Product ID : HE1002
“I enjoyed creating the garden. I really thought it was a great way to put it all together. I could really think about where in my school I could utilize this.” – Heather O.
Gardens are popping up in schools all over the United States. You might be wondering how teachers have time to build a garden on top of the rest of their responsibilities. You might think that incorporating a garden into the curriculum might take away from crucial learning time. Or, perhaps you are concerned about the weather in your region. It might seem impossible to have a garden where it is cold and snowy for most of the year. This is a unique course that promotes the idea of project-based learning and the many invaluable ways a school garden can have a positive impact on students. In fact, it does not matter what the weather is like where you live or how much space you have because we will show you how to use your own individual teaching conditions to create customized school gardens.
This course provides the resources and templates necessary for planning, designing and hopefully, one day implementing a school garden. In this course, teachers will also understand how school gardens connect to existing curricula and encourage curiosity in all learners. More importantly, it gives teachers a chance to reflect on their own practices and really understand the amazing learning that happens when kids can actually get their hands dirty!
PROJECTS TO COMPLETED
1. Assessment Questions
2. Develop an Action Plan
3. Design the Garden
4. Create a Chore Chart
5. Create (3) Garden Activities
6. Online Participant Survey
Basic computer file management knowledge, e.g. opening, saving and uploading files, creating folders, basic word processing skills such as using tables
Uploading digital pictures if choosing a hand-drawn project
· Word Processing Software: MS Word, Word for Apple, etc.
· Internet access
· Camera, if choosing to upload digital pictures
· Adobe Reader 11.1.01 or later required to edit and save coursework (You can download this software for free at Adobe.com)
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
· Read and analyze the benefits of implementing project-based environmental learning into the curriculum.
· Develop an Action Plan including a proposal to administrators.
· Develop a school garden design and make connections to curriculum learning.
· Use Internet resources such as The National Gardening Association to sketch a customized design for the school garden according to the USDA hardiness zones
· Recall school gardening facts in a short answer assessment using current research and the course text.
· Explore the many ways that integrating gardening projects and activities into the classroom can improve student learning.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
· CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. CCAR-R.2-10