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Some of us are struggling to keep a school garden from perishing over the summer, others are planning for gardening with a new class in the fall. Gail Laubenthal, retired teacher (43 years), writes about her extensive school gardening experience on The Early Years blog. Gail currently serves as an Educational Consultant, mentoring Early Childhood teachers in Austin ISD and Grand Prairie ISD. She is also a frequent workshop presenter at NSTA, NAEYC, TAEYC, and other state and local conferences and district events.
One of my preschools has moved to a new location and I'm wondering if I should start a small garden right away, or wait until spring when things have settled down a bit.
Suggestions?
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I think that either idea would be a great experience for the students. When I was in elementary school, I never had the opportunity to have a class garden and so it is one thing that I want to implement as I first year teacher!!
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I think starting a small garden with a few plants or vegetables would be a great start. I am very much interested in starting a garden with the group of students I work with, but I too am having a hard time determining when the best time of year would be!
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This will be a great idea to do during the spring time, and maybe even finding out if the school has an area where students could plant seeds and record their observations in a journal.
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It really depends on where you live. In a temperate climate, I would say start the garden as soon as possible! Students love being able to have a thriving garden throughout the year!
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Does anyone have thoughts on worm farms? Topic is similar to gardening.
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Gardening is a great activity to do with your students. I definitely urge you to get a garden started with your students. I had a teacher in elementary school that had our class create a garden and it was one of the best experiences I had. It did way more than just teach me about nature, it instilled in me responsibility and confidence. I am not the right person to tell you at what point in the year to create your classroom garden, but I do encourage you to do so!
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It is such an amazing experience for students to be able to take part in a garden! I did a service project with my preschoolers while I was in high school and it involved creating a garden. The preschoolers were a part of the entire process. They dug, planted, watered, everything! It became a part of their daily routine, to have 2 children each day water the garden. They grew things such as strawberries and tomatoes, which they were able to eat, and they were a huge hit! I think that you should begin your garden right away as opposed to waiting. That way, it becomes a part of the students' day and routine. Thanks for sharing!
~Lauren Lundeberg
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I think it would be greate idea to start as soon as possible so that students can witness the life cycle of the plants that you and your class plant throughout the school year and to also make hypothesis on how certain plants react to certain climates. Overall it would be a great activity to do with your class and the garden could be used for many lessons throughout the year.
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I think a garden is a great idea! I love hands on activities that the students can participate in and learn from! When I begin teaching I hope to have a small garden outside or potted plants inside the classroom for my students to learn from. They can make observations and see what they learn from the book come to life!
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I work at a preschool in Fayetteville, Arkansas we started a school garden at the beginning of March last year so students could experience the more optimal conditions for our garden to grow, and then watch it throughout the summer. I'd suggest starting in the Spring!
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I think either option would do well, depending on the weather in your particular location. I love the idea of having a school garden for kids to be involved with.
How do you decide what to plant or how large of a garden your students can support?
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I would start a garden as soon as school starts. It gives you an opportunity to show students how gardens grow year round. As there are different seasons in which each type of plant thrives a teacher could show students how to create and maintain a garden. I love the idea of getting students involved in gardening. It is a great way to have students in a great hands-on experience.
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Peggy,
I find that having a school garden is important for students to help them learn about the life cycles of plants and the processes of life, death and growth. I never had the opportunity to have a garden in elementary school and I feel that I would have gained a better understanding of plants at an earlier age. I think you should start the garden right away even if you live in a colder place. You will be able to show the students the complete cycle of life, growth and death if you live in a colder place. I think it would be a very fun and interactive way to start off the year with your students.
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I think it would better if you just wait until spring, because you will have your classroom set.
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Gardening would be a great way for the students to be engaged and learn about plants. I think starting with an small garden inside the classroom be a good idea that way students can see the plants grow everyday without having to go outside. It also may be beneficial because the weather may be warmer inside than outside, so the indoor plants may survive longer. This is a wonderful idea and I will definitely use this in my classroom!
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I think you should start a garden right away to get the kids being hand-on's. I truly love your idea of planting a garden because when I was younger I didn't have the opportunity to do so. I actually may consider planting a garden when I become a teacher.
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The sooner the better so the students will see the life cycle of the plant. A garden is such an awesome learning experience for the students as well as responsibility to take care of it. Good luck! We love our garden and outdoor classroom.
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My sons 1st grade class grew a garden and it was such an awesome experience for him. Not only did they grow a garden but the teacher put together some simple recipes for them to follow and they made lunch for the class using some of the things that they grew.
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I think getting a garden started early would be a great way to introduce students to plants earlier. I would say if you got the resources to start a small garden in the fall and be able to transport the plants outside when spring time comes then do it. Students will be able to see how the tiny seeds turn into blooming plants when spring comes. I have seen elementary schools do gardens in the school yard and think it would be a great lesson to teach. Just imagine if the students were able to watch the seed sprout, care for it in the winter, then watch them flourish in the garden at spring time. How amazing would that be!
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I think it is a great idea to gardening at school. I visited some elementary schools in China. The plants in the gardening benefit a lot. For example,the teacher could leas his children to the garden and distinguish different kinds of plants. I also saw some students would pick the plants and cook the plants for their own meals. It not only save the money for elementary schools to buy food to eat, students can also learn from the garden. I love the idea!
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When I was in school we were able to grow out own little plants in tiny pots and it was one of my greatest memories of elementary. I think making a garden for your preschoolers would be such a good experience. Even if you can't make a large one, a small indoor garden or classroom plant would be a nice. As the winter approaches the changing plants could be a good lesson so I say start your garden now and grow something amazing!
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I like the idea of gardening for the younger grade levels so that the students are aware of plants and how they grow.
Why can't you do both season?
Students can compare and contrast both seasons and plants.
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Either option is very good for the development of the children. You can look at the pros from both choices: if you plant a garden when it isn't time, this allows students to know that there are specific seasons for certain vegetables and flowers and that they have to have this knowledge when they want to grow their own garden. If you choose to plant it during the spring then this will help them to see the way a plant grows.
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Either option is very good for the development of the children. You can look at the pros from both choices: if you plant a garden when it isn't time, this allows students to know that there are specific seasons for certain vegetables and flowers and that they have to have this knowledge when they want to grow their own garden. If you choose to plant it during the spring then this will help them to see the way a plant grows.
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Thank you for attaching the link to her gardening experience! I am doing a unit on gardening so I found this very helpful.
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I am a student who is currently earning my bachelors degree in elementary education. Science is the subject that I love most and makes me eager to want to become a teacher as quickly as possible. One of the things I look forward to doing is starting a garden with my future classes. I believe that if you wait until the spring the students might not be able to see the garden "completed". Starting a garden right away, although it may be small at first, will give them the opportunity to be able to understand and see the process that a seed goes through. Starting a garden early on will allow for these children to begin making relations that living things need basic needs such as water, sun and etc. Building a garden is a FANTASTIC idea.
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Peggy,
I think you should do it in the spring considering that they have moved into a new location, meaning give it some time for them to settle in to their new environment. Regardless, doing it during the spring time will help the plants grow at a faster pace than any other season as during the spring, it isn't raining too much or it isn't too hot like the summer. I honestly find the gardening idea to be fascinating to both the students and the instructors as it shows students what living things like flowers, need in order to survive.
Pamela
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Peggy,
I think you should start your small garden as soon as possible! I've observed the way students react to gardening and I think its great addition to any classroom! Im 22 years old and it still shocks me how quickly seeds grow, its an exciting way to get students to think about nature as early as Pre-K!
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Hello Mrs. Ashbrook,
I think that having a garden for the students to tend to is a great idea! I was never grated the opportunity to do such a thing. I think waiting for the spring would be best. Until then I would get everything prepared for such event. Getting the seeds ready, picking the location. Garden seems like a great way to teach students about Earth and how important it is to take care of it.
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I think when the time is right you will know. If starting a garden right away seems too hectic just remember there is no problem with starting it in the springtime. I think your idea of starting a garden is a really great idea though! It teaches these young children about their community, different fruits and veggies, how to properly take care of the garden, how climate can affect their garden, and so much more. There are so many learning opportunities in this building of a garden. I have recently watched a first grade classroom start a garden and they were so excited to do so and they were so excited for the learning opportunities embedded within the project. Whenever you decide to start the garden will be just the right time.
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This will be a great idea to do during the spring time, and maybe you can ask the school if your class can plant around the campus and make observation notebook based on how their plants are growing, and have also a visual picture drawn by them of every Friday since the day the planted the plant. This would be such an amazing for students and their reaction will be priceless.
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Hello Peggy! I think both ideas are great. Me personally, I would start a garden right away just because students will have more time to see the garden grow with time. Gardens and plants always attract students attention for how they change in shape and color etc. Best of luck!
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I think a good start would be to do in since the beginning of class. It gives you an opportunity to show students how gardens grow year round. You can also show the different seasons and in which each type of plant thrives. The idea of getting students involved in gardening is a very creative it is a great way to have students in a great hands-on experience.
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Peggy,
if you have the opportunity to start the garden right away you should do it. This could be a great opportunity for you to create a space that is inviting for the new students to go and learn. Furthermore, it could help you all create a bond with the new school that does not exist currently. It can be looked at as an opportunity to create history at a place where none currently exists. Furthermore, a garden area is something that all the students can participate in. They always get a great since of pride when they see the progress that the plants make, knowing that they helped create it. Creating a since of community among the students is of great importance and you can help provide that.
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I think starting with a small garden is a good idea, it can be helpful for students to start understanding more about gardening and what are some of the seasonal veggies and fruits. Last semester I took a class where I learned a lot about gardening and I was using a very useful website that provides you with great ideas, and advice for gardening.
This is the link to the website
http://recipe4success.org/programs/seed-to-plate-nutrition-education.html
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Hi Peggy!
I love gardening with my students. It is a great way to help them develop a love for our Earth! I must admit I do not have the best green thumb but have always found it hard to start a garden in the spring because once things begin to grow, its summer already! I think if you can, the sooner the better. That way the students really get to be involved in the entire process!
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GM,
I think it would be more of an advantage to start gardening in the Spring.
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I love the idea of having a garden! I suggest starting at the beginning of the year so the garden can become apart of the routine. It will be more exciting to watch it go through it's different stages of life. This can be a way to building a community in the classroom with a mutual goal.
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Hi Peggy!
Currently, I am a student at the University of Northern Iowa. I am studying Early Childhood and Special Education. Recently, my mother retired from being a school teacher of 33 years. A few years back she did a garden with her students. I always thought it was a fun tool to get the students involved with a fun science project outside! To me, that is a tough question because I feel it is different for every group of students. An idea, that came to mind, was planting a seed in your classroom (near a window). If you plant your garden right away and are not able to have the students get involved right away, planting the seed in your classroom will help them see the plant grow over time! That is just an idea! I am interested in what you ended up doing!
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This time of year, when oak trees are dropping their fruit, the children are very interested in collecting as many of the acorns they can carry, and sorting them by size and shiny-ness. I 'planted' a few that had already begun root growth, a few in a pot in soil and a few in a plastic bag set up for sprouting seeds. An early childhood teacher showed me long ago how to improve the papertowel-in-plastic bag set up by stapling a loose row of staples about 1/3 from the top. This holds the seeds (of any kind) above the reservoir of water at the bottom of the bag, reducing the chance of rotting seeds.
The roots on the bag-planted acorns have grown but those in soil have yet to show any growth above the soil. I don't expect these small tree seedlings to survive until spring--this is simply a way to observe seed sprouting.
See the Early Years blog post I wrote about acorns at: http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2018/11/03/acorns-for-fun-in-science/
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I think having a small garden is such a great idea. Learning hands on what plants need to survive and thrive. Also learning where your food is coming from. I will definitely consider doing this when I get my own classroom. Thank you for sharing!
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Hi Peggy! As a preservice teacher, I find that hopping into creating a better environment for students allows the teacher and students to be able to grow and take on a new challenge together. This would be a great idea to bring in learning some the NGSS standards about gardening and the way plants grow and the environment that they need to survive. This could let the students become hands-on and be able to join in the participation and future of the garden. I think that waiting for things to calm down could lead to a missed opportunity for your fall lesson plans. But all teachers, know the ways of teaching their students that will be most beneficial for them.
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Peggy,
I think starting a garden with preschool students is a great idea! I know if I had had that in my younger years I would've loved that! I also think many kids are earger to get some dirt on their hands and this is a great way to allow that! It also gives many opportunities for lessons based on things that they might encounter during their gardening experiences! I would start as soon as possible and maybe talk about what could happen, (the plants might not grow) and why this is happening during this season and why most people start in the spring. You could also work the weather into the gardening lessons!
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I think it is a good idea to start a small graden right away. I feel that it will be a great way to engage children to learn about team work and work together. Implementing teamwork since the very beginning will create a friendly and trusting environment in the classroom. Also, this will teach them about the process of planting a seed, having to water it and watch it grow. Through this students can develop a sense of carefulness and hardwork. They will learn about the responsibility of having to take care and water a plant in order for it to grow and blossom.
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Hi Peggy, I think it’s a wonderful idea that you are trying to keep gardening at the school with the young children. This is a great way to keep student involved and spark their curiosities as they learn though gardening. You are able to teach the students botany, biology and the life cycle of plants and it’s also rewarding for the children to see their plants grown or pick out fresh veggies. I think something to keep in mind is what plants or vegetables are good for each season? It would be a shame to grown something over the spring and lose it over the summer so maybe a good idea would be to keep your garden with whatever the seasons might be. For example, for spring and fall kids can learn about harvests for that season and maintain the garden until summer and then switch the harvest to summer season. Good luck!
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I think that you should start a small garden right away. This can be a teachable moment for the students to tell them that they can have a garden in any location. You can do a small herb garden inside the classroom. You also do not need to wait for spring. This is a great opportunity to teach the students that vegetables and garden grow during different seasons. You can incorporate the season into that lesson.
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This is a great idea! I would also love to start a garden with my students. My problem is the lack of space. Our outdoor space is not conducive to having a garden. I struggle with space, but also with time. Like other commentators, I am unsure if it is too late to start a garden or should I still try to do something small?
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I would personally start a small garden right away at the new preschool. You could even start by growing things in a little pots just so that the students could get an idea of how plants grow. Then once you get settled into your new building you could start a bigger garden. Hope this helps. Have a great day!
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I think that either starting right away or waiting would work. The fact that you are providing a garden to allow your students to work with is absolutely amazing. I never got to do anything like that when I was growing up. However, if you need to do something smaller in the fall that is easier, you could have students plant one or two seeds in a small pot that they have to water and tend to.
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I believe it never hurts to try! Planting a garden when you start school could work depending on when you start, the earlier the better! But if the weather doesn't seem appropriate, I would start activities to get your students interested, so when it is time, they will be excited to start.
This past school year, my students and I became very intersted in planting a school garden. We brainstormed ideas why it would be beneficial and then wrote letters to our principals! We planted many seeds and made lots of observations. I am hoping next year, our school will be willing to let us start a school garden!
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Hello fellow science teacher,
My name is Tanjila, I am replying you behalf of FunScienceDemos YouTube Channel that is home to hundreds of free videos for ideas for teachers and students to recreate in the classroom. Science is our passion and we are so excited to share our engaging, kid-teacher-parent friendly, and interactive lessons with you to use in the classroom or at home. Our videos adhere to the common core science standards, encompass a wide variety of science concepts, and are specifically geared toward younger learners. All videos on the FunScienceDemos channel come with an English subtitle that can be translated into almost any language, making science lessons accessible virtually any place in the world.
We encourage you check it out and spread the word!
https://youtu.be/J9WmmziByfA https://www.youtube.com/user/ funsciencedemos
Sincerely,
The FunScienceDemos Team
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Hi i would suggest starting it at the beginning of the year so that students get the full experience and get to see the progress through out the year. Also maybe taking a picture day 1 then half ways and finally at the end of the year so the students can keep a memory and are able to compare the difference.
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I think that it is definitely possible to begin your garden now! There is still plenty of products that can grow in the fall and through the cold winter months! It will also allow your students to monitor plants that survive and thrive in the cold. It may be interesting to compare the way fall/winter plants grow as opposed to spring and summer plants.
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Hi Peggy, I would maybe start it in the Spring. You could spend these months asking other teachers in the school to take a vote among students to see what you should plant. Kids like having a say so, it might give you more ideas and get others in the school more involved (if that's what you want).
Happy planting and growing!
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I think the gardening activity is a great way to have students be engaged in learning through live experiences. Starting it right right away would be a good to have some seeds planted but spring time would definitely allow a more prime season for growing. Either way, this could be an opportunity for the students to visually learn from multiple season scenarios.
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When I was in elementary school, we had a school garden, but students didn't really have the opportunity to take care of it. I think that allowing your students to take charge of a garden is a great way to teach them about responsibility and the life of plants and bugs, as well as processes like the water cycle and photosynthesis. This would be a great activity to start at the beginning of the Spring, late in the school year so that students have something fun to look forward to at school as summer break gets closer.
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I think school gardens are a fantastic idea! I would mostly say that it depends on the climate of the area in which you live, keeping in mind that you can find a variety of things to plant year round. If a garden is not appropiate to begin now, then I would suggest other outside acivities for the children to explore and experience. For example, a bird feeder to watch from indoors, etc.
When planting a school garden, using raised beds are a great idea! I am currently interning at a school that plants flowers, herb, and other various plants. When school is not in session, community members, parents, and students volunteer to take care of the gardens.
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Hi Peggy,
I would that suggest that you should start a small garden right away, it might get many people involved and the students excited to see the process that by the time those plants have grown and it is spring there will be a lot of ethusiam over the garden. Ideally begining in the spring is best for the growth of the plant but I see nothing wrong with starting your small garden right away. I love gardening myself. Good luck with your gardening!
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Hi Peggy,
I am so excited to hear that you want to start a small garden for your students. I never had an opportunity to have a small garden in preschool or elementary. I believe that you should start the small garden right away because it would be a great learning opportunity for the students to see the plant life cycle and just experience as many stages as possible.
Best of luck!
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Hi Peggy,
I am so excited to hear that you want to start a small garden for your students. I never had an opportunity to have a small garden in preschool or elementary. I believe that you should start the small garden right away because it would be a great learning opportunity for the students to see the plant life cycle and just experience as many stages as possible.
Best of luck!
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I think starting a garden at school is an excellent idea. In my elementary school, the 'Go Green' club made one and it was great. They would use it as a time to teach students the importance of preserving the environment. Waiting till spring may be a good idea, depending on the climate of where you live.
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I think maybe waiting until spring would be a good idea. However, leading up to that time maybe discussion with the students what a garden is and how to take care of plants and what the gardens needs may be a good idea so that when the time comes to start the garden they have some background knowledge and can be more involved. I will soon be a teacher and back when i was in elementary school this is something I never experienced and it is definitely something I would like to implement with my classroom.
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Gardening is such a great way to get students involved in participating in science activities, especially young children that learn in a more hands-on environment. I believe it would be best to start in the spring as it is a little harder to maintain a garden during the winter seasons than it is during spring time.
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I believe starting the garden right away would be a good incentive for the students to do goo during the week to be able to go help in the garden.
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You should start a small gradern right away! You don't need to start planting anything until spring, but you can start prepping already. I hope your future garden flourishes!!
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I am currently a Senior at Wright State University studying Early Childhood Education and my professor always talks about the importance of showing our students the “life cycle” of a garden. Even if there is nothing growing in the garden, students can still investigate it. You could always create a whole year project that focuses on the garden and how it changes throughout the seasons. This would keep students interested in the garden and help deepen their understanding of how the garden functions throughout the year. You could even create a video with your students. The content could be about how the garden and the students change over the year.
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Hi Peggy,
I completely understand your dilemma. I personally would recommend waiting until the Spring portion of the school year to start a class garden. I think that class gardens, at the preschool age, require a lot of established classroom rules, procedures, and background information. With such a young class it might be difficult to immediately start a class garden, especially with students who are not acclimated to the school environment. Another factor to consider would be, for the students who are already use attending school, they might still be adjusting to the new school location. All in all, I think class gardens are amazing and an excellent educational tool, but I would definitely recommend pushing it to the Spring.
Sincerely,
Ashley Gibson
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Hi Peggy, I definitely think you should wait until Spring to start your small garden. School gardens are a great idea and have so many great benefits. Some benefits of having a school garden are:
students learn focus and patience, cooperation, teamwork and social skills.
they gain self-confidence and a sense of “capableness” along with new skills and knowledge in food growing — soon-to-be-vital for the 21st century.
garden-based teaching addresses different learning styles and intelligences
start choosing healthy foods over junk food.
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I just saw this is from 2014.... but I will answer anyways. I would ask myself how heavy my workload is now in the midst of moving, and if the children are older, I would ask THEM. I think including the students in some of our decisions builds trust. Hope this helps someone.
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I student taught at an elementary school with a garden. We started the garden at the beginning of the school year with the students. It was a great experience because the students got to plant the seeds themselves and watch the garden go through the different seasons. The students were able to have a garden party for their parents to show what they were growing, harvest their vegetables, and then made salads for the class. The students loved helping out in the garden and it was easy to use the garden in any content area, especially science. Once, winter was over the students were able to start the process over again in spring, where the students researched which plants would grow best in that particular season. Overall, it was a great experience and by letting the students start and end with the garden allowed a full educational experience. Also, the school took parent and teacher volunteers to take care of the garden through the summer break.
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Just out of curiosity, what are various licensing / districts doing about school gardening during COVID19? My school was told we could keep working our garden, but weren't to eat anything. (Be interesting to see how this plays out when the peaches are ripe!) What about other schools?
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How about starting a smaller container garden this fall to get them interested and then in the spring they might want to plant more seeds and/or plants, especially spring flowers and veggies they can eat.
I always like to plant Violas (also called Johnny-Jump-Ups) in the fall/winter garden, as they grow all winter. The flowers can be picked and added to a spring salad. My students loved these pretty little flowers, and they ate more salad when they were added! These flowers are also great for pressing and used when making handmade greeting cards. If you make recycled paper, you can also add the flowers to the sheet of new paper before pressing the water out.
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Gail-
Great idea!
I think at this point I want to try some gardening with my students on a very basic level...and your idea is the best place to start. We are spending a lot of time doing Georgia ecosystems. This will help my student who get SpEd conceptually understand when we are speaking of plant and such in each region, I think.
All the best,
Naomi Beverly
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Loving this idea! I definitely have been considering the idea of living plants in my (future) classroom but worried that I would forget about them and let them die. Having the students involved in the process would be killing two birds with one stone--lovely plants and plenty of potential science lessons (photosynthesis, reproductive systems of plants, how plants grow in certain conditions/seasons) all in one.
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I like your idea of starting small to get the students interested. This would be more beneficial to you and the students because you will know if they will take the responsibility of caring for it. Thank you.
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How about starting a smaller container garden this fall to get them interested and then in the spring they might want to plant more seeds and/or plants, especially spring flowers and veggies they can eat.
I always like to plant Violas (also called Johnny-Jump-Ups) in the fall/winter garden, as they grow all winter. The flowers can be picked and added to a spring salad. My students loved these pretty little flowers, and they ate more salad when they were added! These flowers are also great for pressing and used when making handmade greeting cards. If you make recycled paper, you can also add the flowers to the sheet of new paper before pressing the water out.
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Gail-
Great idea!
I think at this point I want to try some gardening with my students on a very basic level...and your idea is the best place to start. We are spending a lot of time doing Georgia ecosystems. This will help my student who get SpEd conceptually understand when we are speaking of plant and such in each region, I think.
All the best,
Naomi Beverly
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Loving this idea! I definitely have been considering the idea of living plants in my (future) classroom but worried that I would forget about them and let them die. Having the students involved in the process would be killing two birds with one stone--lovely plants and plenty of potential science lessons (photosynthesis, reproductive systems of plants, how plants grow in certain conditions/seasons) all in one.
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I like your idea of starting small to get the students interested. This would be more beneficial to you and the students because you will know if they will take the responsibility of caring for it. Thank you.
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Oh, good ideas! I do like pansies and jump-ups for their durability and beauty. A container is the way to go until we map the hours of sun and see which classes want to participate in the long run.
I've always wanted to run an Early Sprouts approach program but haven't had the space or assistance to garden.
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Peggy-
Whatever you decide to do, please keep us all posted by replying here. I am getting ready to move closer to family members who garden. I plan to learn from them how to do it, then transfer the skills and knowledge to the school nearest my new home for the benefit of the students. I'd like to use what you have learned during your start-up to help me along the way!
All the best,
Naomi Beverly
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Back when I was in elementary school, we had a "Butterfly Garden," and each grade was responsible for a specific section. If the children are young, I would start with something small like a few basic plants or shrubs. I really enjoyed the school garden we had, and would suggest planting it in the Spring rather than the Fall because of the heat index.
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Steve Rich has developed some amazing resources to support Outdoor Science including lot of work around butterflies.Birds, Bugs, and Butterflies: Science Lessons for Your Outdoor Classroom
You could think about NGSS and butterflies at the same time. You could be working to help students achieve 'Make observations (firsthand or from media) to collect data that can be used to make comparisons.'
There are many more resources around the topic 'butterflies' in the Learning Center.If you need help finding them call an online advisor to help.
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Thus far we planned to map the sunlight, to find out where the sunlight falls during the day so we can pick the best location for a small raised garden bed. I do hope we can have plants that will attract butterflies--both larval and adult butterfly food. I hope to plant some of the brassica family, probably collards, to attract the Cabbage white butterflies to lay eggs.
Peggy
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Sounds like a great plan of action. You're planting the seeds for further garden lessons in the spring (pun intended). Keeping the school garden going throughout the summer and planting things kids could experience the entire life cycle of was always a challenge for me too! I never balanced it quite right. Our preschool teacher did a great job with her students. They planted potatoes and popcorn each spring and then the new class would harvest in the fall. She also kept her gardening/healthy eating program alive throughout the snowy winter by incorporating specific produce into her baking lessons each week. i.e. beet cake, zucchini muffins, avocado pudding, etc.
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Peggy, I like your idea to map the sunlight first. I'm going to research how best to do that. It's good timing as I just bought a pack of 100 butterfly weed seeds (orange milkweed) that I plan to plant in the ground this fall. Hopefully they will germinate. With some luck, we'll have hummingbirds and butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects throughout the summer blooming season! Lisa
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I was wondering which would be more beneficial as well. Thank you for the reply. I like the idea of a smaller garden for the fall and gardening in the spring
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This is a great idea! I was briefly reading through the posts and I wanted to share some gardening information with you! If you look up A Garden Story you can read about how having a garden made an impact on children's lives.
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This is great! I love the idea of having a garden for the classroom.
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Life intervened so I'm not setting up a garden...yet. We did plant 60 spring-flowering bulbs that we'll probably "share" with the squirrels. We planted tulips because they are non-poisonous, although daffodils are my first choice since they are not as attractive to squirrels. None of my students are likely to take a bite of a bulb when I'm not looking but many adults are sharing the planting experience so I chose a bulb I didn't have to worry about. Daffodils are not deadly poisonous but can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
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If you ever do a fall garden, winter greens like collards are a great way to go. They grow well in the fall and early winter and are a great way to get those kids interested in eating their leafy greens!
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I think having a garden for young students at school is a great idea for getting them involve with some science. Since, I haven't really seen any science really being done in younger grade levels I think the idea of a garden could be one that is not too difficult to accomplish.
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Adriana, I hope you get a look at the NSTA position statement on Early Childhood Science Education to see what young children are capable of.
I write about my own teaching experiences in PreK-grade 2, and research of others in The Early Years blog and The Early Years columns in Science and Children (search for 'ashbrook' in Advanced Search).
I agree that young children can learn much about the nature of science and science concepts through gardening.
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How about starting a compost pile that you can maintain until the planting season? When it is time to break ground on whatever you decide to do, you can amend the soil! Much can be learned from this process. I also liked someone's previous post about planting bulbs this fall and enjoying some spring color!
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Susan-
The compost pile you mention- would it be outside?
I heard that flies and other pests like to be near compost piles. I have no experience with them (yet), but should we plan to compost outside?
All the best-
Naomi Beverly
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Hi All!
I would like to mention that if the gardening project becomes a collaborative initiative among all the teachers, or a few, it will be easier to keep up. Watering is key, especially in Florida. Each teacher took turns watering everyday and it's best to do it after school. When it was time to harvest the vegetables, the school cafeteria made a salad and the children were able to taste it! I hope to learn a lot from your experiences and I thank you in advance for sharing your tips and suggestion.
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I think it is a great idea to consider splitting the care, as well as the benefits, of a classroom garden. This is definitely something that a grade level team of teachers could organize effectively. A possible plan might be to assign each teacher a week of care. I think if I had a group of teachers that were willing to split some of the care, I would be more inclined to create a classroom garden.
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I love that you suggested to get other teachers involved. This will be a great experience for their students as well!
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I liked reading all of your thoughts about having a garden in the classroom. Great ideas.
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Carina, what are your experiences and thoughts on gardening with children?
Hearing what others have done or are doing helps me make decisions in my program.
Peggy
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Thanks for suggesting collards, Sheila. I agree that they are wonderful plants for growing over the winter in many areas. I wrote an Early Years column in the April 2007 issue about using collards to attract Cabbage White butterflies so children can observe the caterpillars. It's free to all.
Do you have any suggestions for how children like eating greens best? Recipes?
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My crew loves kale. While they will eat it raw, they prefer it cooked. One way is sauté until just wilted; we usually serve this with sautéed sweet potato chunks (small cube) and rice. My class also like to make "kale chips" by spreading out washed/dried kaleon a sheet trayand drizzle with a little oil. Bake about 15 minutes in a moderately fast oven. When the kale is just brottle, it is done
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I like the ideas that were proposed and think these ideas will be successful!
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I love the idea of starting a garden with your little ones. What would you do with the produce? Or would you only attempt flowers.
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At previous locations we've planted sugar snap peas which bear fruit by June in our region so the children just pick and eat! Other plants we've had are parsley and fennel (caution-this plant may self-seed and become invasive) to attract Black Swallowtail butterflies to lay their eggs on these plants, and collards to attract Cabbage white butterflies for the same reason. I've seen children enjoying the "cherry" size tomatoes and they love to dig and eat potatoes.
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I think a garden is such a wonderful learning experience for all students. It takes alot of work to maintain it as well. A school I have visited has a garden space but no garden. The students tell me about how they made soup with the veggies they grew so it did leave an impact on their lives.
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This a great idea! The science lab teacher has an extensive garden that she cultivates with the students year-round. Some students even sign up to come tend to it with her and other volunteers on Saturdays during the summer. Students begin participating in the gardening process in Kindergarten, by the time they leave in 5th grade they have experience growing through different seasons, and rainy/dry weather and various crops.
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I love the idea of having a classroom garden. I think it fosters an atmosphere of community. At my school we do a garden every semester and plant vegetables that will grow in those seasons.
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i love that idea students can watch their little plants grow. if lasts years is still n tact you can show the students how much its grown i love it! i wan tot do one too now!
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So here I am again, approaching fall without a school garden! The ideas of starting small with a container garden worked well for us--lettuce and snap peas. I think I will follow up on the idea of having children plant collards and other greens in September and see what can winter over.
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Creating a garden with your students at school is such a great learning opportunity for them. This was always one of my favorite activities when I was in school! I do believe it would be easiest to do a smaller garden in containers due to the weather. It would be a fun way for them to compare different plants and/or vegetables!
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Start a garden! It teaches children at a young age group so much! They can get involved with the planting and you can even make a quiz of what each elements are used for such as the soil, the water, the seeds, the sun, etc. The perk of the garden is, it even makes the outdoors of your school look even prettier!
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I like the idea of starting seeds inside to transfer in the springtime. I always thought if would be really fun to use the fall and winter to do lessons focused on the planning and placement of the garden. Students could create drawings of what the garden should look like and where it should be placed. There are also many great lessons that can be done regarding food and how it relates to geography, history, and commerce. You can then talk about the science end as well and the concerns of what would grow in the area of the country you are located due to weather, climate etc. I imagine by the time spring came you would have a class of proficient gardeners both ready and excited for success. I just joined NSTA and already am learning great things I hope I can one day start a community garden as I am still a student myself for now.
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If you do not have the space for a decent sized garden, you can always have each child plant grass in a plastic cup. This way the student gets the ability to control every part of the process. They can watch the grass that they planted grow and know that they put in the work. All you need is soil, plastic cups, and grass seed. You can do this during the spring and set the cups near the window. Have the kids practice taking care of plants and let them water their own cup of grass.
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I love this idea, Abbigayle, and have done it before--thanks for reminding me! If the children use misters or droppers to water the plants they can usually water for a long time without over watering the cup.
Peggy
See a photo example at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109468339307519464245/NSTATheEarlyYearsBlog#5636392056416590434
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Many more gardening resources at USDA: http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/school-and-preschool-gardens/preschool-child-care-garden-resources
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Thank you for this resource. This is awesome! I have been tasked with leading a group to revive an
abandoned school garden. This resource is a great start! Thanks!
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School gardening is a wonderful idea! Students would be very excited!
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I love the idea of a butterfly garden! I think this would be great for fourth grade since they study molecules and organisms. I think this would show them growth between plants and animals and how they interact. Fun idea!
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Starting a garden will be a great idea! I remember when I was younger my elementary school had a garden. Having a garden is always a fun and learning experience for the students. If weather is an issue you can always have students plant something small in the classroom. For instance, having each student plant a bean plant on a pot inside of class. Then placing the plants near a window where sunlight can hit the plant.
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Hi Marisol! I really like this idea since we are in december! looking forward in doing it in the future!
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I would do it! kids would love it!
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I truly believe in giving students the opportunity to teach life science through garden related lessons, and I also understand how difficult these might be to maintain during the summer months, when students and teachers are not around to water. However, children can learn to make self-watering pots using a wicking system or a slow drip to help water the plants. Fortunately, in South Florida, during the summer it rains sufficiently to sustain the moisture of the plants so we may not have to worry about part during our summers.
I have included some links that will help create both irrigation systems out of recycled materials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0M0CAKxb1c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknW2FYCUTY
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My school currently has a garden in honor of a student that passed away a couple years ago. The students love to volunteer in the garden during their lunch. The garden means something to all of the students since it was created in the honor of one of their peers. This is a great way to build community within the school. Throughout the year they have a group of parent volunteers that help keep the garden alive. The summer months are hard since no one is around, but the school makes an effort to do what they can to keep up the garden in memory of the student.
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I recently joined a Facebook group for those who garden with children. It is just getting started, but I think will be a great resource. Please e-mail me at [email protected] if you'd like an invite to the group.
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Depending on your area I don’t think you have to wait until school to start a garden. It can benefit the students to see what can be grown in certain weather conditions and what cannot. However I think reading on how to preserve gardens can be a great help in making them last in all kinds of conditions.
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I think either way would be a good idea. You can wait until things settle down a bit, but you should be fine either way. When I was in elementary we didn't have a garden, but I think it's a good way to teach students about eating healthy and show them how to grow plants. I know whatever you decide, the students will be excited about growing a garden.
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I think waiting for spring could be more useful for harvest and specially since the first season of the garden will not yield lots of successful growing vegetation. As for the continuous care for the garden over the summer, I remember as a student the summer child care program and summer school students were in charge of up keeping the garden. There was also many trained staff at the school that had experience in gardening and shared knowledge or helped directly in keeping up with the garden. I hope you are able to find resources in the community to also help you.
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I think either way would be great! If you decided to start now as opposed to waiting for springtime, there are many flowers, fruits, and vegetables that can be planted now. I never had a garden while in elementary school, but I did have one in high school and loved it! I found myself wanting to garden at home as well in my spare time. Gardening is a great and interactive way to learn about the earth and nutrition as well. The elementary school I am currently placed at has a garden and students love visiting it in their spare time!
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I think either way would be great! If you decided to start now as opposed to waiting for springtime, there are many flowers, fruits, and vegetables that can be planted now. I never had a garden while in elementary school, but I did have one in high school and loved it! I found myself wanting to garden at home as well in my spare time. Gardening is a great and interactive way to learn about the earth and nutrition as well. The elementary school I am currently placed at has a garden and students love visiting it in their spare time!
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My school is year round, so having a garden parish over the summer is not an issue for us. Having the garden be not just school but also community driven is a good way to keep it live and healthy. Ever think of having volunteers care for it? Children feel proud of parents that participate in school activities, and they are great help.
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I live in Alaska and we have cold and snow most of the year. This public community has encouraged me to try a small garden this spring. Kale grows really well up here and I think is a great place to teach students how easy it is to start an easy garden. I might even talk to them about how to build a box to hold the plants in. Thanks for all the great ideas!
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I live in Alaska and we have cold and snow most of the year. This public community has encouraged me to try a small garden this spring. Kale grows really well up here and I think is a great place to teach students how easy it is to start an easy garden. I might even talk to them about how to build a box to hold the plants in. Thanks for all the great ideas!
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I think this is a fun and interactive way to teach children how to be self sustaining.
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Gail,
What a neat idea! A garden is a perfect way for students to learn about so many different things. I had friends who had a garden growing up and I always thought that was so neat. To actually be able to plant seeds, water, and patiently wait for Mother Nature to work her magic. I believe little minds will love having this experience. If I lived in a state where it were much easier to grow things, I would definitely have a garden outside. Living in Arizona makes it very difficult to grow much of anything because of the intense heat.
I hope your garden turned out perfect!!
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Assuming the garden would be outside, I would think at time as well. There are particular plants that withstand cold weather well. For extra protection, especially during the cold times, fencing with plastic can be placed around the garden or certain parts. Either way, I think it is a great idea and would get students intrigued and excited even more to attend school to see the progress.
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Hello I have been teaching Elementary Special Education class for 3 years now. This year I am at a new school and I wanted to start a class garden as well. I was going to start in the Fall but I had a new baby and just could not get it together; so I have decided to start mine now. Being that I work with Pre-K - Head Start, I have found a way to use the garden to teach my students math, science, literacy, and social studies with this activity. We are going to grow tomatoes. To keep my garden "up to part" over the summer, I'm going to get some youth from my church to help me maintain the garden. If the school permits, I am going to invite my students' parents to summer their child and have an onsite field trip
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I think it's best to wait and allow the students to start it with you at the beginning without it being set up or ready, so they can see how the garden started and how it will end by the time they leave your class. Like a before and after, also using pictures as examples.
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I am doing Bachelor studies in Garden and Landscape Architecture and I am working with AssignmentDone.co.uk - help with college assignment uk. I want to share my opinion regarding gardening that first of all create a plan by starting with easy plants to gain some knowledge and take care them.
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I am planning a lesson for Kindergarten students about observing and recording the growth of plants. Does anyone have any suggestions for an opening activity or attention grabber to get them excited about this? Thanks!
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Planting a garden with my student's sounds like an amazing learning opportunity. I am going to try this out.
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Hi! I love this idea- I think you should start in the fall so that students can see the plants grow over a period of time. A classmate of mine planted vegetable seeds in a cotton ball in a ziplock baggie and taped it to the window; its now grown alot and its only been a month!
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This was the most memorable activity I did when I was a 1st grade student! It amazed me and opened my eyes to how seeds grow!
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Thank you everyone – keep the ideas coming! Gardening will be in annual project and science experience for the children I teach so we will probably try new things each year. Here are the peas that we started earlier this spring.
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Having a class or school garden is a great idea! There is one at my school now and all of the students love it. Keeping it up in the summer does not often happen because in the beginning of the year, students love the task of working hard to get it where it was at the end of the previous school year.
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Gardening is a fun way to engage students in school and also give them a sense of responsibility and pride in their work. In my school, we have a gardening club that meets once a week. In the beginning of the year, we had few plants and most of what we had were weeds. I am so happy that now, with the help of the kids from gardening club, we have 3 beautiful gardens and are planning to build another section for next year! My students are so excited about their garden, it has been great for us!
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Gardening in schools is a great idea it is a great way for students to get involved. The students can also explore healthy food options and how growing their gardens is better for the community.
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Hi! I feel like having a garden in your classroom would be a great idea especially if you have the room and resources from your school to do it. We have a garden not in our classroom but as a school and the students love it. The students and teachers help to take care of the garden during after school. This is a great way for students to learn how to take care of the environment and learn about science.
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Starting a small garden is a great idea! Thank you for posting the link to Gail’s extensive school gardening experience. I hope to make a small garden with my students my first year of teaching.
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I think starting a class garden is a great and fun idea. I remember when I was younger how we had to try and grow a bean inside a plastic bag and I enjoyed it. I would have loved to be able to grow them in the garden.
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Our school has a garden that the kids love to explore in! I would love to make our own garden, but I am so awful with plants the idea intimidates me! I think picking plants that grow easily would have to be a must.
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I love the idea of starting a classroom garden. It makes learning very engaging and enjoyable for the students. It shows the students responsibility as well as learning about the different parts of plants. Another great idea would be to take a field trip to a nursery or garden center.
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I am a student at Florida International University and I have been learning about different science activities do to with children using outdoor resources!
I love the Idea of making a small garden with my students some day, and I think that any time of the year would work, even if it is just a small garden :) I have never seen a teacher grow a garden with her students, so if you have any tips or tricks to share I would LOVE to hear them!
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I think gardening with young students is an excellent idea. Having them outside presents so many teaching opportunities. They can learn about insects, plants, the water cycle...the possibilities are endless when children are outside. Actually one of the schools I have worked with had a butterfly garden that the Pre-K and Kindergarten students worked on planting together and their teachers created very interesting lessons for the garden!
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Garden? Yes! The school I did my field hours at had just started building one, and it's becoming the new science project for middle school and elementary! They are all involved in planting vegetables and flowers, not to mention that they are recording observations during the process. I think it's a excellent idea to engage children on this. It promotes environmental awareness as well as inquiry learning.
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I currently started working with my two year olds and the garden, I love it! children learn so much through hands on experiences! I would have to agree that either ideas are great idea! We started our garden this spring and we will continue taking care of it through summer. Love the idea!
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When I did field work at a school I was amazed to see how much garden space was around. Students are constantly planting at the school. I think it is a good idea because it teaches the students about plants, and that it is good to grow natural plants.
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Funny enough at my current field school they have a huge field thats not being used for anything and their garden is tiny, they say they are and environmental school but I would expect a lot more than just a small garden, just a thought. Gardening is my therapy.
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Gardening is a great for students! It doesn't only teach them about nature, and helps you create hands on activities, but it also teaches them responsibility. they will learn how to keep plants or flowers alive and they must remember to give it water and sunlight. I think it'd be great to create a garden with your students if you're able to!
-Stephanie L.
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In the kindergarten classes I've been in, the teachers always try to make their science lessons into a catchy song or a fun dance. I don't know if this may help but it's an idea. Memorial Day weekend 2016
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When I was in grade school, I always wanted my teachers to have us participate in a garden, yet none did.
Starting a garden is brilliant as it allows for outdoor activity and education in biology, ecology, and sustainability. Even if it is merely exposure to plants, it will lay the seed for something great! (As I study plants now, I reflect back on my botanical exposure and appreciate everything that made plants fun.)
Anyway to make science fun and exciting is a plus. Lastly, in my experience with youth in gardens, it is good to have a ~5:1 student to teacher/supervisor ratio, for children tend to mess around a bit much.
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I love this idea and believe it would be a great learning experience for students in the classroom. I never had the chance to have a garden when I was in school, but the students at a school I did my hours at did, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely implement this as a teacher.
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Here's an update to my original question. We still are gardening in two large pots. We have been successful with spinach and kale that was planted in the fall and survived our mid-Atlantic winter with little-to-no care, and a crop of snow peas planted early this spring. Knowing that I'm only at the school two days a week and others did not want to do garden care, I didn't establish a larger garden. But another teacher got the bug and had two 4'x4' raised beds built by families to plant herbs and flowers. I'm very happy to see this growth!
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I am so inspired by this thread. I am a teaching student (not pre-service yet) and I have to design a green school project-based learning unit. Based on your experience, do you think this would qualify as both green school and project-based?
Were your students excited about the garden project? How old are your students?
Was your school supportive of the idea of starting a garden?
You mentioned that none of the other teachers wanted to participate. Did you find that that discouraged student participation at all?
Thanks for any feedback!
Best,
Jenn
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I think starting a small garden with your classroom could be very beneficial. Not only can they learn about the ecosystem, but they also are learning valuable life lessons. The students can learn how to grow and tend to their own food, which also develops a sense of independence with the students. They are also learning responsibility in the fact they are now in charge of caring for something that left unattended, may die. It is also just overall a very fun activity that provides yet another opportunity for hands on learning, which the majority of students today respond positively to.
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I love the idea of a garden to teach children about science. One of the things that I will never forget about my science class in elementary school was when we learned about metamorphosis with a real life caterpillar in our classroom. Every day I would stare at it waiting for it to become a butterfly. The day that it became a butterfly our teacher took us outside so we could let it free. It was an experience I would never forget. This is the type of experiences I would like to give my students one day.
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I would definitely start a garden as soon as possible that way students are able to see the progression of the garden in the spring.
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I think it'd be a good idea to wait a little bit so the students aren't overwhelmed with everything going on, but I think it'd be a good idea to start it early in the year. There's so many things you can teach them through the use of the garden (Ex. what plants need to grow, how photosynthesis works, etc.) and it could also be a classroom bonding experience!
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I love having a class or school garden! I definitely think that you should keep a garden going with your students whenever your weather permits. One way you could go about this is by starting your plants at a local greenhouse during the winter (if possible) which could lead to a very cool field trip! Start your garden in containers therefore during the summer you would be able to take those plants home with you so you can keep them going. Another way to go about having a garden during the beginning of the school year would be to start a garden that would have a fall harvest. Hope these are ideas that could help!
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I think that gardening with young children is a great idea. It gives them a sense of responsibility, but it also allows them to learn based on their own curiosities. If students are curious about how much a plant goes every day, that student can measure the growth each day. Each student is able to create their own learning experience.
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I think it would be a great idea to start a garden! If you are worried about starting a full garden too soon, you could always start with an indoor window herb garden.
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This is a wonderful discussion. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get funding through grant or private sources to launch a student garden?
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I think having a garden apart of the classroom is a fantastic idea. It is a great way to make science more interactive. The students really enjoy working inside a garden from what I have seen at my placements. They become very excited about their plants growing which teachers could use as great lesson for the class. The garden could also be something that every teacher is apart of. Therefore, when they return the following year they are still able to check up on their plant(s).
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I like your class garden idea. I wish there was a section I could get for my class so they could plant a garden. It would be such an engaging way to teach growth and the life cycle and could even branch out into Social Studies and English if incorporated correctly. Did your school have that as an activity or did you have to ask permission to start one?
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I really love the idea of planting a school garden, especially because of all of the potential it has for teaching life science with a hands on approach. I think that the students will be able to retain information best if they are able to see it occurring in real life. Though I know it may be difficult to keep it up in the summer, I think it would be a good idea for the school to hold a summer science camp for students to tend to the garden and learn about botanical processes. This could not only provide a fun way to learn over the summer and keep the garden intact, but it can also help students to stay in an academic mindset during those months away from school and keep exercising that scientific information they obtained during the school year.
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Get started as soon as possible! Even if you plant a few bushes! Anything that allows the students to go outside and make observations themselves. It doesn't have to be something pretty or something huge. They would also be able to observe the plants dying if that occurs! Go for it! You can always plant new ones in the spring!
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From earlier post: They planted potatoes and popcorn each spring and then the new class would harvest in the fall. She also kept her gardening/healthy eating program alive throughout the snowy winter by incorporating specific produce into her baking lessons each week. i.e. beet cake, zucchini muffins, avocado pudding, etc.
What a creative idea!! And what a fun way to create a link between years!!
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You should start right away. There are some bulbs that should be planted in the fall. These type of bulbs should be planted as soon as the ground is cool. This will give the students the opportunity to see their progress when the weather breaks in the spring. It will allow for discussions throughout the winter. Students will have a chance to make predictions and observations over a period of time.
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The school that I do my student teaching they offer an area to let students to do gardening. I saw so many students had so much fun over there!
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Start whenever is convenient to teach the children the effects of seasons and weather changes on plant growth!
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I think having a small school garden will definitely be a great idea for students to learn and relate! Some students might have a garden at home so they might be able to make connections and learn about the importance of sunlight and watering the plants.
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Hello,
I really like the idea of having a class garden. I'm sure children love having something to care for - it teaches them how to be responsible!
I think that you should consider implementing a new class garden as soon as the new school year starts.
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I think a garden is a great opportunity for students to learn through experiences. It makes science hands on for the students and allows them to make real life connections. I think that you should start the garden right away, but I think you should have the students help you with the garden. Students will take pride in their work and will remember planting all different kinds of plants. They will love to watch them grow and it would be a great experience for them to see how things grow and what they need in order to grow.
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Hi Paige,
What real life connections do you believe the children will make by growing a garden at school? I do agree with you when you said the students will take pride of their work. They will be able to learn what responsibility is!
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Hi Paige,
I am in agreement with you, thinking that gardening gives students a hands on experience that will give them real life experiences. These types of activities help students take on a sense of responsibity when it comes to tasks in there everyday lives, as well as in school. I do believe that as educators we can see helps students learn the life cycle of plants through this process. Students are able to take care of the plants from the time they are seeds to full grown plant. This first hand experience shows students that what they are learning is relevant to the world around them.
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I think that you should start a garden right away! It does not have to be large or sophisticated, just plant a couple vegetables and herbs this fall. The garden has the same educational effect whether it is large or small! It is great to have a large garden so that students are able to observe the differences in how the plants are growing and making inferences about why these differences are occurring; however, it is not necessary. I don't think that the kids should miss out on this awesome opportunity! My suggestions would be to have the students help you construct a very small garden, and plant seeds of vegetables/plants/herbs that they are interested in. Even if the plants don't do well, the kids will still be practicing their observation skills and "being a scientist"!
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I believe gardening is a great way to teach students so many important lessons. Besides the obvious scientific lessons a garden lends itself to, it is also a great way to teach students about responsibility and caring for things. Growing up, my elementary school had a courtyard that contained a large garden that a new classroom would tend to each week. The fruits and vegetables were seasonal and would often change and it is still one of my most vivid memories from elementary school!
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I never had one at my school growing up, but the school that I observed at last semester has a pretty extensive one. The students loved going outside to help work in it. They liked to look at all the different plants and helping them grown, but their favorite part was waiting for the butterflies that lived in the nature center/garden come out of their cocoons.
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I think you should start it right away with the season plants. It can be an ongoing process.
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-In regards to Tyler's post about worm farms, while I think this is a great idea, it may scare away some students and teaches a different topic all together. Some students may be grossed out by the sight of worms, making plants a lot less scary! Also, if we are trying to teach process like growth or photosynthesis, for example, we won't be able to show these with the use of worm farms.
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Worms are great animals for giving children the opportunity to learn gentleness with unfamiliar animals. I've learned that children must carefully rinse all soap from their hands to avoid hurting the worm's sensitive skin. Children should wash with soap and water after handling any animal.
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I use rubber models (toys) of worms to assess children's ability to hold them without "breaking" them. This practice ahead of time helps children be more comfortable and more gentle.
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I think having a garden right away would be a great idea, this way the students can get a sense of what seasons crop grows best.
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I think it would be great to start the garden right away because the students get a chance to see how the plants are affected by the weather and season throughout the year.
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It is a little difficult for some children to see frost kill the little plants that are just starting to grow. Preparing the soil and planting bulbs can make springtime exciting for planting seeds.
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Staring a garden sounds like a fantastic idea for a great hands on activity. It could also work as a year long project that can exite students and want them to learn more about how and why plants do this.
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I tried it in a summer camp, that was very cool, as the kids had their duties, they kept on asking lots of what, how, and why-questions. They observed the planting and participated themselves, watered every day and then saw the flowers growing. They also changed their attitude to nature. they stopped breaking branches and tearing flowers
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I believe gardening is excellent for students of all ages as it is a process where they get to see how their hard work indicates progression with each day that passes. They witness life being created in front of them and although some of them may not totally grasp the extensive weight of that concept they can use all of their senses to fulfill instinctive desires that technology would not be able to replicate. I would consider gardening a vocational necessity that needs to be implemented. Many of us were fortunate enough if we had someone in our lives to show us basic survival knowledge at an early age, but a lot of guardians need to work hard to provide food and roof over the family's heads so we as a society need to come together and help raise the future leaders. I am a firm believer in the saying that it takes a village to raise a family.
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It is tricky that the peak growing season is during the summer break. Radishes grow quickly, but they are strong flavored for young children.
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I would ask and add the upcoming class of students with involvement and sign up to come check the garden over the summer. I think that would be a great idea for the students to feel already a part of the next year and exciting to work with the older kids. I love the idea about using rubber worms before hand to get the students use to the concept of being gentle.
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I've gardened with my preschoolers in several states. I have had luck adding herbs to the usual food mix (I like potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers) Herbs also usually survive the occasional flower picking better.
My current school is considered to be in a high desert climate, which adds another layer of challenge. In addition to what each class plants, we have peach trees and currant bushes that do well here. My crew lived off of peaches last summer and were excited to see the first buds appearing yesterday!
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Lindsey,
I totally agree with you. I believe that a garden should be planted with the students as soon as the school starts. Just like you said gardening offers hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in a wide array of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, math, language arts (e.g., through garden journaling), visual arts (e.g., through garden design and decoration), and nutrition.
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I think starting a classroom garden would be a great activity to do while students are learning about the needs of plants.
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This all sounds wonderful!
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I love the idea of doing a class garden with the students! I had done a planting exercise with my students and they really enjoyed it, so I think they would really enjoy an ongoing project with plants.
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I think it is a great idea to start a garden with students. The earlier the better. Visit a gardening store near you and see what plants or flowers they recommend during fall weather. It will be exciting for students to see their very own plants grow.
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This is so unbelievably beneficial. Especially to students in low income areas. Have you ever seen the video of Jamie Oliver asking kids what different vegetables are? They have no idea! It is very sad. Having a school garden helps students learn responsibility, science, and delayed gratification. It also helps them to understand where food comes from and the nutrition behind fresh fruits and vegetables.
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With the knowledge that our young early childhood learners have an instinctual curiosity about the world around them, I would suggest
starting with a walk around the school yard to discover all the natural vegetation. Then begin your garden with a seed in a plastic bag to
observe germination and transplant it to a small pot. Children enjoy observing the mysterious growth of a plant from a seed !
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I have inherited a wonderful garden space that had been neglected for a couple of years. We have got it back in a good enough shape that will allow me to take the children out to enjoy nature. I really want to "dig-in" and add more lessons, raised beds, plants, etc. As I am sure you know, that will take some funding. So, I am requesting ideas/thoughts on fun, creative ways to generate money. Thanks, Karla
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GrowingMinds.org has an easy 6 steps to getting a garden started indoors. I love that they feel it's about the magic of growing, rather than what is produced. Check out their website Gardening Indoors.
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I like the indoor idea! Here in North Dakota it keeps super cold. So, things don't survive outdoors.
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I love this idea of starting a garden with your students. A garden provide year long learning in multiple different areas, AND it gets your kids outside in nature and working with their hands!
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Our ELL teacher does a great job with gardening and getting the whole school involved. The upper grades started the planting and everyone has an opportunity to learn from the garden. Last year, my 2nd graders studied pollination and got to observe some of the bees in our garden. It
was great. We follow through with creating our own pollinators and tried to self pollinate some plants. Doing it was great, but unfortunately
the plants develop some sort of disease and started dying. It was a good follow up lesson to have students figure out what could be the causes of the disease. Gardening is fun and rewarding for all.
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I think it is better to plan for gardening with a new class in the fall. That time, plants can be grown together with children. Everyday is a new day, so teachers and students can record the growing process. They can have better understanding to obsrve in person.
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I also think it would be best to start the garden in the fall. The students will look forward to seeing the plant grow all year and they will be able to see more results the sooner you start. I know the beginning of the school year is really busy, but honestly, the whole year is busy. There's never going to be a "more relaxed" time to start gardening, so I think you should just go for it. The students will love it!
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I'm interested to hear from anyone who has had success keeping a school garden through the summer months when students and teachers aren't around regularly to maintain it - how did you structure a schedule to keep the garden alive? In my experience, it is one of the biggest barriers for schools to begin a gardening program.
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Gardening is a great activity to do with your students. I definitely urge you to get a garden started with your students. I had a teacher in elementary school that had our class create a garden and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It did way more than just teach me about nature, it instilled in me responsibility and confidence. I am not the right person to tell you at what point in the year to create your classroom garden, but I do encourage you to do so!
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I think that students would gain so much from this experience and that the students would stay engaged and excited throughout the process.
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Hi everyone. I have been reading this great books about plants, How Plants Work: The Science behind the Amazing Things Plants Do by Linda Chalker-Scott. It reads well for adults, and provides excellent background for use in the classroom. As we have already had several freezes where I am, I'm thinking ahead to next spring
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I think the idea of incorporating a real life experience of gardening with young children is a great one. It provides them a rich hands-on experience, and with appropriate planning can be pulled off successfully. Reading books about gardening can be a great 'before' step in preparation to planting their own vegetables or flowers.
I found a couple websites that have a bunch of children's books about gardening. The links can be found here and here.
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Hey everyone!
This is a very good idea. But we all will need to think of all that will be expected from our students in a project like this. Are they prepared to help out on keeping the garden alive? Will they be able to carry what is necessary to, for example, water the plants? And how are we going to rotate this "job" between the students? Those are all things that need to be well thought of. But I can definitely see that the children would take a lot out of this and they would surely love this project!
Thanks for sharing!
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Hi,
Just wanted to reach out and agree with you! I am in the gardening club at my school and we just had our first meeting last month. The kids were SUPER excited about getting hands on with the soil and plant seeds. I'm loving it myself and I cannot wait for our meeting this month. I am student teacher so, these experiences are purely priceless for me. Happy gardening!
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Hello,
I like the gardening idea a lot, but I feel like it has its cons too. I never got the chance to do that when I was in elementary school. I feel that the kids would enjoy that so much, but at the same time the teacher needs to have good control of the classes behavior.
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I really like the idea of having a classroom garden for students it allows for a hands-on and interactive learning for the students. The gardening experiment could also teach students responsibility since they would have to care for the vegetables or flowers. I think the teacher would need to set guidelines or rules for the students to follow beforehand so the students' behavior of the classroom does not get out of hand.
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Having a classroom garden is an excellent idea. It provides the students with the role of responsibility by providing the students the task of watering the plants and taking care of them. The students could take turns with the different roles and jobs that it takes to take care of a garden. I believe this is something that both the teacher and the students can both enjoy.
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I say, don't wait. When it comes to school, having a garden really has students feeling more in-tuned with nature. If a teacher is learning about different types of animals (insects) and their environment, going out to a garden gives students a chance to be in the environment. I think it's important to students to be exposed to the out doors when learning, since students tend to get excited leaving the classroom.
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I feel that the idea of a classroom garden throughout the whole school year is a great idea. You can do different plants throughout the seasons that change. I think this is a good thing to do in your classroom because it let's students learn the proper necessities of plants and how to care for them. And they are very pretty!! A lot of schools don't have access to any sort of garden in their backyard and this can be a good idea.
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I think that a school garden is important to have at any school. It teaches students the importance of caring for vegetation and emphasizes the importance of keeping our planet green and clean. However, I do believe that students should have to contribute to this garden in order to appreciate it. For example, donating soil, plants or other garden decor and planting it themselves. This provides hands on experience and a sense of belonging making the school garden a place they can call their own.
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I like the idea of gardening in the kindergarten. I think that the students will learn a lot from gardening by themselves. Everyone who have tried gardening says that they love gratening~
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I am a preservice teacher hoping to end up in kindergarten or lower elementary. I love the idea of having a class garden, teaching responsibility, environment, etc. but I'm wondering if it's more work than it's worth?? I just can't imagine having time in your day to take the class out there very often, in addition to ALL the other things going on at school constantly. Doesn't it just end up falling on you as the teacher to take care of most of the time, with a few fun trips outside here and there for the kids?
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I love your idea to expose the students to gardening and agriculture from such a young age. Taking care of a garden will not seem like such a daunting idea if it becomes part of the routine. You could assign student to be garden people every week and you'd be surprised how well they can take care of it when its part of their routine like putting their bookbags in their cubbys.
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Personally, I haven't had that much experience in gardening, but I think that allowing students to have a part in the garden is really great. The daycare that I work at currently has a garden that the school age kids (5+) take care of in the summer, but I had never thought to have the younger children at the center try and have their own garden. The younger children plant flowers and other items, but not a full garden so I think that it would be neat to see the differences between the school-agers and the younger kids when it came to a garden. I think that incorporating gardening and the experience at a younger age than 5, may be more beneficial and deepen the experience for the students. I've noticed that some of the school aged children don't have the best attitudes when it comes to taking care of a garden, and maybe implementing the experience earlier would help that.
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I love the idea of teaching gardening to young children. I have worked in preschool and every summer we made a garden and grew all sorts of vegetables. One year, I decided to make a "greenhouse" for them to grow carrots in, they were SO excited to do this. We simply got two medium clear tubs and taped them together on one end (so we could open it still), and then used toilet paper rolls and put dirt in them and then carrot seeds. The kids participated in it all and helped to water them often. When the time came we planted them outside and watched them grow (and then ate them of course). But if you worry about growing in the cold, make a greenhouse and grow whatever you want. It is a great experience for young children. Good luck!
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Yes! I love gardening with young children! it teaches them how to take care of the plants and they can observe the process of them growing.
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I think both ideas would be great. I remember being in school and my school having a small garden for us to work in. We learned about many different flowers, plants and fruits. It was very exciting watching what we planted and being able to eat the fruits. It was something that we looked forwarded to and I'm the students would as well.
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The elementary school which I attended had its own garden which was something that every grade level took part in. I fully support the use of a school garden for all students to take part in. Not only will this provide many great learning experiences with the garden as well as create a sense of ownership and community among the students and the school.
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Gardening with elementary students is a great idea! They did it at a school I volunteered at and the students had so much fun with it!
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I also think that gardening in your class is a great thing because not only is it a great experience for the kids but during the process they learn about different plants and learn how to care and nurture them to keep them alive and growing!
My question is do you think it would be better to assign a plant to each individual student and have them be responsible for their plant or would it be best to just have the whole class care for a garden of plants ?
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I love the idea of having a school Garden. It seems like a great way to teach students about nature and interact with them. I can't wait to create one in the future!
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I think starting a garden with young students is a great idea. I never had the experience is having a classroom garden when I was in Elementary School. Being a student who is near graduation, this is something I would definitely love to do with my students. It's a great way to teach them about plants and the growing process, but also about how to work together and be responsible.
What would be good plants to start my students off with, and what are some activities that you would recommend I can give my students during the gardening?
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I think the idea of the garden is fantastic! Letting the students see what they are doing from start to finish gets them not only invested but excites them. It is also a very creative way to learn about science.
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Yes! Having a class garden would be so meaningful for the students. It is also a great way to introduce certain components of the growing process like the roots, plants, the vegetable, and the seeds.
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I feel that having a garden is a great idea. It covers many topics such as life process, responsibility, science, and many more!
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I think that you should start the garden now so that they could get to view both seasons of how plants grows.This experience of seeing seed, soil, water and sun come together to transform into a tiny plant is a lesson in itself.By tending the garden and taking care of their environment, they see that they are helping nature make the magic happen.Planting a seed teaches students about the need to protect our natural resources, since clean soil and water are necessary for the plants to grow. Children learn that we need to preserve open land for food crops, trees and enjoying nature. This is a great thing that you are doing for the kids, goodluck!
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I think this is such a great idea! I think you should wait till the spring till things settle down. That way you are not having to struggle as much with the garden. I also agree with other comments to build a greenhouse that way if you do run into issues the plants are more likely to survive.
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Peggy,
In my opinion, the sooner the better! Gardening with your students is such a great opportunity that many would love to have, including myself! It would be the perfect way to get to know your students, create a community atmosphere, and get them excited to go to school and learn. I'm sure their reactions would be priceless! They would be so eager to go see how their garden is doing and if it is growing. This is a hands-on activity that can teach the students about so many different things without them even realizing it because they would be having so much fun. Learning through hands-on, minds-on ways such as this are the best ways for students to absorb and retain new information.
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This is a great idea! I am currently student teaching in a kindergarten classroom and this is something my students would love.My school does not currently have a garden but what better opportunity then now to start a new tradition. I can see many possible science lessons and learning opportunities coming out of a school garden. Thank you for the idea.
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This is an awesome idea! I used to be a Pre-K teacher in a learning center, and I remember one of our activities was to grow our own plants when the season of spring came. The kids loved the idea! So during our outdoor time and towards the end of the day, they never failed to look at our row of plants to see if theirs grew. They really like being able to take care and be responsible for something, especially if it is something that is living. So, having an opportunity to start a community garden would be brilliant! It will not only integrate science but important life skills. Having a school garden can give limitless opportunities, and I'm hoping someday I'll be able to implement that too when I graduate from student teaching.
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Wow! What a wonderful idea!! I love the idea of gardening with students, and it is a dream of mine to complete as soon as I start my teaching career. As a preservice teacher, we have been learning how important inquiry is in the classroom. By giving the students the chance to learn how to garden, you will be giving the students a chance to explore nature and learn more about the world around them. Plants are such a vital part of everyday life so I know that you will be broadening their horizons by showing them how to care for plants and vegetables. They will also gain a sense of leadership and ownership of their garden, and they will feel so accomplished when they see their plants beginning to grow right before their eyes!
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I agree that growing a garden at your school is great for students. They would be more inclined to learn about how to care for our plants, and why it's important to given the opportunity to get hands on. This creates an authentic lesson to teach students and they would be more inclined to wonder and find answers about plants and other important components that come with gardening.
The elementary school I am student teaching at has a garden, a gardener and a schedule for all classes to visit it and get hands on learning. This is helpful when it is time to teach earth science and there is already some seed (no pun intended) planted in their minds about gardening.I recently taught a lesson on the properties of soil and why it was important and they were able to connect where soil came from and why it is important to know.
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Hello Everyone,
I think that when spring starts you should definitely start gardening with your students. At least by the end of the school year, the students should progress of the plants they planted, and at the beginning of the school year; they should be able to see the plants blossom.
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I recently participated in a gardening event with middle school children and I found that most children were not interested in getting their hands dirty. I think that this is a really great idea if there is a lot of participation, but it is important to know your crowd. There is so much to be learned about not only plants, but also life through gardening. It is a beautiful activity that depends on feel rather than a hard set of rules, as is found so often in life. I would highly recommend gardening also!
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Hi Tammy!
I love the idea of a planting a garden, but I know it can be time consuming. Have you ever considered having plants in the classroom? I believe there are many benefits to keeping plants in the classroom. First, I believe the greenery really livens up the room and students can observe them throughout the entire school day. Second, they help purify the air. Third, the plants will not die or go into dormancy during the winter (I'm not sure where you live, but I live in Iowa). Finally, I believe learning to care for plants is an important step in teacher student to be good stewards of the earth.
To start the process, dedicate a window in your room to plants. Perhaps, you could put a small shelf in front of the window, as to fit more plants. To help students take ownership over the classroom's plants, you should allow them to help in the selection and care of the plants. Watering the plants could become a classroom chore. Plant the plants in old tin cans, egg cartons, etc. to teach students about recycling/reusing. Finally, at the end of the year, send students home with a plant. This could serve a reminder of what they learned.
There are so many wonderful low-maintenance plant options. Here is link with some plant ideas:Low Maintenance Plants
Here is a link to some alternative planter ideas: Alternative Planters
Hope this idea was a helpful alternative to a classroom garden!
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As I was scraping my windshield this morning (yes, April 30), my thoughts turned to gardening in the warm sun. I had a couple of random thoughts to share.
First, for those of us with mixed age playgrounds such as mine ( 15 months to 5 years), i am planning on getting samples of the planted items to cut down on the little ones pulling the carrots to see if they've grown yet. Many of you probable already do this. Im planning on doong this on a regular basis through the growing season to provide a visual for the students. Several parents have already volunteered to help out, even bringing items from their gardens.
Second, one of my favorite classroom gardening books (in addition to Tops and Bottoms) is Don't Throw It, Grow It. This book shows how you can grow new plants from kitchen scraps....I've used it at home and school for years.
Even with grapple yesterday, and ice thus mor ing, we should be in the 70's-80's by this weekend. Cant wait to plant squash and dill ( dill is supposed to repel squash bugs)!
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Thank you for this wonderful inaight and ideas for gardening! As a future educator I plan on implementing nature as much as possibel in my classroom. It will be a great lesson to teach young children how to plant and watch the growth of it. The students will be very involved and engaged. Science class for sure will be one of their top choice classes.
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I know the beginning of the year can be hectic. I think it just depends on what types of plants you want to have in your garden. Some may thrive more in the spring versus the fall and vice versa. I know the plants also depend on the funds available for the garden. There are many places to buy seeds for a good price. I have personally experience growing radishes. We did this in the spring time. I am not positive how they would do in the fall. Just do you research, decided what plants you want, and go from there. Or there is always the option of starting it early, and growing in both seasons. This could create more of an opportunity for more kids to be a part of the garden. Just a few things that I would weigh when deciding for a new garden.
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I love the idea of gardening in the classroom!
Growing up I never had the opportunity to garden in any of my classrooms, but after reading this blog I see why it is a great hands-on learning idea. I am going to school to be an Early Childhood teacher and I am definitely going to take this idea with me into my own classroom someday! I have never really been into science so I find it hard to find science activities I am really into, but this seems like something I would enjoy doing with the students.
I like the idea that by doing this the children get to actually see their hard work play out by watching the garden grow over time. There is so much you can do with the garden idea that would play into other subjects too. For example, you could talk and read about gardens in a literacy lesson. You could even have the children write their own book about the process and experience of growing fruits and vegetables at the end! Also, you could bring in a math lesson with the number of seeds and water needed.
One thing I never really thought about before but this blog brought up was that if the children are growing the vegetables/fruits it is more likely they will want to eat or at least try them. It can be hard to get some children to eat these, vegetables especially. I definitely think if the children put in their own time and hard work they are going to be more interested in them and want to explore them by tasting them.
If you're anything like me, gardening may be tricky and you may feel like you are going to struggle to keep the plants alive, but just like this blog, there are many resources you can refer to to help you out! You may even have a fellow co worker you could ask for help from!
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I love the idea of having a garden!! I am a preservice teacher here in Ohio, and we have a garden on campus that we get to work with! You could look into some plants that grow very quickly (like radishes or spinich) to grow in the fall, then start the larger garden in the spring! We use plants these kinds of plants that grow very quickly in our classes because they are fully grown within a semester. I am sure there are other plants available too! That way you don't miss out on great learning experiences, but the garden isn't damaged by the winter chill!!
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I think you should start with a few plants and slowly add! I really like this idea becasue like you mentioned it can become part of their routine and they can see how it changes and relate it to how they have changed. This idea opens more learning opportunities with the students in the classroom.
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I think that whenever you feel it fits in with your lesson is when you should start. And for the issue of the summer and having things die, you can easily do indoor plants to keep as a 'class plant' for the students to watch grow and it can be taken to your home if you want that responsibility. Doing this makes it easier to start whenever your lessons fit, and it will give the students pride in their 'classroom plant'.
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I think that either would work as well, and starting them young with learning about plants and what its like to start a garden would be fun for them to experience. I feel that maybe waiting till things get adjusted and situated would be good for the preschoolers as well, that way they are comfortable and feel like they belong. With a unit I am doing in my science class I think that the group I am working with, we are going to try to figure out a big idea and then have smaller units that build off that so like planting a flower or what it takes for a plant to grow and then have them experience that and work through that. Spring it a good time to start a garden and having preschoolers learn the some basic ways to plant a garden and to help water and make dirt holes and to fill them in. A class plant idea is a pretty good idea for students to do and to watch.
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How would you account for children who may have allergies or sensitivity to things in the garden? Will this be modified based on plant choice?
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Love this idea! I am starting a Plant CLub at my school.
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At the last school I taught at, a teacher had made a garden for the students. They made gardening club to show the students how to grow their own vegetables. It was amazing to see the growth of the vegetables in the garden. At the end of the year, the students in gardening club got to take home some of the vegetables to their families.
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I really like the idea of making a gardening club. I was wondering how to manage time to include everyone in participating in the garden. By doing a garden club allows for anyone and everyone who wants to be involved in the garden can be involved!
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Hi Peggy, I think this is a great idea. Creating a good environment for students is important. Not only does it make the school look full of life but it gives students a feeling of comfort in their school environment. This is a great way for studets to participate in a hands on activity and learn about different plants.
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Hi Peggy, I think this is a great idea. Creating a good environment for students is important. Not only does it make the school look full of life but it gives students a feeling of comfort in their school environment. This is a great way for studets to participate in a hands on activity and learn about different plants.
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Hi Peggy, I think that creating a garden with your students is a great idea! I am actually writing a lesson plan right now that includes gardening at school so I would love to hear how you experience goes!
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Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. Keep it coming!
Every Early Childhood setting is different so it's beneficial for us to hear how others do it so when we are in that same kind of setting, we have the benefit of the group's experience.
In some settings I find that gardening in large pots are the best experiences, especially for two-year-olds because the pots define the space where the children may not continue to dig so the plants can grow. Pair the pots with a large digging space in soil to allow children to continue to work the soil and make discoveries.
Best wishes,
Peggy
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Gardening with young children is an amazing learning opportunity at all levels. We intergrate math and measurement with our plants. We keep a chart/table where students measure growth over time. They ask questions and make predictions as well. Have fun and keep the curiostity level high!!
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Hi!
I am student teaching in a third grade classroom as I finsih my degree. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for beginning a gardening program at the elementary level. The school I am at does not have a gardening program and I think it is a great tool for learning!
Thanks!
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Monday, January 21st can be a special day for plants in your class, especailly if you have students who are Jewish. It is Tu B'Shvat, the newy year or birthday of the trees. I've been told it really encompasss all plants and is a greta day to plant indoors / outdoors and celebrate the plants in your life (including your food and clothing!) The seven special plants are what, barely, pomengranate, fig, olives, dates, and grapes
This day can also add a new dimension to talks about time....people have birthdays and grwo older. In my class, we used January 1 not only as the horses birthday, but as the birthday for our books. Such possibilities!
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I think starting a garden is a great oppurtunity to incorporate multiple subjects into a learning unit. The students can learn about the life cycle of plants, while using math to help them measure soil, water, and food, etc. You can also create writing and reading lessons to help your students learn more about taking care of plants and what they learned overall. I'm sure your students will feel accomplished when they bring home a plant at the end unit too!
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I think starting a small garden would be a great way to engage students and it's something that they can learn so much from. Children love to work with hands on activities and the whole process of planting a seed, learning about a plants life cycle and watching it all happen is an excellent way to bring a meaninful learning experience to children.
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My school is about 85% socio-economically and I have always wanted to start a community garden where our families can go and get fresh produce. This will allow the students to have the opportunity to observe the lifecycle of plants and give them responsibly to care for the garden. I don’t know about the legal aspects about having the community access to the garden.
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You may want to check out the soil for the expected garden spot early. If it needs amending (such as if it is rock hard soil that needs organic matter, like compost or mulch), you would want to start sooner rather than later to build up the soil's quality before the growing season starts. That way, you can plan to have soil that has the best opportunity to support the growth of your plants in time for your planned garden.
As for the community garden idea mentioned above, I would ask cooperative extension about infomational resources regarding community gardens. An extension agent should be able to help. Any legal questions can likely be answered by the school district's attorney.
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I think this a great idea to start a garden with my students. It would be an excellent experience for the kids to see and be a part of the life cycle of the plants. However, there is no garden area in the school. I wonder if it is possible to create a mini garden inside the classroom.
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Check out this link on Funsciencedemos for a fun lesson in the garden.
https://youtu.be/KPKM2uc2VNo
Funsciencedemos is a free online resource for teachers, parents, and students.
With over 150 lessons that cover science topics young learners should know before they reach high school,
it is tied into the NGSS standards and translates into any language.
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With the first warm dats, here is a great resource for all those looking to reinvigorate old gardens or start new. It’s a book: Don’t Throw It, Grow It by Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam. This book gives you suggestions for turning just about any kitchen plant material (an almost free resource, since the plant has already been used) into a growing experience. As always, check your local regs and be safe with dirt, plants, and tools.
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Hi I'm in Georgia.Our county is working on Farm to table. Our middle and high schools have agricultural classes, as well as, Future Farmers of America (FFA). This makes it extremely easy to incorporate a field trip to gardening sheds at our local schools. The children usually help plant seeds and then pick out something to take home. This also helps the kids to take part in a valuable cycle: tilling the ground to prepare for planting, weather watches, and bugs collections. all of this makes it easy to do year round. Even in the summer, since the death of plant life can be used as compost!
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The class I was just teaching with was working on planting a class garden! However, they were deciding who would tend to it over the summer. They were disappointed in their lack of sprouts with the end of school being next week. The teacher I was working with mentioned starting earlier next year and growing seedlings under a light inside the classroom. Then when it begins to be warm having the students work on the outdoor garden and moving their plants outside. Then since it is a community garden the class was working on ways to get the community involved in serving throughout the summer!
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I usually start seeds indoors in newspaper pots 3-4 weeks before I can put them outside for at least part of the day, and then another 1-2 weeks before I can transplant them into the ground, after the most likely last freeze date and when the soil warms up. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Education's "Day-of-Last-Spring-Freeze-Map" is very helpful in determining when you can plant in the ground. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/when-expect-your-last-spring-freeze
While this map shows the average timeframe of the last spring freeze across the United States, this year’s actual conditions may vary widely based on weather patterns. For prediction of your actual local daily temperature, and to see how it matches up with the Climate Normals, check out your local forecast office on Weather.gov.
This year in my home garden I planned to grow some flowers from seed I had saved from the previous fall, and started them in newspaper pots. Nothing happend! I took more of the seeds and put them in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel to do a germination test. About half the seeds sprouted so I moved them into the pots where they have continued to grow. I can only guess that the first batch of seeds I planted were overwatered (by me!) and rotted.
Best wishes, Peggy
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Hello. I am a junior and an elementary education major. I am interested in having my future students gardening. Personally, I have never gardened as a student, but I would've liked to in elementary school. I believe that gardening could be a fun and unqiue way to teach students.
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I think this a great idea to start a garden with students. It would be an excellent experience for the kids to see and be a part of the life cycle of the plants.
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Hello. I think starting a small garden in school or even in a classroom is a great idea Gardening can be used in any grade level and it will give the students a sense of responsiblity as soon as they come to school. It will also show them how to care for the enviroment and plants. This can also tie in into many of your lesson plans. You can tie this in with science, social studies, reading, and writing! You can talk about the parts of the plant, how plants provide us with oxegen and food, and you can find many books regarding plants. I definetly think should start as soon as you can that way the children can see the progress over the school year of their plants.
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I would think starting a garden right off the bat would be great for your students! It gives them something to bond over right at the beginning and they will love to watch it throughout the year. You could incorporate teaching seasons and how they affect plants too!
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Hi,
I think a garden would be so fun! I would look and see what plants grow best in your area. One of my favorite memories in elementary school was picking green beans from a plant at school. Maybe see if you could even cook something with your kids and the stuff you garden.
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Hi,
I think a garden would be so fun! I would look and see what plants grow best in your area. One of my favorite memories in elementary school was picking green beans from a plant at school. Maybe see if you could even cook something with your kids and the stuff you garden.
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I think that starting a garden now is a great idea. Some plants take a little more time to grow and gardening is a great project for young children. I think that the children would really enjoy the garden and look forward to seeing plants grow and flowers bloom.
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Hi Peggy, I think starting a class garden right away is a great idea. Young children benefit so much from working in gardens. Children love to contribute to their community so this is a great way to help fill that need. Kids also love getting down in the dirt, finding worms, digging, playing in mudd, etc. They can learn so much about plants, vegetables, life cycles, and their environment. Gardens are a fun and active source of learning for kids from preschool ages and up.
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When I was in elementary school, the 5th grade classes got a chance to start a community garden funded by fundraisers and volunteer parents. Not only did this give us an opportunity to get outside of the classroom, but it helped us bond, work together, and provided us with a greater sense of school community.
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Now is one of the best times to start planning your spring garden, either a brand new garden or continuing a school garden. If you can, collecting and saving seeds from this year's plants is greta start. Your local cooperative extension or seedsavers.org are good resources
You also have time to look at the health of your soil. (for soil vs dirt, think of weed vs plant. a weed is just a plant where you don't want it; dirt is just soil where you don't want it). What do you need to add now? Again, your local cooperative extension is a good resource, with typical local soils, freeze dates, soil testing informtation). Turning the soil in the fall gives the students a chance to see deep inside.
Would any plants keep growing / or at least not die back fully over the winter? Mint is good for that at my school, as is horseradish and carrots.
Look at your beds. What do you want to change? Is the location good for sunlight. water, and play? Even the best designed garden doesn't respond well to continuous soccer balls
What do you need to change? Especially with irrigation for weekends; you can look at see what supplies you might need to get and try building the structures before you put them in the soil. A local plumbing supply house might be a good resource. The kids can easily design and trest mockups using PVC pipes
Looking into building a hoop house or a cold frame is another good fall activity
Do you have any fruit trees that need tlc before they flower nest year? A local arborist might be a good in house field trip
Starting seeds inside throughout the year; the old bag in the window trick, helps develop a more realistic sense of time with plant growth and might help deter the pulling up of the carrots as soon a the fronds appear to 'see if it's ready, like in the book'
I have other thoughts I will add later. After school today, I get to pull some carrots. Our tomatoes already froze in the snow a few weeks ago :)
Anne
Anne Lowry
Reno, NV
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I would start planning your garden now and what all you think you would like to have in it. Meanwhile, you could start some seeds in your classroom window for students to watch until you can get the outdoor garden started. Then once you have the outdoor garden planned and set up, you will have some seeds that have sprouted that can be moved outside. Also consider your climate and what you want to grow. If you have a harsh fall/winter, you may not be able to plant anything that would benefit your students' learning until spring.
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This idea also leads to a great opportunity for parent and community involvment. Opening up the opportunity for school parents to help keep the garden growing when school is not in session is a wonderful way for them to get involved. Many high schools require community service hours as well so there may be an opportunity for them to help you maintain the garden.
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We've been collecting, identifying and comparing leaves for a few weeks and now we're going to do the same for acorns. Different types of oaks produce different types of acorns and we are going to take a closer look at some of them in our science center.
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Check out this blog by Peggy Ashbrrok for tons of fun ideas for acorns.
http://blog.nsta.org/2018/11/03/acorns-for-fun-in-science/
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Thank you for sharing this link. I took a look at it and it looks like it is packed with good stuff.
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I think both ideas are great! Like many others I never hd the opportunity to have a school garden. I think it's great for students to learn so much about the science of plants, growing, the plant cycle, and what plants need to survive and grow. It also teaches them responsiblity and collaboration! Great idea!
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I think kicking a nursery off early would be an incredible method to acquaint understudies with plants prior. I would state in the event that you got the assets to begin a little nursery in the fall and have the option to ship the plants outside when spring opportunity arrives then do it. Understudies will have the option to perceive how the little seeds transform into blossoming plants when spring comes. I have seen primary schools do plants in the school yard and figure it would be an extraordinary exercise to instruct. Simply envision if the understudies had the option to watch the seed grow, care for it in the winter, at that point watch them thrive in the nursery at spring time. How astounding would that be!
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Hello,
I really appreciated your attatchment because I have always been so drawn to doing a classroom garden to promote involvement, responsiblity, and community within the classroom. Thank you again! Regarding your question, I think that wither way would be beneficial for the kids becuase it just depends what you want to use the garden for. If it is just to promote community and healthy lifestyles, I would do it at the beginning. However, if you are taking the more educational approach then I would do it after or supplementary to an academic unit.
Thank you,
Dani
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I beieve that it'd be best to create a garden with your students in the spring due to the fact that you may have more successful outcomes if you decide to create a garden outside instead of creating one in the classroom. Although students would have to wait until the spring time to begin planting flowers and plants, teachers and students can use the time prior to the spring season to plan and prep for their garden. I read this article called 'Preparing for Spring Gardening' by Peggy Ashbrook (found on this site) that pertains to this specific topic. The article is helpful and can guide any grade level from Pre-K to 2nd grade in creating a garden for the classroom. It provides different learning standards that can teach students about gardening. Overall, this article was helpful and interesting to see how this concept can be taught in different grade levels.
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Personally, I would advise to start the garden as soon as possible. This is because there are a number of changes that the students will see in the garden throughout the year. As the school year continues, the students are able to make observations as to when the garden produces the most, adn when it has trouble doing so. At such a young age, it is vital for the studnets to formulate thier observations in words and even pictures. In the spring, the students will see much grouwth from the garden. In the fall and winter, the students will not see as much growth. In this instance, this would be a great lesson to focus on in the class.
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Has anyone tried hydropinics in an EC class? I've done it at home (great tomtaotes, squash and cucumbers!), and have been thinking about modifying it for school. Suggestions?
Anne
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I think having a garden with your students is a marvelous and idea. Students will love the adventure of planting their own garden in the classroom. Students will be able to witness life as the plants grow. Students will feel involved in creating something wonderful, that is, life.
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Response to #Tyler Benson and his question about worm farms or gardens -
I became interested in vermicomposting (having worms help out in making compost) this past semester after teaching a 4th grade science unit on decomposers. For one lesson, I bought some fishing worms at the gas station, and then planned to keept them to have them help me turn kitchen waste into garden food! Unfortunately, they escaped due to poor confining on my part (lol), and so my vermicomposting hopes and dreams were brought to a halt (not to mention that I have 5 roommates...I never even got to find out if they were keen on the idea).
HOWEVER, this would be a fantastic idea to implement along with having a garden of flowers or vegetables with students! Worms provide nutrients for the soil in their castings (their poop), while at the same time decomposing things that are better left out of the landfill. While I don't have actualy experience, it seems like it would be a bit like taking care of a pet - although they aren't those that like much human interaction. I've found some helpful information from the following websites, and plan to implement a vermicomposting system of my own (and probably in a future classroom!) as the right opportunity presents itself. There are certain worms that are 'the best' for helping with creating compost (Red Wrigglers), and definitely practices that ought to be in place for establishing a happy worm farm.
I have not had the opportunity yet to present the idea of having a vermicomposter at school (being a preservice teacher), but I hope to in the future. In the meantime...if anyone else has done this, can I get the dirt on it??
Happy Gardening! :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8miLevRI_o
https://unclejimswormfarm.com/the-nitty-gritty/
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-create-and-maintain-indoor-worm-composting-bin
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/guide-to-vermicomposting-zmaz83jazshe
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Vermicomposting is fun to do inside. I've done it over the summer in my classroom. We just added lunch scraps, coffee, and newspaper strips. Our worms, red wrigglers from a bait shop, did well. Did have to monitor the spraying of the worms, so the poor things wouldn't drown! They were fine in the class, even over a three day weekend. I did keep the bin on a tray, and on the tile, as the liquid can stain carpets. As I was changing schools, I didn't keep them past the start of the school year
Now that I'm a different classroom with more space, we are talking about doing vermicomposting inside again, but decided to wait until after break:)
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On my local news tonight, Veggies for Kids, run by Nevada Cooperative Extension a program comb8n8ng garden7ng, healthy eating, and cultural background and language ( specific to an area). Might be worth investigating when planning gardening at school
Anne
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I posted this yesterday under the 'Gardening' topic, then thought I should also post it here!
At this time of the year, outdoor gardens aren’t practical for many of us. But try indoor gardens!
My students and I use this book for rooting and growing kitchen scraps
Don’t Throw It, Grow It by Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam ISBN 978-1-60342-064-8
This is a good teacher reference book on plants, and reads well
How Plants Work by Linda Chalker-Scott ISBN 978-1-60469-338-6
and this is a great resource for literature, year round
Junior Master Gardener’s Literature in the Garden http://jmgkids.us/lit/
Of course, Peggy Ashbook’s Science in the Early Years from NSTA Press is an excellent resource!
And here are some collections by fellow NSTA members of plants
Nancy Lopez “ Plants”
https://learningcenter.nsta.org/mylibrary/collection.aspx?id=oePFm/p61eM_E
LaToya Pugh “Gardening Collection”
https://learningcenter.nsta.org/mylibrary/collection.aspx?id=g/xIVZpte6c_E
Mindi Eskridge “Gardening Science Collection”
https://learningcenter.nsta.org/mylibrary/collection.aspx?id=vg1vHExokjg_E
Now to another seed catalog. Spring WILL come!
Anne
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I would suggest to wait until spring begins so the idea of a small garden begins with a good start. If you would like to start and imply the plants fro example its cycle you can do an in class activities. For example when i was in elementary we were given a zip loc bag and we each got a damp towel and put the bean inside the bag with the towel. Our teacher would than tape our baggies to teh classroom window. As the weeks went by a small plant started growing and we were all amazed by it. So if you want to start your students intereest in plants and taking care of them i would suggest this in classroom idea.
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Hello Peggy,
Gardening is a great way to engage students in Science that also teaches them how to become self sustaining when considering food production. You should start prepping for your garden immediately by introdudcing the materials and process that gardening entails before introducing the children to the actual garden space. Good luck and I hope you have a productive harvest!
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Hello Peggy,
Gardening is a great way to engage students in Science that also teaches them how to become self sustaining when considering food production. You should start prepping for your garden immediately by introdudcing the materials and process that gardening entails before introducing the children to the actual garden space. Good luck and I hope you have a productive harvest!
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I think that gardening with your class is such a fun, hands on science activity! I would suggest starting whenever the weather is suitable for the plants and the kids aren't too cold. You could plant items that grow well during the season, and then eat them whenever they grow!
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Peggy, I really like the idea of having a garden for students as well. It's something that I am hoping to implement in my future classroom. I hope to teach kindergarten, and I am wondering what you think is the right amount of work and responsibility you think is good for this age group in a garden?
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Peggy,
I never had the opportunity to grow a garden in school and think that would be a very fun and beneficial activity for students!
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Peggy,
Much of my science education in elementary school never included any hands-on learning! I think this would be a good way to get your students engaged and excited to learn, as gardening is an interest to many children and adults!
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I think starting a garden is a great idea. I think starting it right away would be a nice activity to help students get involved. It also helps teaches students responsibility becuase they have to constantly care for the garden. I would like to start a garden in my future classroom because I think it is a fun activity the students would like.
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I have seen first hand how planting a garden with preschoolers can be and they get so invested in it. At my job we do it every year and the students get extremely excited and are constantly asking when they can get the chance to go water their garden. I agree this does give them a sense of responsibility and also a sense of involvement in the school.
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Hello, this is Ricardo Diaz, a student from FIU learning elementary education. It immediately took my attention when i saw you were looking for ways to start a garden with your students. Starting a garden with preschoolers has so many benefits. Besides their attention being completely drawn to starting a garden, you can use this as a learning opportunity and teach many lessons from it. Growing different fruits and plants will get them to understand the concepts of seeds and that they can planted to create a variety of plants. Also, they can learn about the necessities of a plant, being sunlight, water, nutrients from the soil and CO2 to grow. Trust me, they will be so excited about this they will go straight to their parents/guardians to tell them all about it!
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Hello, I loved your ideas for creating a classroom garden. It is sometimes hard to maintain gardens throughout the winter, so the idea of having a classroom garden. This would make it easier to incoorporate the garden into activities within the classroom. For younger students teaching how seeds grow and different types of plants is essential and also a fun activity for students. This also might give students the idea to start their own garden or plant some plants at home. I hope to implement these ideas into my classroom.
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I love the idea of having a school-wide garden! It is a great opportunity for students of all ages to learn about how seeds grow, what makes up a plant, and the basic survival needs of plants and animals. It is also a great opportunity to get different grades involved together in the learning process by teaching each other or helping each other. It also gives the student an opportunity for a change of scenery and to deepen their learning by doing real-life activities.
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Gardens are such a fun and interactive way to foster learning experiences with students! I think it is a wonderful idea to implement a garden at your preschool when you relocate. I personally would wait until spring when everything has calmed down a bit before jumping into starting an actual garden. While waiting for that time to come, there are many smaller scale gardening activities you can do with students! One year I grew basil plants with my students in small plastic cups! It was so much fun! All you need is the seeds, cups, and top soil of your choice. Have the students work with you to set up their mini garden cups so that they get the full experience. Have students write their names on the cups so that they know which plant is theirs. Then in small groups have students fill their cups with the soil and a couple seeds. You can set the cups on a window ledge or in a box outside during the day. Students will ba able to keep track of their plants progress and chart the growth! There are many ways to integrate other subject by having students draw or creatwe models of their plants, write about the changes they are seeing, make predictions and observations about why they thing the plants are growing and what could be changed to make the plants grow bigger or faster, etc. So until you are settled and have the time to create an actual garden, mini gardens in a cup are a wonderful engaging activity for students!
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I think starting a garden is a wonderful idea. I was not fortuniate enough to get the expierence of starting a garden, but my first grade teacher did have us create a worm farm. I enjoyed everything about it. It was a great expierence to work hands on with and it taght me so many different things besides just being a worm farm. We learned about decomposing food, the 'life' of a worm, this activity taught us how to be responsible and accountable. I'm also 22 years old and it's a activity I will never forget, which is overall the grand idea. We want to create a learning activity/enviorment that students remember. I think creating a garden is a great idea and I think it teaches students beyond the standard. I would also wait to start your garden until spring and I would let the students help plan the garden. I think this way it give them more responsiblity when the time come to start planting and taking care of the garden.
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