The meat and potatoes of ninth grade agriculture
By Zane Cleveland, GWCFC Journalism Student
Recently, the principal at George Washington Carver Freshman Campus (GWCFC), Mr. Abe Morris, put into place a Project Based Learning system (PBL). This system helps students to see the connection between different subjects like Agriculture, English, Language Arts, and Physical Science. The teachers included in this program currently at GWCFC are Mr. Highsmith, Ms. Tanner, Ms. Watts, and Ms. Aycock. Agriculture teacher Mr. Troy Highsmith does his part by helping the children grow potatoes as a learning experience.
The potatoes they will be growing are red Irish potatoes. These are much redder than an average potato, and much better for baking. They planted these potatoes in February and they will be ready to pick near the end of May. Highsmith thinks that this program is extremely valuable, going on to say that it “allows the students to apply what they learn in the classroom.” Hopefully, students at GWCFC will continue to apply what they learn in the field with this newly implemented PBL for generations.
The students will not only be gaining valuable experience in the field, but they will also be able to really taste their hard work. Once the potatoes have been grown, Highsmith and his students will also learn how to make French fries out of them. They will also be enjoying some burgers with their well-earned fries. Hopefully, all the student’s hard work pays off in the form of a delectable five star meal!