Floating Garden Challenge
Challenge students to find a solution to a real problem in Bangladesh
A fun hands on investigation suitable for KS 2-5 (age 7-19) pupils
The problem: as a result of climate change there is more rain in Bangladesh than ever before. Land where farmers used to grow their crops is now flooded on a regular basis. The result is families go hungry.
The challenge: to design and build a model structure that will enable farmers to grow crops even in an area that may become flooded.
Please request one of our beautiful A2 posters (Uk only) or download below
The challenge can provide a focus for National Science and Engineering Week, be used as a STEM or science club activity, enhance a lesson on floating and sinking, form the basis of an enrichment day, provide an activity for SEAL and PLTS and be the starting point for a range of cross-curricular activities.
This activity is accredited by the British Science Association as suitable to count towards a CREST Star Investigators SuperStar award. For more information about the scheme please visit their website http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/creststar
To find out more about floating gardens in Bangladesh please go to the page on our main website practicalaction.org/floating-gardens
For a technical brief on how to make a real floating garden go to Floating Gardens in Bangladesh
To help students explore the concept of technology justice further we have range of short group activities practicalaction.org/schoolstechnologyjustice
Read our article on the Floating Garden Challenge in Designing magazine
These resources have been produced with the assistance of the European Union.
Funded by European Commission EuropeAid Cooperation Office.
Video showing how floating gardens help families during the floods
Images to support the Floating Garden Challenge
You're welcome to use our any of our great pictures from our project work in Bangladesh to support the challenge. We've uploaded them to Flickr for you to access here.