Vision

For our Climate Action project, the grade 7/8 students of Awesometown at Taylor Creek Public School have chosen to create a living wall in our classroom. We are going to measure the carbon dioxide levels in our classroom using an air quality monitor so that we can measure the baseline levels of carbon dioxide BEFORE we create the living wall and compare it to carbon dioxide levels AFTER the wall is created. We are also going to create and answer a brief survey about air quality in our classroom to compare our findings with what we experience and observe.

Our project connects to Global Goal #4 – Quality Education as we want to see how a living wall in a classroom may alter a student’s learning experience, both physically and mentally. It also connects to Global Goal #13 – Climate Action, as we are using our classroom as a small model of how plants can help reduce carbon dioxide levels indoors.

Action

Students took action by researching air quality and measuring the air quality in our classroom. We purchased plants and shelves to build our living wall on one of the large windows in our classroom. Students also completed a short questionnaire about how they find the air quality in our classroom and how well they feel able to focus. Our plan was to install the living wall and then repeat our questionnaire and air quality measurements to see if we could measure/observe any differences. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the shelves we ordered which were lost in delivery. We ordered new shelves, but they didn’t arrive in time for us to be able to take our final set of measurements in time to submit our report.

Reflection & Celebration

Students went on a trip to the Rouge Urban National Park where they planted trees and took part in urban restoration, which also ties into Global Goal #15 – Life on Land. Students took part in hands-on ecological restoration. This is important to our students because, living in a heavily populated area, they are worried about air quality. Although the air quality in our classroom is already quite good, students still wanted to see what impact a living wall would have on their physical and mental well-being.

As a next step, if the grant is available next year, we will order more shelves and plants to add to what we have started. Although the air quality in our classroom is quite good, we still want to see if we can make a difference in the CO2 levels, and further the positive experience students feel in the classroom environment by adding plants to it.

This project is one with the potential to be a multi-year project as we troubleshoot how to keep our installation year-round, even during the winter months, troubleshoot automated watering ideas, continue to monitor the air quality and expand and increase the size of the wall and the number of plants within it.

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