On a chilly but sunny day in November, Mt. Healthy High School Environmental Science students visited Tikkun Farm for a hands-on lesson on how the four different spheres of Earth appear and interact with each other in a real world setting. Previous to the trip, the students had only seen the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere as individual parts of the Earth. In reality, these four spheres interact and influence each other on a daily basis. The students completed tasks at different stations that represented each sphere. The tasks provided real examples of how human activity impacts the spheres. The students learned how litter on Hamilton Ave can end up in the waters of the Mill Creek that runs through Mt. Healthy. The students then set about helping to clean up the garbage they found and collecting sticks to help build wood berms to strengthen the creek beds.
In addition to learning about the impact of the spheres, students had the opportunity to interact with several of the animals. Many of the students had never seen some of the animals that live on the farm, and enjoyed the chance to feed the chickens and alpacas. “While students might have been a little hesitant prior to the field trip, they enjoyed their time at Tikkun,” stated Emily Darwish, Mt. Healthy High School Environmental Science Teacher. “By the end of the day, many of the students were sharing their experiences with one another.”