Each grade 5 student build a Terraqua column based on bottle biology. The supportive maintenance staff cut the bottles for us then the students assembled them. I bought various small pots of  plants, then separated the plants so each tiny pot was good for 2-3 students’ bottles. Some of the plants are succulents, some are ferns, and some are every-day house plants. We added sphagnum moss as a bottom layer with a thin layer of sand in half of the bottles and potting soil as the top layer. The aquatic plant in the bottom is wisteria. Although each bottle only has a small piece of wisteria with stem and roots, with enough light, it should easily grow to fill the container. Some of the bottles also have snails in the lower aquatic section. We will keep the terraqua columns in the classroom until Christmas vacation and then each student will take their bottles  home with the responsibility of maintaining their “world”.

This is a very supportive group of parents. One of the students brought in all of the bottles; another parent donated money that was used to pay for the plants. We thank them for their support.