Using the Garden

Be Resourceful
Use lessons designed for gardens from:
 Master Gardeners
 California School Garden Network (www.csgn.org)
 Garden of Learning (curriculum sets) (
www.gardenoflearningk6.com)
 Junior Master Gardener (curriculum sets and books) (
www.jmgkids.us)
 TWIGS (15 garden and cooking lessons)
 Harvest of the Month (nutrition lessons with links to State
Standards ( www.harvestofthemonth.com)
 AIMS activities
 Primarily Plants (Gr. K-3)

 The Budding Botanist (Gr. 3-6)

 Other Books
 Internet (Google, e.g. Lessons on plant germination)
Prepared Lessons
 Be Creative
Adapt your regular classroom lessons to be taught
in the garden. Go through your curriculum and
find where you might use the garden to:

 Add interest
 Make lesson more relevant
 Add enjoyment by being outside
 Provide hands-on learning experience
 Associate lesson with the garden for retention of new
concept
 Language Arts Lessons

Parts of Speech
Verbs: I like to ________in the garden.
Adjectives: the ____________cucumber
the ___________,________ tomato
Bonus Spelling Words, plant parts, vegetables, etc.
Reading in the Garden
Plays or Readers’ Theater
in the Garden
 Writing in the Garden
 Daily Journals
 Letters
 Poetry
 Five Senses
 Haikus
 Cinquains
 Instructions
 How to…
Five Senses Garden
 I see…
 I smell…
 I hear…
 I feel…
 I taste…

 I know…
 Math in the Garden
 Counting
 Measuring
 Calculating
 Perimeters and Areas
 Water
 Soil Amendments
 Plant Food
 A Square Foot Garden
 Problem Solving
 Fractions
 Percentage
 Economics
 Science
 Use of Scientific Method for Investigation and
Experimentation (I.and E.) standards, all grade levels
 Use as a class Science Fair Project
 Use as a lab for designing individual or group investigations (Our
Science Lab)
 Hands on experience for content instruction
 Life Sciences
 Earth Sciences
 Nutrition
 Environmental Education
Bean Germination Window
Science Laboratory
Social Studies, History, and
Geography
Other Uses of the Garden
 Cooperative Learning
 Among Classmates
 Rules for the garden
 Working together
 Sharing and caring for tools
 Within Grade Level
 Designating garden areas
for grade and class
 Grade level theme or
project
 School Wide Theme, Project, or Newsletter
 Community Project
 Farmers’ Market
 Donation of produce to charity
Character Education

 Appreciating Diversity
 Grow unusual
vegetables
 Ethnic foods
 Health and Nutrition
 Environmental
Education
Red Ribbon Garden
Behavior Management Reward
 Entire class reward
 Minutes in the garden
 Individual privileges
 Special hat, apron,
garden gloves, etc
 Gardener for the day
or week
Tutorial Site
 Cross-age tutoring
 Buddy Reading
 Learning English
 Small group with
volunteer or aide
Counseling in the Garden
Special Ed Classes