This issue focuses on the costs of keeping up appearances by landscaping the environment. Although insects can be a threat to plant health, much of the injury they cause will only threaten plant appearance. The study comes from a survey of two groups, landscape specialists and homeowners, who were asked to identify which plants in a photograph…

Provides ideas for activities related to gardening and growing things for elementary school media centers and classrooms. An annotated list of 49 age-appropriate sources of information, including 10 picture books, 5 audio-visual aids, and 2 adult books, is provided. (LRW)

A landscape architect explains how maintenance requirements and costs are affected by landscape design, the physical demands of the site, and the relative use of grass, ground cover, shrubs, and trees. The relationship of these factors to initial and ongoing maintenance costs, including staff requirements, is discussed. (MLF)

The principal of Grafflin Elementary School describes how staff, parents, and students worked together to build a school greenhouse. He explains how PTA cooperation was secured, money was raised, construction accomplished, and how the facility is used by each grade. Also provided are classroom gardening tips and a booklist. (SJL)

Background information on the methods and varieties used to demonstrate the cultivation of plants without the use of chemical pesticides is provided. Discussed are species and variety selection, growing plants from seed and from seedlings, soil preparation, using cuttings, useful crops, and pest control. (CW)

This guide describes activities for school-age children in after-school day care programs. These activities may also be used in other settings. An introductory section discusses program philosophy, room arrangement, multicultural curriculum, program scheduling, summer programs and holiday care, field trips and special programs, age grouping,…

What can be done with a landscape besides just sitting back and enjoying it? The Lee County School Board's Landscape Playground Improvement Program, detailed within this document, was designed to enable school centers to improve aesthetic appearance, energy conservation, school climate, instructional opportunities, and community and school…

The Individualized Educational Program development guide is intended for handicapped students at the VIEW level (Vocational Instruction and Experience Workshop). Goals, objectives, and activities are specified for each of seven categories (sample subsections in parentheses): (1) assembly skills (collating, sorting, filing, folding); (2)…

Developed for desert gardeners and farmers, the guide describes "kaicka" (the storing of seeds)--seed saving the Papago-Pima way. Setting the mood for the document, the introductory material contains the story of kaicka via a dialog between a child and his grandfather (presented in Papago and English). The additional sections which make…

The purpose of this study was to identify the professional horticultural competencies that vocational horticultural teachers must perform successfully and to distinguish between those competencies needed by entry level teachers and those needed by experienced teachers. A secondary purpose was to examine differences in the ratings of the…

These nine cooperative extension bulletins provide basic information on various alternative agricultural enterprises. Discussed in the first eight bulletins are the following topics: business ownership (sole proprietorship, partnership, incorporation, cooperatives); business and the family (goals, qualifications, ways of ensuring family support,…

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for occupational education in the floristry cluster. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing, the process used to develop…

The purpose of this project was to prepare materials to be used in the review and evaluation of an agricultural occupations program. Based on standards validated by Illinois agricultural occupations teachers, a standards workbook was developed that included standards specific to agricultural production, agricultural sales and service, agricultural…

This booklet is intended to serve as a mechanism whereby special educators and vocational instructors can work cooperatively in developing an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for special needs students. The planner identifies appropriate occupational areas (horticulture, apparel assembly, carpentry, food service, and plumbing) and then…

Britain's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are work qualifications that measure what an employee or potential employee can do as well as how much he or she knows and understands about a particular job. Used as written proof of usable workplace skills that can be put to profitable use by an employer, NVQs range from basic Level 1, for…