Illustrates a method by which individual students or small groups can make a compact, self-sufficient system supplying all the growth needs for bean sprouts. Outlines several activities that can be completed while the bean sprouts are growing. (DH)

Teacher action research is a powerful tool for change that begins with teachers conducting research in their own schools and classrooms in order to discover how to do something in a better way. This book contains a collection of action research reports written by seven elementary teachers (K-4) who were in their first year of implementation of…

This document features gardening activities for children in grades 3-5. Lesson plans target teaching children healthy eating habits; children should consume five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to take in the necessary vitamins and minerals essential for health and growth. Many lesson plans are also associated with physical activities…

A report on some pilot research which explores ways of investigating the mathematics used in two professional crafts: upholstery and gardening. The paper considers observations and conversations in the light of J. Lave and E. Wenger's theory of situated cognition. It describes a situation in which cognition had to be transferred because of a…

Describes how raising monarch, black swallowtail, and mourning cloak butterflies in a kindergarten class garden can provide opportunities for observation experiences. Includes detailed steps for instruction and describes stages of growth. Excerpts children's journal dictations to illustrate ways to support the discovery process. Describes related…

Describes several gardening activities that can be kept simple or used as a foundation for more in-depth projects. Activities include setting up an indoor garden spot, making compost which helps students understand the terms "decompose" and "compost", watching plants drink in which students measure water movement in plants, making herb gardens,…

From leading garden tours to planning a visit for Japanese teachers and participating in community theater, middle schoolers at Fort Worth's Applied Learning Academy learn academic content by working on community projects. Students' writing skills soared as they developed, edited, and field-tested brochures and trail-guide maps for their botanical…

Including teens' needs in the planning and maintenance of urban space suggests new methods of layering utility and maximizing benefit to teens and community. Discusses the Berkeley Youth Alternatives (BYA) Youth Employment Landscape Program and BYA Community Garden Patch. Program descriptions and evaluation provide future direction. (LZ)

Preschool children interviewed in small groups identified expected characteristics of a garden as part of a needs assessment. Students identified gardening activities they anticipate doing themselves. The young children's expectations were used to design and construct a garden that would have strong appeal to this age group. (LZ)

Children learn best when given opportunities to connect facts and figures with real-world situations. The article describes two class projects that demonstrate authentic, holistic learning. One project involves planting a classroom garden, and the other explores the desert of the Southwest. (SM)

Presents an activity in which students are asked to plan a garden then gather and analyze data on plant height versus available space. Provides historical information on gardening. (ASK)

In the past 5 years, the Center for Ecoliteracy's Food Systems Project has grown from one schoolyard garden to the complete reinvention of Child Nutrition Services throughout the Berkeley Unified School District. Using food as the organizing principle for systemic change, the project is devising a pattern of healthy food, improved academic…

Students from JFK High School and community gardening clubs in the Bronx cleaned up wetlands adjacent to the school and created various small theme gardens supporting diverse wildlife. Nationally, the schoolyard habitat movement aims to create stimulating outdoor environments where students can learn about local ecology, biodiversity, and…

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)