“Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.” — Samwise Gamgee.
The Box of Learning Curriculum is based on a purely fictional children’s short story called “One Last Chance” written within the ‘middle earth’ genre. We feel we needed to find a more effective, engaging and unique way to reach, teach and inspire our younger K-5 students on the importance of learning to grow healthy soil and food, self-sustaining and thriving communities, and to teach basic environmental awareness. Although traditional classroom style approaches on this subject can engage the K-5 students, we’ve witnessed that building curriculum around a fun and imaginative story is be more effective. It will also creates a transitional learning path as the K-5 students advance through their middle and high school years.
Creating a familiar themed environment for K-5 students will also allow us to engage and inspire the support from middle and high school aged students through classroom, after school and hands-on school farm activities. Each activity is designed to support the K-5 curriculum. The design of a more advanced, yet separate Middle and High School based curriculum will not only teach the same ‘healthy communities and environmental’ approach, but create a volunteer environment that will support the ongoing development and maintenance of the ‘middle earth’ themed Growing A Future School Farm. This will eventually be a program that can be enjoyed during a students entire K-12 educational experience.
“Don’t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story.” – Bilbo Baggins.
We understand this educational approach might seem a little unorthodox. However, with so many environmental, political and food security concerns being neglected by the older generations, perhaps it is time to teach and empower the younger generations whose very futures are being threaten. As they grow older and the responsibilities of the world is placed in their hands, they will have a fresh perspective, as well as the knowledge and desire to bring about the basic changes needed to grow a future for their generation and future generations to come.
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