Two eighth-grade students leaned in to compare the new growth on their plants. “This one is at least three inches taller,” one observed. “Yeah, but are there more leaves on mine?” her friend responded.

The students in Shannon Bertrand’s class at Nauset Regional Middle School were growing bib lettuce. They’re studying hydroponics alongside traditional growing methods in a greenhouse on school property. In this supplemental course, students are exposed to the future of agriculture and sustainability.

All students in this course, as well as others whose teachers choose to integrate the greenhouse into their sixth- and seventh-grade science lessons, will design and carry out experiments following a carefully-designed process.

These students dug into the scientific method first by designing the experiment itself. Now they’re comparing and contrasting results to determine which practice of growing was more effective—hydroponics or soil.

The greenhouse growing facility equipped with 21st century tools allows students to reach important science learning objectives. In the process, they’re also connecting with community volunteers, caring for their own plants, and observing and analyzing the process over time.

We think that students will thrive on these opportunities to work with current agricultural equipment in a hands-on, inquiry-based way. And who knows, at some point these students may find themselves helping Cape Cod growers revolutionize the way local crops are produced.