Madison 5th Graders Grow STEM Skills Through Year-Long Indoor Garden Project
Warsaw, IN - Fifth grade students at Madison Elementary are digging into science and sustainability through a year-long indoor gardening and composting STEM project that allows them to grow their own food from start to finish.
Each fall, Madison students begin the unit by studying composting and how organic materials break down to support healthy soil and plant growth. Students create compost using worms and food scraps collected from the cafeteria and from home, allowing the worms to transform leftover food into nutrient-rich soil.
To kick off the project, Madison’s fifth grade teachers invited Janelle Meyer from the KC Recycling Depot to lead a lesson on vermicomposting and help students understand how the composting process works.
Once students have created enough compost, they bring the soil into their indoor garden classroom and plant a variety of vegetables and herbs. Throughout the winter and early spring, students care for the plants while monitoring growing conditions and collecting data.
Students work in groups of three with specific roles. One student records observations and data in a digital journal, another documents the process with photos, and the third tracks food scraps and compost inputs. Each week, students measure plant growth, record observations and monitor environmental conditions such as moisture, light and pH levels.
“This project touches so many standards because students are researching, reading informational text, collecting data and presenting their findings,” said Madison fifth grade teacher Grant Hendrikse. “At the same time, they’re learning how natural systems work and seeing the results of their work grow right in front of them.”
By spring, the classroom garden produces lettuce, carrots, basil and other vegetables. Students harvest the produce and celebrate the end of the project by making and eating a salad grown entirely from their garden.
Students say hands-on learning is one of their favorite parts of the school year. “I was really surprised at how fast the lettuce grew,” said fifth grader Norah Hendrikse. “I also learned that if too much water stays on the basil leaf it can grow fungus.”
Chloe Laborde said her group researched the best balance of food for their worm bins. “The basil was supposed to take two to three weeks to grow, but it started growing after just four or five days.” Aaron Jones added that he learned how worms improve soil quality. “The more worms you have in your compost, the faster and better the soil becomes. A good balance of food is also important.”
Students have also contributed materials to help improve the garden. “I brought in a trellis from home and other students donated string to hold up the cucumber vines so we didn’t have to buy them,” said Cora DeMange.
The compost created by Madison students also supports learning in other classrooms. Some of the compost is shared with third grade classes for their plant science units, while teachers also use it for classroom plants.
According to Madison teacher Courtney Hale, the project helps students better understand the role agriculture plays in their community. “Community agriculture can sometimes be overlooked in favor of the orthopedic industry, but it’s still highly relevant to our students,” Hale said. “Many of our families farm, and this project helps students appreciate the importance of agriculture while showing them they can create their own soil and grow their own food.”
Looking ahead, Madison teachers hope to expand the project even further. Students have already planted apple seeds from cafeteria fruit that are growing into saplings, with plans to eventually plant the trees outside the school.
Through teamwork, research and hands-on exploration, Madison’s indoor garden project allows students to experience the full cycle of sustainability, from food scraps to fresh produce, while building skills that will last long after the school year ends.
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Photo Provided: Madison 5th Graders Chloe Laborde and Norah Hendrikse