Pickles in the Classroom: How One School’s Unconventional Curriculum is Changing the Game
As a pickling enthusiast, I’m always excited to hear about innovative ways that people are incorporating pickles into their daily lives. But when I stumbled upon the story of Plaza Elementary School’s pickle-themed curriculum, I was blown away.
Pickle power: Cucumber blossoms in full bloom
It all started with a simple idea: to use pickles as a way to teach students about interdisciplinary learning. By incorporating pickles into their coursework, students at Plaza Elementary School were able to explore connections between subjects like gardening, marketing, and social-emotional learning.
“Pickles are silly. Pickles are fun,” said Mark Gray, principal of Plaza Elementary School. “Our goal this year was for students and teachers to explore connections. Because in 2035, the world will value the most professionals that can connect with creativity and intuition.”
From Pickleball to Pickle Equations
Each grade level at Plaza Elementary School managed to effectively incorporate pickles into their coursework. Kindergartners studied how to pickle a pumpkin, while older students used pickles to survey staff and then interpret the data, graphing the results and drawing inferences from their calculations.
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Even the idiom, “in a pickle,” served as a social-emotional tool to help students problem-solve an especially complicated scenario.
The Pickle Project: A School-Wide Effort
The pickle project was a great opportunity to build connections between what teachers were already doing, planting in the garden, and make it so much more," said Jeanette Rottkamp, assistant principal of Plaza Elementary School. “Teachers could see how their projects fit into another teacher’s project or even a different grade. I was excited to see vertical alignment and a school-wide theme that everyone could take part in.”
The pickle even engaged families through Plaza’s newsletter, which featured a monthly update on the pickling activities taking place throughout the school.
Plaza Pickles: A Student-Led Venture
One of the many impressive endeavors to come out of Plaza’s project-based curricula was the elementary school’s new pickling company: Plaza Pickles. After the Student Council pickled cucumbers from the school’s garden and local food markets with the help of horticulture expert and pickling guru, Liz Alpert from the Gefilteria, the students collaborated in ways that went beyond the classroom.
The art of pickling: A delicate process
The students worked with peers in different grades to zoom in on marketing and branding strategies, including logo design, merchandise, and social media.
“There were so many lessons beyond just pickles. Together, students created a vision for Plaza Pickles and had to make decisions on how to market and sell a product,” explained Rottkamp.
Giving Back: Plaza Pickles for a Cause
The Student Council decided to use Plaza Pickles to make a positive change by helping those who suffer from food insecurity through their new venture. The students worked with Long Island Cares to design infographics on the organization’s behalf to raise awareness. The pickle jars packed earlier in the year were auctioned off to Baldwin families to raise money for charity.
The importance of giving back: Plaza Pickles for a cause
The pickle curriculum culminated with a site-based showcase hosted for Plaza families at the end of the year. The students and faculty enjoyed the learning experiences associated with pickling and finding creative ways to incorporate into their curriculum.
As a pickling enthusiast, I’m thrilled to see how Plaza Elementary School has taken the humble pickle and turned it into a powerful tool for learning. Who knows? Maybe one day, pickles will be the key to unlocking a new era of interdisciplinary education.
