The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Hydroponics

Wick Hydroponics

A 2nd Grade STEM Lesson

Garrick Yazzie

3/30/2023

Notes for Teachers

• Context: The lesson will take place in a classroom setting.
• How can we recycle bottle plastic?
• How can we create a hydroponics system using recycled plastic bottles?
• Be sure you have germinated plant seeds.
• Students will write down the definition of wick system.
• Students will write down steps to create a wick hydroponic system.

​

List of Materials

• plastic bottle (20oz, or 1l)
• medium (you can choose: rock wool, coco coir, peat moss or clay pebble)
• seedling (Be sure the plant has its true leaves for transplanting.)
• Color Spray Can (you can pre-spray color students plastic bottles) or construction paper to glue.
• Science Notebook

Arizona Standards

Life Science Standards:

2.L2U1.9: Obtain, analyze and communicate evidence that organisms need a source of energy, air, water, and certain temperature conditions to survive.

​

2.L2U1.10: develop a model representing how life on Earth depends on energy from the Sun and energy from other organisms.

​

Science and Engineering Practices:

• ask questions and define problems
• develop and use models
• plan and carry out investigations
• analyze and interpret data
• use mathematics and computational thinking
• construct explanations and design solutions
• engage in argument from evidence
• obtain, evaluate and communicate information.

• ​
• ​

ELA:

2.RI.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

2.W.7 participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

Objective(s):

• Today we will watch a video on the Wick System.
• Today we will read about the Wick System.
• Today we can create a Wick Hydroponic System using recycled plastic bottles.
• Today we will write the definition of a Wick System.
• Today we will write down the steps of creating a wick system.

Agenda (2 - 60 minutes period/session)

• How can we use recycled plastic bottles to create a hydroponics system?
• Digital Jumpstart: Best Plants to Grow | Self Watering Wick Hydroponic System | How It Works | Pot System
• Read Hydroponics for Beginners: Start Growing Vegetables at Home Without Soil: by Jones, Nick
• Write or pre-type the definition of wick system.
• Create a wick system.
• Write down steps of create wick system.

Wick System

​

​

What is hydroponics?

​

​

Read Aloud: Wick System (pg. 89-93)

​

Why wick hydroponics?

​

​

In hydroponics, a wick system exploits the capillary action of water through the “wick” to draw up water and nutrients from a reservoir to the plants.

Definition: Wick System

Mingle

Questions to discuss:

1. What is a wick system?
2. Can we use recycled plastic bottles to create a wick system and how?

​

Teacher will have students focus on one question to discuss. (I like to use music to start and stop walking.)

1. Have students stand up quietly.
1. inform students that they will not follow their friend and they are walking around the classroom.
2. Cue music to have students start walking around the classroom or you can say “Mingle”.
• I like to have students walk around for a minute to listen to the music.
3. Stop music or say “Freeze”.
• Inform students that the person closest to them is going to be their partner.
• It is up to the teacher to have pairs or more students in a mingle group.
4. Give Time to students to discuss questions.
• Teacher will circulate the classroom to see if any students need help discussing the question.
5. Call students attention and ask students what they discussed with their partner.
• Teacher will walk over to poster that has Question 1 or 2 and write down students response.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5.

Creating a Wick System

Preparation:

• Spray paint the bottle to prevent light getting into the bottle. This will help prevent algae build-up.
• Create a slit for students to cut around the bottle or have a helper help you cut around the bottle.

Materials:

Bottle, Marker, Scissors, coco coir, seedling, felt

​

​

​

Teacher Preparation

Teacher Prep

1. Get your bottle, mark and cut around the bottle about 3 inches down from the cap.

Teacher Prep

1. Spray Paint your bottles, I would do this step a day ahead.
2. Or you can have students glue on construction paper around it.

Teacher Prep

1. Mark and create two slits on the bottle cap for the felt (wick) to go through.

Student Guide to Creating a Wick System

Materials

Painted Cut Bottles

Hydroponics Nutrients

Bottle cap and Felt

Coco Coir

Tap or distilled water

Creating a Wick

Step 1:

• Have students get felt strips and pre-slit bottle cap.
• Insert the felt through the two slits you created on the bottle cap.

Creating a Wick

Step 2:

• Insert the felt into the top cut bottle.
• Turn the bottle cap until its fully closed.

Creating a Wick

Step 3:

• Place your top bottle half into your bottom bottle half.
• The cap should be face down into the bottle bottle half.

Creating a Wick

Step 4:

• Fill up your top bottle half with coco coir or any medium to support your seedling.

Creating a Wick

Step 5:

• Get you seedling.
• Create a hole (enough for the roots).
• Gently pat it and moisten the coco coir.

Creating a Wick

Step 6:

• Add Hydroponic Nutrients to the bottom half of the bottle.
• place the top half of the bottle back on the bottom.

Creating a Wick

Step 7:

• Place it near a window to receive light or under a grow light.

Assessment

1. Can we use recycled plastic bottles to create a hydroponic system?
1. No, because plastic bottles don’t need to be recycled.
2. Yes, because our teacher said so!
3. Yes, because I created a wick hydroponics system.
2. What is a wick hydroponic system?
• In hydroponics, a wick system exploits this capillary action of water to draw up water and nutrients from a reservoir to the plants.
• It’s a hydroponic character.
3. What is the purpose of the Coco Coir and felt?
• The purpose of the coco coir is make the wick system cool.
• The purpose of the coco coir is to support the seedling to stand up right and the purpose of the felt is to absorb water to keep the plant alive.
• The purpose of the coco coir is to absorb the water to keep the plant alive and the purpose of the felt is to support the seedling to stand up right.

Differentiation

• Have an older class visit to support with the assembly and threading of felt for students who struggle with fine motor skills.
• Allow students to describe what they learned orally instead of a quiz or written passage.

​

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• With guidance have students research the best hydroponics for tomatoes, herbs, melons and ect.
• Have students sketch rough draft designs of their own hydroponics system.
• DIY Hydroponics
• Have students compare and contrast hydroponics vs traditional soil gardening.