In sixth grade science, students start off the school year by learning how to make scientific observations. This allows them to explore our campus and garden,  gather data, and understand the natural world and the processes that govern it. The scientific observation process allows students time to slow down and really understand what is happening in our world on a smaller scale. Students make connections on the relationships between the organisms they see, like a bee pollinating the flower or finding specific foods in our DE garden. Also, students explore the origins of food during our sixth grade cross-curricular Food and Identity Unit. In choosing a dish that represents them and their family, students learn about the history and culture of food. Students explore the relationships and interconnectedness between species in a food web, they identify native, nonnative, and invasive species, and locate the origins of their ingredients. This experience has led to understanding where our food comes from, how it travels around the world, and differentiating between non-GMO and organic food.