How to Incorporate Gardening Into School Curriculum
Incorporating gardening into the elementary curriculum can offer numerous benefits to students. Not only does it provide a hands-on learning experience, but it also fosters a sense of responsibility, patience, and respect for nature. By tending to a garden, children can learn about the plant life cycle, the importance of soil health, and the impact of weather on plants. Gardening can also help improve students’ physical health through outdoor activity and exposure to fresh air.
Furthermore, incorporating gardening into the curriculum can enhance various academic subjects. For example, students can practice math skills by measuring plant growth or calculating the garden’s area. They can also develop language arts skills by keeping a gardening journal or writing about their observations. Additionally, gardening can spark creativity and encourage problem-solving as students work to nurture and maintain their garden. Overall, integrating gardening into the elementary curriculum can provide a well-rounded educational experience that benefits students both academically and personally.
Check out my School Garden Blog for more hands on ideas. I also have many lesson options in my TPT store.
Other Ideas:
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- Mathematics: measure growth; use equations to predict germination and harvest dates; graph, space and chart temperatures. When starting garden raised beds, students can measure for volume of soil needed. They can measure the area and perimeter of each bed. Students can weigh harvested vegetable.
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- Economics: discuss budgets and how produce is used in bartering and the free market.
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- Geography: discuss how gardens are needed to sustain a growing world.
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- Science: seasons, erosion, pollination, life cycles, observations, weather, functions of plant parts, soil alkalinity, different types of soil. (With science, there really is no limit.)
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- Social studies: study history and origins of plants selected for garden, using a map when applicable. Explore the journey a plant must complete to move from the garden to the table. Discuss civic impact of bees on our livelihood and the problems we face with colony-collapse disorder.
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- Foreign language: use gardens to expose students to different culinary styles.
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- Writing: creative writing from the perspective of an insect
Sources: CSGN.org and FAO.org
