Growing Together: Open Forum

Hi! You all knocked it out of the park again last week with a fantastic Community Chat on Curricular Connections and NGSS in the garden! I'm attaching the recording and adding some of resources and ideas below that were brought up during the Chat or after. 

I also want to encourage folks to keep the convo going and chime in on this thread from Alicia asking for examples of topics you're using throughout the year. 

Resources

• Recommended garden curricula

• Symbiotic Schoolyard (paid)

• Junior Master Gardener (paid)

• Wildlife Gardener Certification from Junior Master Gardener (paid)

• KidsGardening Curriculum (multiple topics, some paid, some free)

• KidsGardening Lesson Plans (free)

• National Ag in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix

• K-2 NGSS Aligned Curriculum from Life Lab (paid and free sample lessons)

 

• Additional resources

• Sample list of K-8 NGSS that align with the garden (from Life Lab)

• Finding and Sequencing Lessons (great ideas from the SGSO Network)

• Webinar Recording: Next Gen Science in the Garden (presented by Life Lab)

• Webinar Recording: Exploring Math in the Garden

• Upcoming Webinar: Teaching Social Studies in the Garden with the C3 Framework

• Upcoming Webinar: Gathering STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math Projects for the Garden

• Ideas for an "Anytime Bin" (materials to have close to the garden for teachers to use): clipboards, pencils, trowels, magnifying glasses, wooden popsicle sticks, rulers, tweezers, a wagon

 

• Related past Community Chats

• Curricular Connections

• Literacy in the Garden

• Hydroponics

 

• Contact info for some of the Chat participants!

• Jenna Mobley: Jenna@lifelab.org

• Helena Kilstrom: kilstroh@wlwv.k12.or.us (send me a message if you want any help syncing your gardens up districtwide and coordinating support. Happy to help!)

• Jenny Garcia: Jenny@edibleschoolyard.org

• Vanessa Conley: vconley@vogelalcove.org (If anyone wants to chat about early childhood garden ideas)

• Sarah Pounders: sarahp@kidsgardening.org

• Regi Jones: regi@lifelab.org

• Natalie Jackson: natalie.jackson@chsfl.org

Time Stamps

8:30 - The importance of curricular connections and how to increase teacher engagement

18:35 - Examples of how to connect curriculum in the garden

27:10 - Tips for connecting physical/earth science NGSS to gardening

36:05 - What to do when timing of garden phenomena and sequence of standards do not match up

44:15 - Tips for increasing garden engagement when you're not there

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Amelia Dupuis
Kids Garden Community Manager
KidsGardening
she/her
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For folks interested in this topic, The Edible Schoolyard Project is hosting two free webinars related to integrating NGSS and Common Core standards!

Integrating NGSS Academic Standards

Date: January 23, 2025 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm PT over Zoom

Integrating Common Core Academic Standards

Date: February 12, 2025 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm PT over Zoom

Here's the link to learn more and sign up: https://edibleschoolyard.org/training

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Amelia Dupuis
Kids Garden Community Manager
KidsGardening
she/her
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