Sixth Grade Garden Rotation
Summary:
Sixth graders at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California, receive ten lessons in the garden. Their garden experience begins with orienting students to the space and teaching them fundamental gardening skills. They then explore a number of garden-related subjects, including decomposition, flower biology, pollinators, and more.
| No. | Lesson | Location | Grade | Key Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | ||||
| 1 | Respect in the Garden | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Classroom Culture, Garden Orientation, Behavioral Expectations |
| 2 | Card Hike | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Garden Orientation, Observation, Garden Names |
| 3 | Compost Lab | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Decomposition Compost, Living Soil |
| 4 | Bees | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Bees, Safety, Pollinators, Honey |
| 5 | Greenhouse Lab | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Climate Change, Greenhouse |
| 6 | Apple Cider | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Seasonality, Harvesting, Teamwork |
| No. | Lesson | Location | Grade | Key Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| 7 | Welcome Back Lesson | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Respect, Garden Work, Responsibility |
| 8 | Flower Discovery | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Structure and Function |
| 9 | Ancient Technologies Walk | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Ancient Technologies, Teamwork |
| 10 | Kale Pesto with Lemonade | Garden Classroom | 6 – 8 | Harvesting, Community |
