Archive for the ‘Educators/Parents’ Category

"The school garden is a really good vehicle for kids to connect to nature and the community," said Sobel, who spoke at a REAL School Gardens meeting at Dallas' Alex Sanger Elementary School in late February. "And there's a lot of good research supporting the notion that integrating places like gardens into lessons increases student academic achievement. So it's not making choices between test ... Full story

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

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

Author: Sarah Pounders
 Overview Students learn that some microorganisms are beneficial to humans, while others are harmful. Materials: 
Internet
chart paper or chalk board
pots
legume seeds (beans or peas) 
potting soil
rhizobia bacteria*
rulers, pencils, and journals *Available from garden centers or catalogs Background Microorganisms are everywhere. They are so ... Full story