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Driving Question: Combatting Hunger in Central Texas
Nearly one in five Central Texans does not have enough food to fully meet their basic needs. What can we do to help? Plan a field trip to the local foodbank. For more information go to: Austin Food Bank.org -
Concept Map
Using a web map, students will brainstorm ideas on how to help combat hunger in Central Texas and create a concept map. View our concept map here. -
Research More Ways To Help: Grow & Give Garden
Children can brainstorm and research ways to help. Resources: Austin Food Bank.org lists how you can help, including pledging to give some of the harvested vegetables from your garden. KVUE News has a video about community gardening. -
Research: How to Grow a Garden
What different types of gardens are there? What are some practical methods that we could use to grow our garden? Have a local Farmer, Gardener, or Horticulturist vist the class or vist a local farm or plant nursery. -
Create Field Journals
Students will create and decorate the covers of thier field journals. The field journals will be used thoughout the unit to record information learned. -
Research: What do Plants & Humans Need?
What do plants need to suvive? What do humans need to survive? What plants will provide the most nutrients to people? -
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Classroom Compost
Start a classroom compost for the garden: Ask children to bring vegetable or fruit scraps from thier lunch or home and ask for things from teachers or cafeteria workers. -
Garden Blueprint
A classroom garden blueprint needs to be created. The blueprint might include:
1) Demensions of the garden.
2) Demensions of plant rows or plant bed
3) Labels showing which plants will be planted in each row or plant bed
4) How many plants will go in the row or plant bed
5) The spacing, in inches, needed between the plants -
Estimating Supplies & Water Esimation Game
Given the area of the garden have sudents estimate how much soil will be needed, how many or how long should a hose be to water the whole garden, the cost of supplies, etc. Students can play the water esimation game. -
Fundraiser
Fundraiser, donations, or grants to get dirt and supplies. For grant information, lesson plans, and other gardening ideas go to www.kidgardening.org. -
Prepare Garden
Prepare the gardening area by doing weeding, using soil, signs, etc. The garden area should match the classroom garden blueprint. -
Lesson: Division by Seeds
Students learn grouping and divsion using seeds as manipulatives. Lesson: Division by Seeds -
Sprout Seeds
Some seeds may need to be sprouted before planting. -
Record Sprout's Growth
Have students observe the sprouts and measure them for the next two weeks. They should record thier observations and measurements in thier field journal. -
Lesson: Measurements in the Garden
Have students plant thier seeds using the Measurements in the Garden lesson. -
Research: Pollinators & Helpful Insects
Have students research and find out what helpful bugs can serve as natureal pest prevention. -
Lesson: Symmetry with Plants and Bugs
Students will use pictures of plant parts and bugs to find symmetry.
Lesson:Symmetry with Plants and Bugs -
Lesson:Plotting in the Garden
The teacher will put items in the garden and form a grid using string. Studnets then have to plot the items on a x-y graph.
Lesson:Plotting in the Garden -
Lesson: Charting Plant Growth: Probability & Statistics
Students chrat plant growth in the garden.
Lesson: Charting Plant Growth: Probability & Statistics -
Record Growth Observations of Plants in Field Journal
October 13 & 15 Record Growth Observations of Plants in Field Journal -
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Plan: Class decides to either donate or sell produce
The class decides to either donate or sell produce. If they decide to sell the produce they will need to review money skills and entrepreneur skills. -
Lesson: Two & Three Dimensional Shapes in the Garden
Students will be finding, drawings, and labeling 2 & 3 dimentsional shapes in the garden.
Lesson: Two & Three Dimensional Shapes in the Garden -
Practice Graphing with Vegetables
Graph the amounts of vegetables the classes' crops yielded or graph the amount of money earned from selling each crop. -
Donate Food or Money
Have the class donate thier vegetables or money earned from selling the vegetables to the food bank.
