Linking School Gardens to Academic Content

Gardens for Learing: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden Chapter 3 - Linking Gardens to School Curriculum

Click on CSGN's Curriculum page for lesson plans from various printed resources..

A Child's Garden of Standards: Linking School Gardens to California Education Standards. A guide to garden-based education using existing curricula in grades 2nd through 6th. It links activities selected from several published educational materials to specific academic content standards at each grade level in science, history/social sciences, mathematics, and English language arts. These varied publications, many already widely used and field-tested by teachers statewide, feature effective garden-based learning strategies. Download a PDF order form to purchase a hard copy or download a PDF version for free.

California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom’s K-12 Online Lesson Plans Over 50 lessons on plant based learning and ag literacy.

KidsGardening.com is one of the best online resources for gardening with kids. An extensive gardening with kids store and searchable database of lessons and articles are a few of this site's offerings. View their newsletter for current list of funding opportunities.

Life Lab Science Curriculum
K-5 Science Curriculum, CA State Science Standards Matrix, sequential units and lessons, lab books, blackline masters in spanish and english, units on food and nutrition. Life Lab Science Program also provides workshops using this publication.

The Growing Classroom: Garden-Based Science Activity Guide
Jaffe, Roberta and Gary Appel. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1990. CA State Science Standards Matrix, sequential chapters, suggested grade levels, food and nutrition units, blackline masters/lab sheets, extensive appendices. (490 pages) Life Lab Science Program also provides workshops using this publication.

Food, Land, and People
K-12th grade science- and social sciences-based curriculum consisting of 55 hands-on The subjects range from environmental science and stewardship to human populations and land use issues. Training is available.

Grow Lab: A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom
Pranis,Eve and Jack Hale.. South Burlington, VT: National Gardening Association, 1988.

Math in the Garden
This engaging curriculum uses a mathematical lens to take children on an education-filled exploration of the garden. Dozens of hands-on activities hone math skills and promote inquiry, language arts, and nutrition. All were developed to support mathematics and science standards and were extensively trial-tested by educators and youth leaders nationwide. Grades K-8, 160 pages.

Jr. Master Gardener Program and Publications
An international youth gardening program of the University Cooperative Extension network whose mission is to grow good kids by igniting a passion for learning, success and service through a unique gardening education.

• Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader guide (grades 3-5)
• Junior Master Gardener Handbook (grades 3-5)
• Health and Nutrition from the Garden Teacher/Leader guide
• Wildlife Gardener Teacher/Leader guide
• Operation Thistle: Seeds of Despair Plant Growth & Development (grades 6-8)

Garden Based Children's Literature The Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society honor engaging, inspiring works of plant, garden and ecology-themed children's literature through the "Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Awards" Program. View the list of Growing Good Kids Classics and other award winners.