In this two-day lesson, students will explore the agricultural practice of composting, and the role of decomposition in a garden ecosystem. The first day focuses on exploring the process of decomposition using observations of a series of compost piles at different stages of decomposition.
In this lesson, students will synthesize their learning from the unit in order to develop a planting proposal for the garden. Depending on how in-depth you want your students to go, you may choose to spend anywhere from a day to a week on this part of the unit.
In this eighth-grade science lesson, students test the pH levels of soil from three different sites in the garden to determine the level of acidity in the garden soil.
In this sixth-grade humanities lesson, students learn about ancient technologies from around the world by rotating through three stations in the garden: grain grinding, roller sledge, and irrigation.
This lesson invites students to experience soil and get to know the living critters that live in
it, and the nonliving things that make up soil. These activities can be taught indoors with
large butcher paper on the floors.
In this 8th grade science lesson, students prepare Kale Pesto and Ricotta Cheese, and visit the pH Lab where they use cabbage juice as an indicator to test the pH of common kitchen ingredients and products.
In this seventh grade science lesson, students deepen their understanding of pollen and pollinators by using microscopes to observe pollen and bee species from the garden.
When developing science lessons for the garden setting, we rely on four primary methods of integrating content into a typical garden class: opening circle demonstrations, rotating labs, small working groups, and hands-on experiences that take the entire class period.