Aquaponics from Bolivia to the United States
Aquaponics system located at the Community Transformation Center (CTC) for Etta Projects.Copyright Andrew Lefevre
Students use waste materials to create a medium to hold plants for an aquaponic water system as they learn to reuse materials and about the life system of plants (producers). As they learn about photosynthesis, they better understand what a plant needs to grow and how it develops. While engaging in this activity, students learn about food webs in order to identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem. As students are introduced to and learn about the Sustainable Development Goals, they have the opportunity to learn about Bolivia and the United States and make connections between the two countries.
Engineers help shape the future and are essential to our health, happiness, and safety. Engineers can work on projects that help society achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to ending hunger, developing sustainable communities, and promoting responsible consumption and production. In this activity, students design and create their own aquaponics system and explore how aquaponics relates to the listed SDGs.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain/provide what plants need to grow.
- Explain a producer’s role in an ecosystem.
- Relate aquaponics to the Sustainable Development Goals 2 - Zero Hunger, 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities, and 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production in Bolivia and the United States.