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Students
and staff at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School practice the Principles
of Ecology by participating in a community that recognizes the interconnectedness
of all living systems. Students' experiences in The Edible Schoolyard kitchen
and garden are linked to their science and humanities curricula through
the key concepts of community, sustainability, diversity, responsibility,
networks, systems, cycles, and flows. These concepts, developed by the Center
for Ecoliteracy, are embedded in the long-term pedagogical goals and
vision of the school. The overarching principle of community informs the
teaching and learning across the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade programs
at King. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School prides itself on being a place where the needs of the student are central, where learning is serious business and expectations are high, and where community values of mutual respect and concern are translated into action. It strives to create a sustainable and nurturing community. At MLK Middle School, The Edible Schoolyard provides a context in which to experiment with educating the whole child. By focusing on the garden and the kitchen, solutions are sought that are not typical of traditional classroom work. The Principles of Ecology and systems thinking offer tremendous potential for growth and change in education as a whole. A garden, whether at home or at school, is an example of a managed ecosystem. In a garden, the principles of ecology and systems thinking come alive. Through hands-on experiences students gain understanding of cycles, from the life cycle of a plant to the nitrogen cycle. They experience webs of relationships, both social and biological, as they work with their classmates and teachers to prepare the soil for planting or observe pollinators as they dart from flower to flower. Our kitchen, as well as our garden, provides an environment rich in opportunities to experience human interactions. In the kitchen students collaborate to transform their garden’s harvest into a delicious seasonal dish. They work in small groups, each small group a system nested within the larger kitchen system. The individuals within each system prepare food, set the table, and share food and conversation. Working together, developing relationships, they cultivate a sense of community. By applying systems thinking to the work done in The Edible Schoolyard kitchen and garden, students gain practical experience that leads to an understanding of sustainable communities. DEVELOPING ECOLITERACY Fritjof Capra, Center for Ecoliteracy "The great challenge of our time is to build and nurture sustainable communities – communities that are designed in such a way that their ways of life, businesses, economies, physical structures, and technologies do not interfere with nature's inherent ability to sustain life. The first step in this endeavor is to understand the principles of organization that ecosystems have developed to sustain the web of life. This understanding is what we call ecological literacy. The ecosystems of the natural world are sustainable communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms. There is no waste in these ecological communities, one species' waste being another species' food. Thus matter cycles continually through the web of life. The energy driving these ecological cycles flows from the sun, and the diversity and cooperation among its members is the source of the community's resilience. Being ecologically literate means understanding these basic principles of organization of ecological communities and being able to embody them in the daily life of human communities. Teaching this ecological knowledge – which may be called 'Principles of Ecology,' 'principles of sustainability,' 'principles of community,' or even the 'basic facts of life' – will be the most important role of education in the next century." back to top CENTER FOR ECOLITERACY From the inception of The Edible Schoolyard, the Center for Ecoliteracy has been an active influence in its development and support. The Center for Ecoliteracy has assisted in the creation of an educational groundwork for The Edible Schoolyard program and continues to serve a vital supporting role through training and grant funding. Their Principles of Ecology provide a focus for our education efforts in the garden, kitchen, and classroom. The Center for Ecoliteracy is dedicated to fostering a profound understanding of the natural world, grounded in direct experience, that leads to sustainable patterns of living. It was founded in 1995 by Fritjof Capra, Peter Buckley and Zenobia Barlow. The Center for Ecoliteracy is a public foundation that supports a grant making program for educational organizations and school communities in the Bay Area, convenes networks of its grantees, sponsors projects consistent with its mission, administers donor advised funds, and manages a publishing imprint. PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY Core concepts in ecology, developed by the Center for Ecoliteracy, that describe the patterns and processes by which nature sustains life. Each principle is linked to a slide show illustrating an example of how that principle is a part of the Edible Schoolyard program.
For more information on ecoliteracy and related topics, please visit the Center for Ecoliteracy web site, www.ecoliteracy.org. Materials on this page were adapted from the Center for Ecoliteracy web site. We thank them for their continued, generous support of the Edible Schoolyard. back to top |
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