University of Wisconsin
Sizing a Rain Garden
Most appropriate if you are applying the entire unit to build a rain garden at your school, this installment involves calculating the area that will drain into it. Your garden planners will need data from previous lessons, so this one...
Education Outside
Animal Homes in the Garden
First graders journey to the school garden to examine the habitats of garden animals. Using the provided graphic organizer, kids locate and sketch a critter and its habitat before returning it to its home.
Curated OER
Science in the Garden
Students examine soil from their local environment. In this garden activity, students recognize the importance of soil in the garden. Students explore the contents of the local soil.
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Soil Testing and Measurement
Students prepare their garden plot. In this gardening lesson, students use the Internet or book on plants to make sure the plants they have selected will be able to grow in their garden. The students assess and mark out the garden...
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Rosa Parks Community Garden
Students explore gardening and nutrition in the Rosa Parks Community Garden. They work in stations to discuss food choices, the life cycles of plants, and mini-composting. After starting in one station, they rotate to try each activity.
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How Can You Test Your Soil?
Students investigate chemicals in soil samples. For this soil science lesson, students test local soil to measure the pH, nitrate, phosphate, and potassium content.
Captain Planet Foundation
Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the lesson includes a game about consumers and producers with a...
Curated OER
Investigation 6 - Soil Profile
Fourth graders study the components of soil. They observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant growth. They record color, texture, and kinds of materials on their profile log (light color, denser, grittier -...
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4-H Horticulture/Garden Activity Page
As part of an exploration of plants, learners engage in projects to design greenhouses, grow vegetables, and other endeavors. This 20 question activity packet could be used as a classroom mini-lesson or as the start to a long-term project.
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It's Just Dirt
Young scholars discover how seed germination varies according to the soil type. In this soil science lesson, students discuss what plants need in order to grow and investigate various types of soil. Young scholars use their senses to...
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Landscape Garden Makeover
A project-based learning plan focuses on landscapes in the community. After identifying problems, such as dead trees or misplaced automatic sprinklers, learners design solutions, contact local organizations to fix the problems, and do...
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Making a Hanging Container Garden
In this making a hanging container garden activity, students read and follow directions for making a hanging container for plants.
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Garden Starters
Students grow their own gardens. In this planting lesson, students use egg cartons to start their own gardens by planting and caring for seeds. A game, a song, a craft, and a recipe are all included with the lesson to complement the theme.
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Make Your Own Garden
Students explore gardening. For this Quiet in the Garden lesson plan, students read the picture book by Aliki and extend the lesson by taking part in up to 5 hands-on activities.
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Soil Profile
Fourth graders research soil layers and create a soil profile in a jar. In this soil profile lesson, 4th graders working in groups, research a given layer of soil, make a 3-5 minute presentation to the class, and complete a worksheet. ...
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Natural Gardening
Young scholars study the effect of pesticides on plants and insects. In this gardening lesson, students discuss the importance of insects. They define pesticides, evaluate their effectiveness and the problems they might cause. Young...
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The Young Virginia Gardener: Windowsill Gardening-Starting the Garden
In this gardening worksheet, learners choose 5 plants from a given list to include in their windowsill garden then read about how to start the garden and answer questions related to keeping it healthy.
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The"Dirt" on Soil
Students examine the three different types of soil and their physical properties. In this soil instructional activity students design and implement a model of a water treatment plant.
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Decomposition, Soil, and Life Cycle Research
Students conduct background research on the decomposition process, soil composition, and the life cycle using the resources provided for Internet searches. They work in collaborative groups to research topics as a particular plant, soil...
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Planting Phil's Garden
Students explore gardening. In this agriculture lesson, students plan and plant seeds according to the procedure modeled by a "master gardener." Flowers are distributed at a local retirement home.
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Organic Matter
Written for an agriculture curriculum, this presentation on organic matter is also informative for gardening or horticulture classes. It details the chemical makeup, affecting factors, functions, maintenance, and composting to create a...
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How to Grow a Sunflower Plant
Students explore botany by conducting a sunflower growth experiment. In this plant life lesson, students identify the anatomy of a sunflower plant and the essential nutrients it requires to grow. Students utilize compost, soil, garden...
Education Outside
Erosion in the Garden
Groups create splashboards and use them to perform a series of experiments to determine the effect of rain on erosion.
Curated OER
Investigating the Response of Worms to Soil Improvers
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, but do they care what soil is all about? Find out in an easy and fun controlled experiment. Have your young biologists hypothesize, test, and draw conclusions about which type of soil worms...