Lamplighter:
FEATURE
Bringing Life to the Classroom
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B Y C A N D A C E S I LV A , C O M M U N I C AT I O N S M A N A G E R AND MAURICE HICKS, FIFTH GRADE TEACHER Fifth Grade Teacher Maurice Hicks brings literal life into the classroom by sharing his love of plants with his students. An avid gardener himself, Mr. Hicks teaches the boys to care for living things and creates opportunities for meaningful curricular connections and life lessons along the way. As you enter Mr. Hicks’s room on the 5th Floor, your eye is immediately drawn to the large, bright windows that serve as the perfect home for the greenery that lines the windowsill. While pleasing to the eye, the plants aren’t just for show. Rather, each serves as a unique pathway for deeper learning. A rubber tree links the 21st-century fifth graders to 1600 BCE as they study the Olmec civilization. These ancient people, whose namesake translates to “the rubber people,” extracted sap of the plant to create and eventually trade the flexible material. Boys explore science through the ficus elastica plant (commonly known as the rubber tree plant), a species of flora native to Southern China, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. With the support of Science Teacher Katie Donahue, students engage in a hands-on investigation centered in form and function. The goal being the understanding of how and why the plant influenced their civilization. And the pothos, a common and resilient houseplant, teaches students about geography and climate as they explore the various continents across the globe in which this species thrives. The theme of what it means to thrive clearly extends beyond academics when the classroom’s thriving plant life serves as a visible and meaningful metaphor for students’ social-emotional growth and learning. By caring for the plants and gaining an understanding of what each needs to meet their growth potential, students are reminded that each boy is equally unique. What works for one plant may not work for another, as is the case with each learner. As they tend to their plants, they also learn how to tend to one another—emphasizing the importance of nurturing relationships and building an understanding of what each individual needs in order to do their best each day. The greenery also offers students the opportunity to take on an important classroom job. Each week two boys are named class “horticulturalists” and own the responsibility of researching a plant before sharing their findings with their peers. As they learn more about their green roommates, they practice research and public speaking skills, building confidence in both areas while creating a connection with the potted cohabitants of Room 502. Mr. Hicks’s passion for plants is skillfully woven into his curriculum, adding texture and tangibility to lessons across disciplines. Recently, Mr. Hicks shared his thoughts on best plants for the classroom and some important lessons—both academic and beyond—that he teaches using his 5th Floor Garden as a framework.
