Rodney Tunson

“Pizza School Garden”, Tunson’s innovative teaching idea, will involve creating circular gardens, resembling a pizza, with different  “slices” composed of plants that resemble toppings or include herbs and vegetables that would be found on a pizza like thyme, oregano,  basil, peppers or spinach. A garden is a unique tool to provide a hands-on learning experience that incorporates an emphasis on science.  Not only is it a laboratory to introduce students to scientific methods through plant-related experiments, it also allows for the study  of weather, insects, soil, and other environmental matters. Additionally, mathematics, history-social science, language arts and visual  and performing arts will be incorporated, along with stressing the importance of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Tunson, who lives  in Decatur, believes real-life garden experiences contribute greatly to students’ comprehension and retention of new science concepts and  has proven to increase science achievement scores.