With the ever changing environment and lack of natural resources, aquaponics is a growing practice that should be taught to students in the science curriculum. In a unit taught to a 5th grade classroom at KTEC, students were given a hands-on learning experience centered on the alternative gardening option – aquaponics. They were able to plant and harvest their own lettuce, research topics surrounding aquaponics, and create and present group posters.   Aquaponics is an efficient, natural way to grow food using minimal resources and space. Aquaponics uses fish and plants to create symbiotic relationship that uses no land, minimal water, and little energy to create a garden. Teaching this in the middle school curriculum is beneficial to educate students on alternative ways to grow food. This was done by creating and implementing a unit plan to explore what aquaponics is, its benefits, and why it is so beneficial. Students were able to each plant lettuce and monitor its growth throughout the unit. They were split into groups of 5-6. Each group was given a topic related to aquaponics, and each student was given a subtopic to focus on. All students received rubrics, a list of websites for their topic, and task sheets with specific questions and expectations. Students became experts on their topics, and shared their knowledge with the rest of the class. The scores of the projects as well as a final assessment proved deep understanding of the material. Students walked away with increased curiosity and knowledge of the aquaponics unit and wanted to continue to share what they learned with others.