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    Essential Reading

    Program Overview

    The broad strokes of the Edible Learning Lab Program.

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    A guide to help teachers visualize their edible education program.

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    Learn how to turn your farm into an edible classroom.

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    Buy the same equipment we use in our flagship Lab.

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    Review the Quick Start Guide

    Take a few minutes to walk through this Quick Start Guide and get your bearings. Then jump in and explore the curriculum.

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    Beginner Lessons

    The Beginner Lessons form the foundation with a sound overview of the core concepts of food production.

    Intermediate Lessons

    The Intermediate Lessons allow students to experiment and prove the core concepts.

    Advanced Lessons

    The Advanced Lessons give students an opportunity to apply what they've learned in the previous levels.

    Lessons By Station

    Seed Starting Curriculum

    Soil Management Curriculum

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    Water Management Curriculum

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    Our Core Values

    We believe that all Modern Steaders thrive on hard work, strive for self-reliance, constantly develop craft skills, have a thirst for knowledge, respect their connection to the land, use resources efficiently, and support their local community.

    Changing the Conversation

    What we at Modern Steader are working toward isn’t just food education, or a gardening program, or a nutrition program. This is about food awareness and an exploration of the process to cultivate, harvest, and transform real food as ingredients into a healthy diet and lifestyle.

    Our Top Posts

    What is a Food Desert?

    Gain insight into food deserts, the communities they impact, and how edible education may offer a solution.

    The Difference Between Rainwater and Tap Water

    Not all water is created equal especially when we're talking about the health and development of plants and people.

    Why Rain is Important

    Rain or the lack of an adequate supply can have profound effects on farming and the communities that rely on the harvest.

    Anatomy of a Seed

    It all begins with a seed and this article dives deep into the 5 primary parts of the seed that make it all possible.

Bring on the Rain!

Bring on the Rain!

Installing Our Rain Catchment System
Lesson: 6.4
Level:
Beginner
Station: Water Management
Format: Class Project
Rating:
Lesson 6.4 Bring on the Rain

Lesson Overview

Installing a rain catchment system is rather straight forward and in this lesson the students will assist with that process. Understanding how the system works is important for ongoing maintenance.

Goals

  • Explain how their rain catchment system functions

Outcomes

Students will assist with the installation of the rain catchment system in order to understand how it functions and troubleshoot any issues in the future.

Teaching Primer

water catchment systemRainwater catchment systems come in all shapes and sizes. Some are made commercially while others are weekend DIY projects. Either way, the basic elements are the same. There is an area where the rain hits called the collection area. This is usually a rooftop. It flows downhill and is collected by the conveyance system. A series of gutters and piping move the harvested rainwater into a storage tank.

The system can be made more complex with the integration of filters or even a treatment system to make the water safe for drinking. Of course, there is also a way to access the water for use later. Most often that includes a hose bib that allows for the connection of a garden hose.

No matter how complex or basic your system, it’s good to understand the way the various parts work independently and in concert. Installing your rain catchment system with the Students will give them an opportunity to better understand the function and design of the system.

Teach the Teacher

  • Basic Components of a Rainwater Storage System

Tools & Materials

  • Instructions included with your rain catchment system
  • Rain catchment system compatible with your existing gutter system
  • Tools are listed in your system instructions

Vocabulary

  • Collection area
  • Conveyance system
  • Daisy chain

Method

Introduction (10 minutes)

Begin the lesson by explaining how rain catchment systems work. Review with the Students how the water will be collected from the rooftop, stored until needed, and then moved to the Lab where it can be used for the plants.

Activity (20 minutes)

Because each catchment system and building gutter system is different, please refer to the instructions that were included with your system. Follow the steps to install the system allowing the Students to assist as much as is safely possible along the way.

Discussion (10 minutes)

What do we need to monitor to ensure that the system is operating efficiently? What are the most common issues we might face?What happens once our tank is full? Where will the additional water go?

Assessment (5 minutes)

Use the following questions to assess the Students before and after the lesson. Tally the responses of the group in the Assessment Tracking Log for comparison:

  • By a show of hands, how many of you think you could install this rain catchment system all by yourself?
  • Now that you’ve seen how the system is installed, how many of you think you could show someone else how to install the system?

Related Lessons

Give the Intermediate or Advanced lessons a try now that you’ve completed the Beginner Lesson!

This lesson, and all other lessons on this website, are intended for use by teachers in the classroom. These lessons are protected by US and International copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of lesson content, supporting materials, or digital creative is prohibited with written permission from Modern Steader LLC.

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Modern Steader is dedicated to bringing edible education to all students K-12. How can we help you bring edible education into your classroom?

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Tim Miner, Co-Founder

Tim is Modern Steader's Lab Strategist, working tirelessly to bring future Edible Learning Labs to life. Under his direct leadership, the flagship Lab in Buffalo, WY has given more than 400 students the opportunity to explore the soil to table process.

At home, he is a passionate locavore, and doting husband and father, living in the Bighorns of northern Wyoming.

Read about Tim's journey >>>

Dave Creech, Co-Founder

Dave is a husband, foodie and entrepreneur striving to live healthier and happier through better food and outdoor living. He started his urban garden in early 2013 in an effort to grow as much of his own food as possible. Dave is continually learning to live more simply, waste less, be more efficient and generally build a better skill set.

Read about Dave's journey >>>

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