Freeport High School

Students in DeVries’ Plant Science class covered an extensive unit on orchard trees, including learning on different varieties, how to plant them, and how to prune, spray, and harvest them. After covering additional lessons on general tree care and how trees produce food for themselves through photosynthesis, students each picked their own tree and created a presentation for the class. How did DeVries gain inspiration to guide this curriculum? “We utilized resources from Illinois Ag in the Classroom and resources on our local Soil and Water Conservation District website,” she said.

Freeport High School’s urban garden and orchard creates the perfect opportunity for hands-on experiences with trees. Throughout the school year, 10–20 students work in the garden up to five times per week. The food produced by the trees and crops is sold in the community to individuals and restaurants and donated to food pantries, giving Freeport’s largely urban student population a deep understanding of the importance of trees not just in communities, but in agriculture. In the future, Plant Science students have a plan to plant dwarf fruit-bearing trees that younger students in the district can visit on field trips and are applying for a grant from a local organization to make it happen.

Students cover the history of Arbor Day in class and use the holiday as an opportunity to reflect on their learning about tree care and harvesting. Arbor Day at Freeport High School also includes a planting party in which students put their knowledge to work selecting planting sites and digging up soil to prepare for new trees in the orchard.