Growing the Future by Teaching Children in the Gardens

Transcription

1 Growing the Future by Teaching Children in the Gardens / 20 Miamiview Drive, Loveland, OH / Planting a Salad Kindergarten Lesson Summary When to use this lesson Use this lesson for your first early spring planting. We plant in mid-march, around St. Patrick s Day, to give the plants time to develop for a May harvest. Objective Students understand that have basic needs to grow that are dependent on the conditions in the seed s environment. Materials Flour in zip top bag Pre-packaged Planting map Plant markers Small sample of soil from a non-garden area Three buckets of water Bucket of empty water bottles with the tops cut off Compost or soil thermometer Air thermometer Worksheet to track temperature Estimated Duration 30 minutes Ohio Learning Standards Connections Science Earth and Space Science Weather changes are long-term and short-term. Wind, temperature and precipitation can be used to document short-term weather changes that are observable. Yearly weather changes (seasons) are observable patterns in the daily weather changes. Science Life Science Living things are different from nonliving things. Living things include anything that is alive or has ever been alive. Living things have specific characteristics and traits. Living things grow and reproduce. Living things are found almost everywhere in the world. There are somewhat different kinds in different places. Living things have physical traits and behaviors, which influence their survival. Living things are made up of a variety of structures. Some of these structures and behaviors influence their survival. Social Studies Geography: Human Systems them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 1

2 Humans depend on and impact the physical environment in order to supply food, clothing and shelter. Food, clothing and shelter are basic needs for humans. The physical environment provides resources to meet those needs. Humans impact the physical environment when they use those resources. Planting Tips Pick up your seed kits from the barn several days in advance, so you can check them for accuracy. Each seed kit includes seed packets for students according to the table in this lesson and a bag of flour to help mark the garden beds. Ahead of time, review the seed planting instructions and map. The position of the seed placement on the maps takes into account companion planting. Students should plant all in the packet, and all seed packets should be planted. Since the map plans for 29 students, you may need to adjust the assignments a bit to fit your class size if it is less than a class of 29. For example, instead of two students planting onion seedlings in a bed, assign one student to plant all of the seedlings. Instead of two students planting peas in a bed, assign one student to plant both envelopes of peas. In advance, prepare your beds to visually show planting areas in your beds. Use flour to line the sections, and to create the lines on which students will place the paint sticks. If your flour is in a zip top bag, cut a very small hole in one corner for pouring flour. Place plant markers in the correct locations, according to the planting map. Consider placing the onion seedlings in the spot, with the correct spacing, where you want students to plant them. The green leaves should be above the soil line. Make a copy of the planting map for the teacher or another volunteer who will help you pass out seed packets. Separate the that go with that bed. Put the in the order that they appear on the planting map. You can work one bed and the teacher or volunteer the second bed. You and your helper will pass out the seed packets individually to students so you can open the packets with scissors or your fingers. In advance, fill three buckets with water for students to use to water their plantings. Collect some empty water bottles for students to share when they water. Place your compost and air thermometers in the garden area. Discussing Early Spring Plants We all need food. How do you get your food? Do you get food from a store, from a farmer s market, your garden? Even if your family buys food, the food started from plants growing outside. Today students are planting that will grow foods to make a salad in May. What are some foods you eat in a salad? We ll grow our salad foods in the garden. Share the names of some of the foods that students will be planting. We are planting now that will grow in spring temperatures that are warmer than winter temperatures. Is a seed a living thing? Yes, when the we plant receive the right amount of water, the seed will grow plant parts. The first parts to grow are roots and leaves. Why do you think them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 2

3 these parts are needed first by plants? Think first about what a plant needs to live. To live and grow, plants need water, sunlight, the right space, air, and the right temperature. Roots take in water. Leaves use water, sunlight, and air to make food for the plant. When you are at the beds, discuss the soil. To have the right space for the, we add compost to beds. Without compost, the soil in our garden space would be hard and would be missing nutrients that plants need to be healthy. Introduce the word nutrient by comparing it to vitamins or to the healthy parts that fruits and vegetables give students. Touch the soil with the students. How does it feel? How does it look? Compare it to the clay-like soil typical of our area. The crumbly feel of compost means that the soil is soft enough for strong roots to grow. Having strong roots means that the plant will be able to take in water to help the plants grow their best. Planting with Students Explain that the bed is marked in a way for students to know where to plant. There are lines to mark where the will be planted. Gather all students around one bed to show them how they will plant. Use a wood chip to draw 1/4-inch furrows on the flour lines. Next, show students how they will hold in their hand. They will hold in the hand they do not use to write. Show students how to pick up and space them in the furrow. Finish by covering the furrows. Assign students to spots and have all students make furrows on the flour lines. The teacher will guide students in one bed and the garden educator will guide students in the second bed. When the furrows have been created, pass out the and open the top of the envelope. Students, or you, pour the into the student s hand. When students have covered their, they water their planting by dipping a water bottle cup into a bucket of water. The exception to the planting instructions above is for students who will plant onion seedlings. Onion seedlings are planted 1-2 inches each deep in the spot you placed them. A wood chip or finger is used to make the hole. The hole should be wide enough for the roots to hang down straight. Leave all of the green leaves outside the soil along with a bit of the white. At the end of your class, have a student read the air thermometer. Pick the nearest whole number and ask the student if the temperature is above or below that number. Discuss the plants and animals seen. Record the air and soil temperature, and make some notes about plants and animals so you can discuss changes as spring progresses in the coming weeks. Wrap up: Do you think each kind of seed will start to grow at the same time since all of the will get the same amount of water and sunlight? How soon do you think we ll see plants? Planting Instructions Seed Number of envelopes per class Amount in each envelope Depth and Spacing Germination (days) Notes them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 3

4 Arugula Roquette Beets Early Wonder Detroit Red 1 1/8 tsp ½ in. deep 2 One of each type ¼ tsp ½ in. deep 4 in. apart 5 to 7 We plant arugula to offer a spicy salad green for our spring harvest. Arugula grows quickly and is frost hardy in early spring. 5 to 7 Each of the March varieties is red. Early Wonder is prized for greens. Carrots Little Finger (orange) Lettuce Bibb Black Seeded Simpson Super Red Romaine Oak Leaf Red Leaf Kale Dwarf Blue Kohlrabi Purple Vienna Onion seedlings Peas Mammoth Melting Radish Easter Egg 4 1/8 tsp ¼ in. deep 5 3 green 2 red One of each type 1/8 tsp ¼ in. deep 1 1/8 tsp ¼ in. deep 4 in. apart 1 1/8 tsp ¼ in. deep Count out 16 seedlings for your class 4 students will plant 4 seedlings each 4 4 are in each envelope 1 in. deep 3 in. apart 1 in. deep 4 in. apart 3 ¼ tsp ¼ in. deep Each dried pod contains 2 to 6, so instruct students to plant one pod in a spot then space for the next pod, and so on. 10 to 15 Carrot are small, but students should try to plant only a couple of in a spot. The leaves are edible. 2 to 14 Students should try to plant individual. 5 to 10 days We plant dwarf to save space in the garden. Caution students to spread down the row. 5 to 17 days Kohlrabi is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Caution students to spread down the row. Plant 1 inch deep. No part of the green leaves should be under soil. 6 to 24 Plant along the picket fence in the middle of the bed. The fence will support the climbing vines. Seeds are large enough to plant individually. 4 to 12 Seeds are large enough to plant individually. Start checking radish at 30 them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 4

5 Spinach Tyee Swiss chard Rainbow Turnip Purple Top White Globe 2 ¼ tsp ¼ in. deep 1 ¼ tsp ½ in. deep 4 in. apart 1 1/8 tsp ¼ in. deep days for harvest. Radish flowers are edible. Easter Egg radishes can be pink, red, purple, or white. 8 to 18 Tyee was chosen because it is resistant to bolting as temperatures warm in mid and late spring. Seeds are large enough to plant individually. 7 to 14 Each dried pod contains 2 to 6, so instruct students to plant one pod in a spot then space for the next pod, and so on. The rainbow mix yields chard with stems of yellow, pink, red, orange, purple, or white. 7 to 14 Grow for the greens or grow for the roots. Caution students to spread down the row. them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 5

6 Growing the Future by Teaching Children in the Gardens / 20 Miamiview Drive, Loveland, OH / Planting a Salad Kindergarten This week, we started our spring garden season by planting that will grow foods for a garden fresh salad in May. In science, we learn about traits of living things and about how changes in weather and the environment impact living things. We plant for students to understand how plants depend on the environment. Throughout the coming weeks, we ll observe changes in the garden to understand how environmental changes affect living things. Ask your student what we planted in our gardens and what we noticed about plants and animals today. granny@grannysgardenschool.org to join us for our next gardening experience! them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source. Page 6

7 Crowded kohlrabi Revised 12/ Granny's Garden School, Inc. We encourage you to use these lesson plans and change them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source.

8 Correctly spaced kohlrabi Revised 12/ Granny's Garden School, Inc. We encourage you to use these lesson plans and change them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source.

9 6 Onion seedlings 6 Onion seedlings 6 Onion seedlings 6 Onion seeedlings Granny s Garden School March Planting Garden bed is 10' x 3' Each small square is 6" Each large square is 18" Each label is planted by one student unless otherwise noted. 5 Swiss chard, Rainbow, 4 Carrot, Little Finger, 3 Radish, Easter Egg, 3 Radish, Easter Egg, 2 Lettuce, Bibb, (green) 1 Lettuce, Red Leaf, B E D B 9 Peas, Mammoth Melting, 9 Peas, Mammoth Melting, 7 Kohlrabi, Purple Vienna, 8 Beet, Early Wonder, 10 Lettuce, Oak Leaf, (green) 11 Spinach, Tyee, (2 students) 15 Turnip, Purple Top White Globe, 4 Carrot, Little Finger, 4 Carrot, Little Finger, 14 Beets, Detroit Dark Red, 13 Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson, (green) 12 Kale, Dwarf Blue, B E D A 9 Peas, Mammoth Melting, 9 Peas, Mammoth Melting, 4 Carrot, Little Finger, 16 Arugula, Roquette, 17 Lettuce, Super Red Romaine, (red) 3 Radish, Easter Egg, Revised 12/ Granny's Garden School, Inc. We encourage you to use these lesson plans and change them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source.

10 Growing the Future by Teaching Children in the Gardens Tracking Temperature and Garden Activity Teacher Seed Planting Date Date Week March 14 Air Temperature Soil Temperature Rainfall Sunny, partly cloudy, overcast Name of animal seen and about how many What plants have germinated? Week March 21 Week April 4 Week April 11 Week April 18 Week April 25 Week May 2 Week May 9 Week May 16 Revised 12/ Granny's Garden School, Inc. We encourage you to use these lesson plans and change them to fit your specific needs. We ask only that you credit Granny's Garden School as your source.