Kenowa Hills — Last December, Jeff Verkaik’s fifth-graders at Zinser Elementary said they had never heard of “hydroponics,” nor were they sure how plants could grow without soil.
Known for his passion for plants, Verkaik introduced hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems to his students. He said they saw the opportunity for project-based learning and took full ownership of it.
A group of 15 fifth-graders banded together with parent volunteers, overseen by their teacher for three after-school meetings, to build a structure to house a fish tank, water carrying system and several kinds of plants in Zinser’s extended learning area.
Fifth-grader Mia VanKoevering said she went from thinking “aqua-what?” to being able to explain how an aquaponics system works.
“I learned a lot from this project and now I’m totally obsessed with (hydroponics,)” she said.
Mia’s classmate Skylar Antvelink said the project was a lot of work, “but really fun and it turned out really well.”
Added Zuri Smith: “I don’t like building things and this was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. It can grow other foods, like vegetables and fruits and herbs.”
‘It’s really cool to see that all our hard work paid off and I was a part of this group that made it happen.’
— fifth-grader Matilda Nielsen
Problem Solving to Sustain Life
Since completing the structure setup in January, the fifth-graders have reaped the fruits — and fish feces — of their labor, catching the attention of younger Zinser students.
“When we finished building and put the fish in, there were little kids walking by and saying it was really cool,” Cole Christensen said.
Built in a wooden structure, “like a bookshelf for plants,” Mia explained, the fish tank sits on the bottom shelf, with a variety of plants on the shelves above and a grow lamp on the very top.
Ray Kerkorian-Reese explained how fish poop is filled with ammonia, which the bacteria in the tanks convert to nitrite and then nitrates. The tubes carry the nutrient-rich water up to the plants.
After the plants take in the water, their roots and soil filter the water, making it safe for the fish before gravity sends it back down to the tank.
“It’s super-efficient and it’s healthy for the environment because we’re not using pesticides or fertilizer, just fish, water and plants,” Brody Fulford said.
The students also shared how they put their problem-solving skills to use by correcting high nitrate levels, thereby saving the fish just a few days after completing the entire system.
“We put the fish in buckets, put the aerator in there to give them oxygen and while we did that, the water got back to normal levels,” Cole said. “You always have to solve problems and sometimes it gets hard, but if you ask somebody to help you you’ll figure it out.”
Small Groups Delve Deeper
As part of the project, students created posters in small groups to research the history, science behind and benefits of hydroponics and aquaponics systems.
“It started with the Aztecs,” Mia said. “They created aquaponics to grow plants because they didn’t have as much land, so they built islands on water to save space and grow crops.”
Ray Kerkorian-Reese and Matilda Nielsen researched the science behind the systems for their poster.
“Overall, I learned how to be a better problem solver,” Matilda said. “It’s really cool to see that all our hard work paid off and I was a part of this group that made it happen.”
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