Elizabeth Steele

MD

The Green Room: School Gardens

Wed, Jan 23, 2019 11:03 PM
Convincing and Compelling

Though this article is written to an audience of high school educators, I would argue that it also applies to middle and elementary education. The article listed compelling reasons why school gardens are important, provided guidance for starting and funding one, and listed potential ways to keep a garden running and involve the community. This is a well-rounded and very informative resource. I would absolutely recommend this to other educators.

Growing Gardens, Growing Minds

Wed, Jan 23, 2019 10:52 PM
A Fantastic Resource

This chapter does a fantastic job of laying out reasons and ideas for creating a school garden. Ranging from teaching kids about why eating healthy is so important, giving back to the environment, and better understanding the world around them and where food comes from, the chapter explains many potential benefits of creating a garden as a class project. The reading also lines up how standards from kindergarten through 5th grade can be met through lessons focused on or taking place in the school garden. By connecting everything back to specific standards, the authors give very clear purpose and direction to the use of a garden at every grade level and also make it apparent that the garden is meeting real educational needs. I think this is a well written, informative, and inspirational read. I highly recommend this to other elementary science educators.