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    DIGS
     Discover~ Inspire~ Grow~ Succeed
     
     Sharon D.I.G.S.
      
     
     
     At Sharon Elementary, we continually strive to enhance our educational program and provide our students with the most innovative learning opportunities and experiences.   

    Thanks to countless hours of planning and the time and effort of many dedicated volunteers, we are pleased to showcase our latest addition to our school, Sharon DIGS (Discover, Inspire, Grow, Succeed).  The DIGS, a beautiful, serene courtyard atmosphere, provides unique outdoor educational opportunities for our students and offers a living history to recognize current and former students and families, faculty, and staff. 

    The DIGS is an ideal outdoor classroom setting. In addition to hands-on gardening, students have opportunities to learn the history behind select plants, discover how ecosystems and life cycles work, study rock formations, and more. 

    The DIGS has been specifically designed to integrate outdoor learning with classroom curriculum. Through hands-on, inquiry-based learning that encourages participants to ask questions, gather information, and investigate possibilities, the DIGS promotes experiential learning opportunities in an authentic setting.  The DIGS inspires our students to think, reflect, question, and engage in the highest levels of learning.   
     
    It is a constantly evolving project that will provide enjoyment for students for years to come!

     

    The DIGS:

    ~ Provides an enriching environment where students maintain their very own garden (including two raised beds to enable children with physical challenges to garden side by side with other students)

     ~Teaches our children about native plants in Georgia and their history and how they were cornerstones of the early Georgians (Native Americans) diet

    ~ Teaches our students how to identify rocks and soil types native to Georgia

    ~ Demonstrates the seasonal cycles of annual and perennial plants, insect life via composting, and water reclamation with a hand water pump

    ~ Shows students how to read a sun dial and rain gauge, and gain a better appreciation of regional weather patterns

    ~ Explains the value of old and new growth trees via an enormous, preserved tree stump display

    ~ Creates an outdoor classroom setting, inviting students to use all five senses while exploring their surroundings to better inspire them in poetry, literature, and music