I Sense a Theme Here
Mezzacello is a machine for life. All of it. This blog post covers the engineering and systems that bring this machine to life.
The Seed of a Dream
The seed of a dream. Social media reminded me of a night from 10 years ago that has come to fruition today. The gardens and eating flowers.
Store Bought Food and Seeds
How do we know that the food we buy is organic? After all it doesn’t stamped and the seeds aren’t going to tell you anything. Data!
Lesson: Micro Hydroponics Systems
Students will repurpose takeout container to start growing seedlings in a small hydroponic container with a heat map to promote germination and growth,
Lesson: Creating Perfect Fertlizer
Students will explore the molecular nature of fertilizer and its relationship to NHCOPS, the water cycle and the sun.
Lesson: Food From Waste and Ash
Students will learn to make soap from waste products and ash as well as fire starter kits from lint, wax and soap.
Lesson: Animal Babies and Health
Students will learn the basics of vet tech, like treating wounds, medicated feed, and identifying illness in small animals.
Lesson: Robotic Doors and Automation
The basics of robotics and automation for opening and closing doors. Students will explore three systems of automation.
Lesson: NHCOPS and the Ladder of Life
Students will become familiar with both the periodic table of the elements, periodicity, and the DNA composition of life.
Lesson: Lasagna Garden Basics
Students will explore compost and growing systems from a biological and chemical basis to understand life systems through a model.
Lesson: Animal Health And Safety
A fun and safe way to introduce students to the realities of handling live animals and their pathogens, like a real vet.
Lesson: Animal Evolution Body Puzzle
Lesson identifying different parts of three distinct species of animal and finding commonalities and needs among them.
Lesson: Ecosystem Anomalies
This is a fun search and ID lesson where students work in teams with a hula hoop to take surveys on ecosystems to find a mystery.
Lesson: Nested Levels of Reality
Reality is a web of details, structures, and dependent systems. organism to the quantum realm, this lesson explores it all.
Lesson: Basic Sanitation 101
Sanitation is a critical skillset on an urban farm. This lesson introduces students to the basics of sanitation and pathology.
Lesson: Creating an Ecosystem
Students will create a map or maquette of the ecosystems of Mezzacello and determine using science and data if it is an ecosystem.
Lesson: Magnetism 101
Students will learn the mystery of magnetism. From the quantum to the electro-mechanical students will explore all types of magnets.
Harvest, Hunger, and the Art of Preservation
The harvesting of food is the single greatest chore in urban farming, the next greatest is preserving it!
The Boy Scouts Were Right; Always Be Prepared
I found a duck on a clutch of eggs and rather than act right then to help, I did the wrong thing. Be a boy scout.
Fishy Business
When you start something new like an entire garden system with multiple gardens and systems, things surprise you, like the fishy business.