In recent years, many schools have taken up food gardening. This is a welcome trend, but it has had to be conducted as an extracurricular activity, often with the help of, or run by, parents and grandparents. Growing vegetables and fruit, if it is to be done well, is a complex activity. The potential good outcomes for health, learning, and…

Describes how to create a secret garden in an urban school backyard. Includes specific information on preparing the space and planting an eight-square-foot plot. (KB)

A teacher reviews the ways in which a garden project improved cognitive gains, responsibility, and appreciation of beauty in nature for learning disabled students (eight to 12 years old). (CL)

Elementary school teachers (236 of 315) who used gardening as an interdisciplinary teaching method indicated a widespread use of Master Gardeners to provide horticultural and gardening information and help with school gardening activities. Respondents also indicated a high interest (49.6%) in obtaining Master Gardener training. (SK)

Describes a school gardening program involving the classroom, homes of the children, and special tracts of land throughout the city. (DM)

Describes how gardens can be used to teach children about plants, wildlife, food, and the environment. Illustrates how gardens are established and used in various elementary schools. (CCM)

Presents a science unit for fourth graders on fungi. Included are instructions for making a mold garden. (SJL)

Describes a gardening project linking science and geography that creates an opportunity to learn about Native American culture. Includes instruction for implementing such a project. (NB)

Describes hands-on science areas that focus on trees. A project on leaf pigmentation involves putting crushed leaves in a test tube with solvent acetone to dissolve pigment. In another project, students learn taxonomy by sorting and classifying leaves based on observable characteristics. Includes a language arts connection. (PVD)

Describes an inner-city project which utilizes a skit, group study, and audiovisual aids and textbooks to teach gardening to elementary students. (LS)

Presents classroom activities designed to teach elementary students about soil, seeds, and sprouts and to guide them in gardening. The article also includes extension activities, home projects, and a student journal page. Curriculum materials are listed. (SM)

Proposes that it is critical for children to understand and appreciate plants, and that gardening can be integrated into the regular school curriculum. Gives examples of "pizza garden" and flower garden projects related to math, science, language arts, creative arts, nutrition and health, physical education, Earth stewardship, music, social…

A complete organic gardening cycle--from soil composition to harvesting--can be conducted using the 14 activities suggested in this teacher's guide. Background information, questions for discussion, and related activities are presented for each step in the process. The activities, useful for elementary grade students, are titled: Starting the…

This student handbook targets children in grades 3-5 and features both group and individual activities. By completing one group and one individual activity in each section of the eighth chapter, a student can become a certified Junior Master Gardener. Contents include: (1) "Plant Growth and Development"; (2) "Soils and Water"; (3) "Ecology and…

This program is a new and innovative gardening project that targets children in grades 3-5 (Level 1). This book contains eight chapters that feature group and individual activities. Students can become certified Junior Master Gardeners by completing one group and one individual activity for each teaching concept and by participating in one…