School Garden Project of Lane County School Garden Project of Lane County

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    • In-School Education Programs
    • STEM in the Garden
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School Garden Project Curriculum

School Garden Project is regarded as the primary resource in Lane County for educators seeking to establish garden learning programs. Since 2001 we have been serving the community by providing standards-based garden education programs, training opportunities, and our standards-based curriculum. School Garden Project is recognized as an emerging local leader in STEM curriculum design and implementation, providing curriculum resources, teacher consulting, and direct STEM in the Garden education. We have worked collaboratively with local teachers and other educators to create powerful learning opportunities through school gardens. This curriculum has been applied in the field, tested and modified, to provide deeply engaging, relevant, and student centered education within the school garden framework.
  • NGSS in the Garden
  • STEM in the Garden

Next Generation Science

Our Science in the Garden Curriculum is a set of 10 lessons with a focus on exploration of life and earth science phenomena. Lessons have been refined by School Garden Project staff through years of teaching grades 2-5 and have been aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Each lesson contains a variety of activities which can be combined and adapted for lessons that range from basic to complex, depending on the needs of the student group. These lessons are designed for use during School Garden Project school day programming with classes of 18-36 students and require the assistance of an additional 1-2 educators. However, many of the activities can be adapted for use by an individual educator or for smaller groups of 6-10 students. School Garden Project offers these lessons as an free resource to the education community.
Lupe leaf observation 2During this lesson students will learn the six basic plant parts, gain an understanding of how they function to support plant survival, and create a vegetable wrap using all plant parts. A game will help students to begin thinking of the food they eat in terms of botany.
Plant Parts & Functions
During this lesson, students will explore the many ways in which seeds move away from their parent plant. Students will have the opportunity to explore and examine the diverse world of seeds, become engineers during the Build a Seed activity, and have the opportunity to save seeds from their own garden.
Seed Dispersal
SAMSUNGDuring this lesson students will explore the garden habitat through game based learning, garden exploration, and working in the garden to improve their own schoolyard habitat. Students will learn the importance of food, water, and shelter, and begin to understand the different needs of organisms throughout the world.
Garden Habitat
DSC_0099During this lesson students will explore the role of worms in moving matter through their environment! Through hands-on observation, game based learning, and compost building, students get up close and personal with worms!
Worms

DSCN0027During this lesson students will learn about the seasonality of plants in connection to their climate. Students will mimic diverse plant lifecycles through a game, plant summer crops and survey the garden for different plant lifecycle stages.

Planning the Summer Garden
Sarah CollinsDuring this lesson students will get serious about sediments! Through observation and exploration, game based learning, and soil sediment testing, students will get their hands dirty and feet moving to learn more about the earth beneath them.
Soil Composition
Daffodil pollination lesson- River Road ES, EugeneDuring this lesson students will learn about the important role that flowers play in plant reproduction and survival. Through flower dissection, pollination games, and related garden work, students learn that flowers create fruits and seeds through the process of pollination!
Flowers & Pollination

STEM in the Garden

Our STEM in the Garden units are series of lessons which revolve around the exploration of a single garden inspired topic of study. School Garden Project staff develop and utilize these units in after-school settings with students grades 1-8. Units uploaded to this site are identified with a grade level focus. Each unit strives to incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math through a variety of hands-on activities that build student knowledge, interest, and engagement around the theme and STEM. Units on topics ranging from soil and nutrient cycling, to the food system, to plant parts and function will be uploaded for free use by garden educators.
Sarah CollinsStudents gain an appreciation for the important role decomposers play in food waste recycling through scientific experimentation comparing the way that food waste breaks down in a sterile environment versus with the assistance of an observation worm bin that they make. Participants explore the world under our feet learning about not only what soil is made of but also getting an in-depth introduction to the many inhabitants of the soil. They learn firsthand through scientific experimentation just what would happen without decomposition. Scientific inquiry is the start of the STEM subject areas for this unit, though applied mathematics through measurement of samples, use of technology, and basic engineering are included.
Soil Unit
Daffodil pollination lesson- River Road ES, EugeneThis is a hands-on introductory course on botany and food production. Starting with seeds, students move through the life cycle of a plant exploring the ins and outs of each plant part. Games, scientific observations, and engineering projects guide students through the learning. As a final project, students will develop and design their own plant with plant part functionality in mind.
Plant Parts Unit
Printable Game Cards & Additional Materials

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Wildish Lane Company
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Down to Earth
Columbia Bank
Yellow Emperor
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Territorial Seed Company
Friendly St. Market
  • Welcome
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Meet Our Team
    • Join Our Team
    • Annual Reports
    • History
  • Our Programs
    • In-School Education Programs
    • STEM in the Garden
    • Garden Support Services
    • Curriculum
    • Additional Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • Perennial Leadership Circle
    • Employment
    • Event Calendar
    • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
(c) School Garden Project of Lane County 2016
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