River Valley Elementary School

Our goal for our school garden is to have a resource that will serve as a hands on learning tool for all students at our school. Our students in grades kindergarten through second grade study the life cycle of plants while third grade students go into the study of parts of plants as well as processes such as photosynthesis. We would love to incorporate a variety of plants and flowers to help our students have true hands on experience with these cycles. Students in 4th grade study Idaho State History. We would love to incorporate a native Idaho plant section to our garden to give our students hands on experience with the plants that thrive in the local habitats. Our fifth grade students participate in global learning projects such as the Tulip Project where they plant tulip bulbs at the same time as students across the globe. They will then track data on climate and geography and how it impacts the growth of the tulip compared to other classrooms. Having a school garden would enable all students to engage at a deeper level with the curriculum and extend their learning beyond the classroom.