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I am still in school and working toward getting my Master's in Education. For my master's class, we need to come up with a project based assignment. I wanted to do planting a vegetable garden on the school grounds with a fifth grade science class. Does anyone have any ideas about how a lesson like this would begin? Or any books / websites you could recommend? Thanks.

I did a search of the forums using just the word "garden" and came up with several discussions on school gardens. Just put in "garden" in the search engine just below the words "Community Forums" and you will find lots of resources. Good luck.

Karyn,
Gardens are such a great way for kids to develop team-building skills and integrate science with other content areas. Depending on the population, I like to get the kids started with a cultural approach. My personal favorite is the 'three sisters' garden, because there is such a great lesson in cooperative relationships - the organisms 'support' each others' growth, the beans (legume) fixing nitrogen for the corn, the corn providing a 'trellis' for beans to grow up, the squash with its huge leaves providing a natural mulch for the roots of the corn and beans, and the tall plants cooling shade for the squash in the heat of the day. Great lesson in cooperation. Also there are some great Native American tales. Personally, I enjoy the collections by Joseph Bruchac, but there are so many to choose from.

There is the pizza garden with all of its obvious links to nutrition. You might try any number of other 'themes.' I like the themes because the kids are much more excited at that age about cultural ideas than they are about maintaining a garden, so it really helps to connect it to a fun idea.

I agree with Arlene - try the other forum where there is already a fairly extensive thread. I have posted a collection I started, but I will add it here as well for you.

A couple of sites you might want to consider:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/pizzagdn.shtml
http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/12033

Schoolyard Garden / Ecology Collection (5 items)

Teaching Through Trade Books: Growing a Garden

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Science Sampler: Seeing the world in a garden—Science and art curricula synergy

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Schoolyard Inquiry for English Language Learners

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Karyn, Sorry i only have a concept to offer you. Are you a teacher in Hawaii? If so, I worked at an elementary prior to my position in the middle school and because we live in Hawaii, the teacher's felt that the students needed to have an on campus experience that created a better appreciation for ancient practices and also dealt with sustainability. The students and faculty that were in charge, created a Lo'i or taro patch. Because taro was and in many cases, still is a primary staple crop of Hawaii, the engagement of the students and appreciation was amazing. Every year they would harvest the taro and prepare them for the other students. The awesome thing about taro is that you can cut off the root, which is the starch that we consume and replant the stalk, which regenerates. This activity shows them how to farm and care for crops as well as the sustainability factor in a time where we are running out of space and the natural resources to produce our own organic food sources. The kids all seemed to love getting down and dirty in the mud as well as reaping the benefits of actually being able to eat their hard work. If you have an easy to grow crop that has a sustainability factor, it really is a great opportunity to teach your students at a very young age, the importance of responsibility, hard work, sustainability in an uncertain agricultural society, and that there is tangible and great tasting benefits to school and academics. Hope this helps! I know i was amazed when i saw the entire process from start to finish throughout the year.