Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
Turning the Earth: A Month-by-month Guide to Your School Garden
Written by Vancouver teachers.
Contact:
Susanne Cruickshank
Telephone 604.736.8440
scruickshank@shaw.ca
Elizabeth Fletcher
Telephone 604 261 9475
efletcher@saltspring.com
The School Garden opens doors of opportunity for hands-on, active learning. As children work and learn in the garden, they develop specific knowledge and skills and acquire positive attitudes towards the natural world.
The environment is in a constant state of change and children can observe the rhythm of the seasons watching seeds germinate, plants grow, and animals, insects and birds visit the garden. Children come to realize the role people play in taking care of the garden throughout the year.
We have created a series of activities that can be used in any order. Flexibility is key, taking advantage of weather and serendipitous opportunities to use the garden. We hope that teachers will take children in to the garden regularly to draw, to sit and listen, to enjoy a story read in the open air, to write poetry, to be outdoors in a quiet and peaceful space that is their own, as well as following specific lessons that reach the objectives of the science curriculum.
Our activities in this section focus on exploration, experimentation, inquiry, asking questions, and making observations. Students will learn cooperatively and individually, developing a sense of community and responsibility towards the environment.
