Agriculture Literacy, Environmental Literacy, & School Gardens

What is a School Garden and How can Garden-Based Instruction Help Students?

School Gardens in El Dorado County

With our rural atmosphere and the many outdoor opportunities in El Dorado County, you may wonder how our local students would benefit from school garden programs. Answer: for the same reasons that urban students need garden-based learning opportunities! Please read on....

Schnell Garden Photo 1

A school garden provides teaching opportunities to incorporate hands-on activities for a diversity of interdisciplinary, standards-based lessons. The garden engages students by providing a dynamic environment to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn.

Through the garden,

students gain an understanding of ecosystems
appreciation for food origins
and knowledge of plant and animal life cycles.

Experience with food and growing systems is especially valuable to local students in nurturing their understanding of the importance of agriculture and the natural environment in our community.

Read more on how school gardens support

Academic Achievement
Healthy Lifestyles
Environmental Stewardship
and community & social development

at the California School Garden Network website's "Introduction to School Gardens."

How can garden programs improve academic performance?
Gardening with children has the potential to improve academic performance, increase ecological and agricultural literacy, and improve dietary habits of children. Read more regarding research and policy supporting garden-based learning at the California School Garden Network website under Research and Policy.

We want to start a school garden but have no idea where to start!
There is no "one way" to start a garden-based learning program. California school garden programs range from acres growing food to supply the cafeteria to a sole container growing flowers outside of a classroom. The following are some ideas of where to start:

Gardens for Learning - Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden California School Garden Network Available free to teachers! Also down loadable at: http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=34

Garden of Learning Curriculum - Developed by Kelli Wessman, local school garden advocate and expert - http://www.gardenoflearningK6.com

Getting Started-A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms, Life Lab Science Program 1997, Reprinted 2006 - http://www.lifelab.org/store/curriculum/#GS