Use of demonstration plots showcasing native forbs and grasses in public greenspaces or along well-traveled paths can be helpful in increasing awareness of beneficial plant species. Signage can be used as an educational delivery method--such as that used in arboretums and museums--to bring awareness of the importance of biodiversity, pollinators,…

The article presents the authors' experiences in designing a storytelling map guide for the botanical gardens of Palacký University, Czech Republic, from a pedagogical point of view. The authors introduce a three-pillared original concept. The overall educational contribution is a combination of educational, thematic and technological knowledge…

This article analyzes an educational initiative between Kew Gardens, Royal Holloway, University of London, and two London primary schools. The schools, located in areas of high ethnic diversity, worked with the members of the Mobile Museum project team -- including the Learning Department at Kew and researchers at both institutions -- to create…

This paper provides evidence gathered from two suites of non-formal science activities that were intended to increase engagement in science by culturally diverse groups. Both studies involved the delivery of science activities that were designed, implemented and evaluated to show culturally contextualised science. The activities were run in two…

Social connections are crucial for today's middle and high school students. We address this social need through a 3-H Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Cycle. Through the Three Sisters Garden activity presented here, we teach secondary school students about biodiversity and sustainability as we integrate the arts into STEM (STEAM). Students…

Will spring be early next year? This is a question the authors ponder each fall as they prepare for a yearlong citizen science project with kindergartners. Citizen science projects naturally promote the development of science and engineering practices. These projects can be integrated at any grade level and aligned to meet other content areas as…

How can we 'desettle' the colonial discourse and worldview of botanical gardens and its practices in teaching about plants? How can we move towards engaging deeply with who we are and think we are in relation to place, land, and the world, grounded in an intricate sense of harmony? How can we move our work in botanic gardens beyond regarding land,…

This column includes activities inspired by children's literature. This month's issue has students experience nature by examining how seeds are transported from one location to another or consider what it takes for organisms to survive in an environment. Both activities allow elementary-age children to think about how outdoor spaces can be…

In this paper I share my understandings of an elective outdoor environmental education course, a significant component of which was a field school. I helped develop this course at the Canadian university where I work as an academic, with the field school conducted on the island of Kaua'i in Hawaii. The paper describes the university field school…

Severe flooding was prevalent within the authors' region at the beginning of the school year. Many homes and fields were affected by the amount of rain that fell within a short period of time over multiple days. Their students were concerned about the impact this natural phenomena was having on their local community. Natural phenomena can provide…

A weed garden was constructed to quantify and improve identification skills among clientele. The garden was planted with over 100 weed species based on surveys on problematic weeds. The weed garden proved useful for introducing additional hands-on learning activities into traditional lecture-based seminars. Through seminar and field day attendee…

This practical lesson on greenhouses implements standards of the Next Generation Science Standards ("K-2 ETS I-2"; "K-LS1-1") and the preschool objectives from the Teaching Strategies GOLD. Teaching Strategies GOLD is an assessment tool available online and in print that can be used with any developmentally appropriate early…

To evaluate the willingness of teachers to incorporate aquaponics in the classroom, we engaged teachers in a 6-week project. Participants in the experimental group maintained small-scale aquaponic systems. All teachers completed pretests and posttests, and exit surveys. Both groups (experimental and control) scored significantly higher on the…

Many young children come to school with prior experiences planting seeds in a garden or in a pot, watering them, and seeing them grow. These early scientific investigations are designed to help children understand that seeds need water, something to grow in (such as soil), and the right temperature to sprout--if these conditions are met, a seed…

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010), many concepts related to area are covered in third grade: (1) Recognizing area as an attribute of a plane figure; (2) Understanding that a square with a side length of one is a unit square; (3) Measuring area by tiling figures and counting the squares it…