Hands-On Garden Curriculum

A garden provides rich curriculum for the elementary school setting. A learning garden is the ideal platform for experiential learning about insects, fruits, vegetables, trees, flowers, herbs, seeds, life cycles, seasons, weather, water conservation, teamwork and solitude. A garden also provides inspiration for artistic and literary pursuits.

Each grade level has its own raised garden bed to support the specific garden curriculum goals:

• Pre-K:  Shapes and colors
   
• Kindergarten:  A Kinder Garden - Introduction to gardening, horticulture and environmental sustainability. A kind of playful “Kinder Garden” will be planted with colorful annuals and “fun” vegetables such as pumpkins, gourds, sweet peas, sunflowers, tomatoes, and strawberries.
   
• Grade 1:  From Seeds to Market - First grade will host a farmer’s market for our school community using the fruits and vegetables (harvested produce) from our garden.
   
• Grade 2:  Wings and Things - The community can experience the relationship between plant life and insects in our garden. It has annuals and perennials that attract a variety of insects which enable everyone to observe amazing life cycles in action.
   
• Grade 3:  Math in the Garden - Third graders use a mathematical lens to cultivate learning and explore the magic of nature. They master measurement, discover patterns, and graph observations.
   
• Grade 4:  California Garden - History comes to life as students work with plants that influenced the peoples of early California. Students learn how plants were used for food, medicine, and materials.
   
• Grade 5:  Water in California - Water is a scarce but very important resource in our state. Our students will explore the many ways in which this resource is used and misused and seek to develop their own answers on how best to conserve water in California.
   
• Grade 6:  Earth, Wind, and Fire - Sixth graders will study how water, wind, and heat energy affect plants and soil. They will incorporate charts, graphing, and direct observations using technological applications.