Gardens: Hands-on Experience for Students

I really enjoyed reading this article. The article discusses how students fail to make the connection between animals and plants. Animals use plants as a source of food and shelter. Many stu... See More

I really enjoyed reading this article. The article discusses how students fail to make the connection between animals and plants. Animals use plants as a source of food and shelter. Many students claim that they have never eaten a leaf or any plant. When a young student thinks of leaves, the image of leaves on a tree or the season of autumn comes to mind. Young students do not realize that people do consume plants and eat their leaves, not the ones that grow on a tree. Humans digest leaves from vegetables such as lettuce, collard greens and kale. Many young students did not know about the consumption of leaves due to the lack of understanding about where food comes from. Today, many students eat at fast food restaurants which offer processed foods such as hamburgers and French fries. Some students do not think about the gardens that grow potatoes in order to make French fries. To introduce students to the origin of food, The author suggests that schools should have a garden for students to grow and harvest vegetables. This hands-on experience is great for students to know how the food on their plate all started in a garden.

Eat A Leaf?

This article makes a good point. If you ask a child if they have ever eaten a leaf, they will probably say “No.” Young children do not think about lettuce, etc. as being a leaf they eat. ... See More

This article makes a good point. If you ask a child if they have ever eaten a leaf, they will probably say “No.” Young children do not think about lettuce, etc. as being a leaf they eat. The excellent lesson in this article gives details on how to take students on a walk to look for evidence of animals eating plants for food. Teachers can also use books and pictures to discuss this concept with young students. This lesson supports the disciplinary core idea LS1.C, that all animals need food in order to survive.