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Aquaponics in the Classroom
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Classroom Aquaponics
ProposalAquaponics in the Classroom
The Aquaponics [email protected]
910-232-7704
Long-term Goal
● Engage students in fun hand-on experience growing,harvesting and managing an Aquaponics Garden;
● Allow students to experiment and learn the future of backyard gardening● Provide food education for students. The underlying belief is
that by introducing the Aquaponics approach, we have a chanceto positively influence students food choices in ways that have not been tried before.
● Helps to develop math and science skills● Become proficient in understanding, reasoning and problem solving skills.
Engage students in practical science● Demonstrates a sustainable model to the school and local community● Teaches eco-friendly food and aquaculture production
Suggested Implementation
● Build a self sustaining school garden with full student population input and day to day care
● Provide quality chemical and pesticide free produce and fish for stu-dents and teachers to enjoy
● Expand the system to be able to sell produce at the local market● Provide food education to students and influence students food choices● Provide an ongoing educational project that has full interaction for all
ages
Aquaponics:The Basics
● It's a mini eco-system
● The fish supply the nutrients for the vegetables, the bacteria and plants clean the water
● It's a combination of Aquaculture (growing fish) and Hydroponics(growing in nutrient water)
● Combining the two help cancel out the negative aspects of each of them
● What are the advantages?
● Vegetable production is much faster than dirt gardening
● Uses about 90% less water as apposed to gardening in the dirt
● You get edible fish as well as vegetables
● Totally scalable ; Home and school-sized to large commercial systems can be built
● Operating costs are extremely low
Aquaponics Technology
● Can be low tech and easy to build● Easily expandable to produce more fish and produce● Aerobic bacteria convert the fish waste to nitrates for the plants● Fish feed, seeds, top up water and electricity are the only inputs
the system needs● A balanced system will run for years without water changes or
cleaning of the grow beds or fish tank● Only organic methods are used for pest control
The Nitrification Process
● It's a simple process, fish live in the water and excrete ammonia, via fish effluent which is pumped into the grow beds that contain theplants and good aerobic bacteria
● The natural bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrites and nitrates● The plants take up the nitrates and flourish with an ample supply of
nutrients ● The water is then returned to the fish tank clean and ready for the next
cycle● Aquaponics mimics nature; the bacteria are naturally found every-
where in our streams, lakes, ponds, dams, and aquariums
Why Aquaponics Works
What grows in Aquaponics?
Almost anything!!!!!!!!
School and Student Benefits
● Hands on learning, discovering the biodiversity in a closed bio-system
● Teach students not to be dependent on processed foods and to promote better food choices
● Students will discover the relationship between gardens and the dinner table
● Develop an appreciation of new flavors and textures, experience fresh seasonal food
● Understand environmental issues such as water management, seed-saving, organic pest control andharvesting different crops
● Build students, families and local communities pride in their school
● Be recognized as a valuable contributor to educational innovation
● Build internal and external community networks
● Provide a new opportunity for students, parents, and families to discuss and learn about Aquaponics, which is the future of back yard gardening
What's Next?
● The next step is to apply for funding for your class ● Ongoing costs can be handled by selling organic produce● Now is the time to install your starter Aquaponics system● A system will benefit numerous students for years to come
Initial Costs Breakdown
● 2 bed base instructional system $950.00● Bluegill fingerlings $ 4.00● River rock for grow beds $ 33.00● Fish food (high protein pellets) $ 10.00 (initially)● Seeds (free from seed savers) $ 0.00● Freshwater testing kit $ 25.00● Ongoing costs are minimal; electricity, top up water
fish food
Possible School Curriculum - 1
● HOME ECONOMICS
Healthy Schools – Preparing organic food from the aquaponics system, research the nutritional information on various foods. Explore various ways of preparing the produce from the system
● MATH AND BUSINESS
Explore selling and the market (get the students involved), Monitor, record and chart the running costs of an established system, compare this to the market value of the produce at the local food store and use this to determine if the system is making a profit or a loss
Possible School Curriculum - 2
● Calculate the volume of tanks and surface area, figure out the ratios of grow bed area to fish population
● Calculate the projected market value of the produce harvested● Use all this data to calculate how long it would take to break
even and run a profit.
SCIENCE● The Nitrogen Cycle: All grades can participate ● What is PH?: Focus on how the PH affects the system● Seeds: Keep records on growth rates
Possible School Curriculum - 3
● Plants: Propagation of plants – through seed and vegetative reproduction, study the life cycle of the plants, while visually monitoring all aspects of growth
● Life cycle: Study the growth and habits of the edible fish from fingerling to harvest
● Flow diagrams: Set up flow charts on how the system works, why things work the way they do
● Adaptions: What adaptations do plants need to do to live without dirt? What makes them have the ability to survive
Possible School Curriculum - 4
● Research: The fish and plants and create a poster depicting all the facts, like the origin, Latin name, life cycle including the reproductive mechanisms
● Create a siphon to find out how it works without any moving parts● Research the aerobic bacterias' part in the Aquaponics system● Find all natural items to enhance the plants and their growth● Finally, have the students do an essay paper on what they have learned
about all aspects of Aquaponics
