This is STEM week at Brecknock. Today our class got to visit the Ag Lab. This is a mobile trailer that we visited for a lesson from an agriculture teacher. She talked about what plants need: water, sun, carbon dioxide, and minerals from the soil (phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium). We learned the shocking fact that only 3% of the Earth’s soil is suitable for growing crops.  With the world’s population growing, scientists are looking at alternative ways for growing crops. Today’s experiment was about hydroponics. We worked through the scientific process to answer the question: Can you grow plants without soil?  Learners worked with a partner to set up a hydroponic growth station and choose pea or bean seeds. We will observe these seeds for a few weeks in our classroom to see if we can grow plants without soil. Stay tuned for our results!