Every garden is ripe with stories. Maybe it is one about the day the first shovel-full of soil was turned over and the garden was underway. Or about that time a brave rabbit dared to sample lettuce amidst a class of kindergartners partaking in a garden lesson. Each story has the potential to connect others with your garden and garden program. This brief offers tips for collecting and sharing the garden stories that make your garden program so special. Download Brief »
Water Conservation & Education in School Gardens
Water is an essential component of any garden. Attention to its use in a school garden offers opportunities for stewardship, education and fun. This brief provides an overview of how water conservation and education can be integrated into school gardens. It includes types of irrigation systems for your garden, strategies for water conservation, water education activities for the classroom and the garden, ideas for making water FUN, and links to relevant resources. Download Brief »
Outdoor Classrooms for Young Learners
Imagine a classroom with hills to climb, insects to observe, and special places to gather and reflect. Where does such a place exist? Outside! Outdoor classrooms teach children about the world around them. This brief outlines the benefits of nature play, suggests elements to include in an outdoor classroom, and highlights two Wisconsin schools combining nature, learning, and fun. Download Brief »
Outdoor Classrooms For School-Age Learners
Digging for worms, manipulating waterways, and exploring our surroundings know no age limit. Outdoor classrooms are ripe with opportunities for students of all ages to better understand and engage in the world around them. This brief outlines the benefits of outdoor classrooms, suggests elements to include when designing one, and highlights one Wisconsin school that has successfully expanded its classroom learning beyond the school’s four walls. Download Brief »
Indoor Gardening At School
Every fall, we put the garden to bed and wait out the long Wisconsin winter for spring to return. Creating a garden indoors is a wonderful way to continue hands-on, garden-based learning while the snow flies, and often gives students a chance to take a closer look at what’s happening with their plants. This brief gives an overview of some of the indoor gardening options available to schools, and resources for how to create them. Download Brief »
