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Investigating the Greenhouse Effect

Question: How can my students use the school garden to explore the greenhouse effect? Answer: Here's a brief explanation of the concept: Radiant energy (light) from the sun can pass through transparent and semi-transparent materials. When the light...
The Greenhouse Effect

All greenhouses operate on the same basic principle. Radiant energy (light) from the sun can pass through transparent and semi-transparent materials. When the light arrives inside a closed space,...
Measuring Light Intensity

Your students can use a light meter in a manual camera to roughly measure light intensity in footcandles in different parts of your greenhouse. Here's how. First, set the film speed at ASA 200 and...
Shady Dealings

Ask your students to investigate the effect of shade on temperature. Angle a piece of clear plastic or glass toward the sun, and record the temperature underneath. Then shade it with a piece of...
Mini-Lesson Stations

Exploring the Basics Before setting up a complete hydroponics system, you may want to involve students in some short hands-on activities to explore some of the key factors affecting...
Solar vs. Supplemental Heat

There is a distinction between greenhouses that are heated largely by the sun and those that receive supplemental heat. In all but the deep South of the United States, the sun is never directly...
Air and Soil Temperatures

Air - Plant growth requires heat. Temperature determines how quickly plants take up water and nutrients, their rate of photosynthesis, and their growth. Maintaining a comfortable air temperature for your plants can be a challenge. Generally, 50 to 60°F...
Cooling

To maintain comfortable greenhouse temperatures, you may need to keep some light out of the greenhouse. Overheating problems are actually more common than underheating problems in greenhouses. Even in...
Heating

Depending on your location and growing interests, you may need additional heating to supplement the heat generated through solar radiation. This adds to your expenses but allows you to extend your...
Luminous Lessons: Investigating Light

"My third graders wanted to experiment to find out whether plants need light," reports Jane Carver from Boston, MA. "So we placed one bean plant on the windowsill, and left another in the closet. The students were amazed a week later to find that the one...