Home economics students agreed that learning about nutrition was more fun when it was related to foods that go into their favorite dishes, particularly when they shared in the growing of these foods. (Author/MW)

The 1987 Master Gardener program was presented at 16 locations in Iowa, where weekday sessions were supplemented with Saturday satellite telecasts. This cooperative extension service program provided special training in horticulture to members of the local community who would then work as volunteers through their local cooperative extension office…

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…

Interdisciplinary teaching resources for environmental studies at all educational levels are combined in this set of materials. Items include: (1) teaching aids for science, health, and nature study entitled: (a) "Insects--Here to Help You and the Environment," an 18-minute color filmstrip, cassette sound track and accompanying teacher's guide for…

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…

This document, concerning the 4-H horticulture project, includes a leader's guide and three youth activity guides. The leader's guide can be used to plan group project meetings that are both fun and educational. Activities can be adapted to various age groups. The leader's guide includes basic information for growing plants indoors and outdoors,…

Down-to-Earth is a program designed to increase 9- to 12-year olds' critical thinking and problem solving by teaching gardening through the scientific method. The combination of multi- and interdisciplinary topics has increased achievement and resulted in attitudinal and behavioral changes. (SK)

Describes a tree studies program in a fourth-grade classroom. Students collected local tree seeds and seeds from supermarket fruits, researched growing conditions, and grew seeds under various conditions. Students kept journals on local trees, observing seed dispersal mechanisms and examining rings on trunk slices. Inquiry-based tree studies…

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)

The Mathematics and Science Center serving five school districts in Richmond, Virginia, has developed devices and materials that teachers can borrow to produce mini-gardens in the classroom. Article gives directions for construction of a soil mixer and root-view box. (BR)

This series of learning activity packages is based on a catalog of performance objectives, criterion-referenced measures, and performance guides for gardening/groundskeeping developed by the Vocational Education Consortium of States (V-TECS). Learning Activity packages are presented in three areas: (1) preparing or improving soil, (2) operating…

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)

Describes historical precedents and current trends in the incorporation of gardening into the school curriculum in South Carolina and California. In these outdoor classrooms, children plan and implement specific projects related to nutrition, environmental awareness, and community beautification, as well as an appreciation for nature. (SAS)

The article describes a vegetable gardening project for the elderly (age 65 or older) sponsored by a community action agency and the New Mexico State University horticulture department. A student director and two instructors provided technical management, and the students (young and old) learned about production agriculture and each other. (MF)