LEGUMES & THE NITROGEN CYCLE

We LOVE science! We LOVE plants! We LOVE microbes! The third graders learn about life cycles in their classroom, so we taught them about the nitrogen cycle in the garden! We focused on how special plants called legumes are able to trap and harness atmospheric nitrogen in little Rhizobia-filled nodules in their roots that we…

A BALANCING ACT

Which is heavier: a piece of fennel or a brassica inflorescence? Find out in the garden! We gave students an assemblage of objects from the garden including rocks, sticks, and plant parts. They were asked to choose one object and compare its weight to their partner’s. First, students made a prediction. “My object will be…

SPRING ROLLS!

Spring has sprung everybody! The brassica flowers are blooming, the California weather is warmer, and the beautiful birds are singing! This week in the garden we made delicious spring rolls using plants the kids had grown. First, we took rice paper wrappers and soaked them in cool water while we walked around the garden foraging. The…

MATH IN THE GARDEN

As the second graders learn about inches and centimeters in their classroom, they get to practice those skills in the garden. Students pair up and bring a yard stick, pencil, and graph paper with them as they search for plants to measure. Once they find a suitable plant, they place one end of the yard…

TEA TIME IN THE GARDEN

While many children make nutritious snacks in the garden, some also formulate creative beverages during lunch! A group of fourth-grade girls bring cups of water into the garden and fill them with flavorful herbs. These students brightened up their water with sour grass, lemon balm, mint, curly kale, fennel, and miners lettuce. Combine it all…