group has talked a lot about the parts of a plant. The words: roots, leaves and flower have become the group's focus words. This is a good vocabulary building exercise.
 
* Model for your learner how to read for information using "how to" books or articles. Point out the table of contents, index, captions and key words, for instance.
 Visit the garden section at the public library together and don't forget the periodicals.
 
* Create a manual for weed identification together. Search on Google Images for resources.
 
I hope this list will inspire you and your learner to get outside this summer and grow something valuable.

 Article by Jessica Hilburn, ALP Coordinator