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Teaching in the Garden
School gardens enhance a child's educational experience. From the basics of understanding about the earth, how things grow, and how to make healthy food choices to the more advanced lessons of math, science, history and culture, a school garden can be a learning tool for all subjects.
Below you will find links to a variety of books and web sites that offer resources and examples for leveraging the garden in the classroom. You may also reach out to our members and learn from the experiences of schools with gardens, right here in Kentucky.
A Breath of Fresh Air: Celebrating Nature and School Gardens: by Elise Haughton and Margaret Atwood, Photos by Robert Christie www.amazon.com
Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, by Alice Waters 2008 www.edibleschoolyard.org
Growing in the Garden – K – 3 Curriculum Growing Curiosity About Agriculture, Natural Resources, Food and People: 4-H Youth Development and Iowa State University http://www.extension.iastate.edu/GrowingintheGarden/
Garden Projects for Classroom and Special Learning Programs: by Hank Bruce and Tomi Jill Folk www.amazon.com
Growing Ventures – Starting a School Garden Business: National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.com
GrowLab – Activities for Growing Minds: National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.com
GrowLab – A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom: National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.com
Healthy Foods from Healthy Soils: National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.com
Math in the Garden: National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.com
Schoolyard Habitats: National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org
The Pull of Earth: Participatory Ethnography in the School Garden: by Laurie Thorp www.amazon.com
www.brainpop.com Provides very short movies and support materials on a variety of subjects (i.e. Under science they have a bit on ecosystems)
www.GardenABCs.com forum for parents, educators and community members seeking guidance, resources, fundraising, networking and teaching support to start and maintain learning gardens.
www.GardeningWithKids.com Created by the National Gardening Association
www.kidsgardening.com Created and supported by the National Gardening Association, this is a comprehensive web site about school gardens that includes a variety of classroom projects.
www.kto8.com Provides a variety of curriculums that are separated by grade level. Although they are not described to be used with a garden, they could be completed by using the garden to enhance their projects.
www.teachersdomain.org Provides an excellent variety of course materials and a place for teachers to create their own lessons plan online linking to the materials of their choice.
www.jmgkids.us Provides all the tools to help kids beginning in grade 3 to become a National Junior Master Gardener. The site also offers a variety of additional helpful resources.
www.lifelab.org Life Lab Science Program
A popular, hands-on science elementary school curriculum. Website also includes workshops, events, and project models. K-5.www.cfaitc.org California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Website provides free, downloadable lesson plans in all subject matters. Great resource! K-12.www.gardenmosaics.cornell.edu Cornell University
Garden Mosaics is a project that combines science education with gardening, intergenerational mentoring, multicultural understanding and community action. Great science and action project resources as well as interactive components. K-12.www.nrdc.org - Natural Resource Defense Council
Have a document or resource for teaching in or about school gardens that you would like to share? Send it to us and it may get posted for all to see!
Kentucky School Garden Network KSGN@StFrancisSchool.org (502) 228-1197