Author Archive

Model for Garden-Based Education in School Settings: A Tool for Educators,   Abbey Jaramillo, Executive Director of Urban Sprouts has posted their one-day training information online. Use this model to plan and evaluate your program. As you plan your lessons, use the Program Design box as a checklist to make sure the overall program enhances the school’s curriculum, physical and social learning environments in as ... Full story

Gardens are powerful educational tools, providing opportunities for children to experience the natural world as they develop strong academic skills and positive attitudes toward fresh fruits and vegetables, and learn important sociological skills that enhance the quality of ... Full story

Writing in Friday’s (June 17) edition of the journal Science, researchers report that this shift is being driven by three principles that are emerging from cross-disciplinary work: learning is computational, learning is social, and learning is supported by brain circuits linking perception and action that connect people to one another. This new science of learning, the researchers believe, may shed light into the origins ... Full story

By Dan Vergano, USA TODAY "New insights from many different fields are converging to create a new science of learning that may transform educational practices," begins a report led by Andrew Meltzoff of the University of Washington in Seattle. The review in the current Science magazine makes the case for psychologists, neuroscientists, roboticists and teachers combining to quietly create a new field that combines everything ... Full story

                          Skills they will practice: communicating, sorting, categorizing Tape a large sheet of paper to the wall and record kids thoughts there.  Introduction : "We are going to be talking about how plants and certain insects depend on each other and why it is important to us."  Participants brainstorm about all the plants they can name. ... Full story

  Goals: To understand the interdependence of certain plants and the insects that pollinate them  To understand the process of pollination  To become aware of how people depend on pollinators for food  Background Material (Note: Background material is designed to provide helpful information to educators. It is not intended to be shared directly with participants.)    Pollination is central to successful reproduction in most plants. Simply stated, it is the transfer of pollen ... Full story

All kids are fascinated by bugs and crawling things. Why not add some “bug” poetry to your entymology lessons. Poems can be a fun way to introduce insect anatomy and feeding habits, as well as the role of insects in the garden. Here are two poems to get you started:   THE DRAGONFLY I am the dragon, The demon ... Full story

It is no secret that K-12 public education in the United States is in crisis. Schools are plagued by poor student achievement, low graduation rates, entrenched unions, demoralized teachers and disaffected parents, when by rights U.S. schools should be the finest in the world. The troubles of the nation's schools have caught the attention of software innovator and philanthropist Scott Oki. In this thought ... Full story

Author: Sarah Pounders Grow it, know it, try it … love it! Educators and parents across the country are using this philosophy to get young gardeners hooked on fruits and vegetables. Both anecdotal and research-based evidence lend support to the theory that experiencing food from seed to table builds excitement for fruits and vegetables and motivates kids ... Full story

Building the classroom connections from the soil to the table. For teachers, administrators, parents, or volunteers who are wanting to start a school garden or evolve their present garden: We will explore regional support networks, curriculum and essential learning requirements, basics of gardening, food safety, small livestock, and the kitchen connection. http://quillisascut.com/farm-school/school-gardens/ ... Full story