This lesson plan works well with children 3-5 years old. Adaptations for younger children are also mentioned in the resource. The lesson involves learning about carrots and beets through reading and singing, seed, color, and taste investigations, and a cooking activity. View Resource »
The Wisconsin Food Systems Education Conceptual Framework
This Food Systems Education Conceptual Framework is not a curriculum itself. Rather, the framework provides the foundation and organizing structure through which curricula, activity guides, programs, specific lessons and other teaching materials are developed, whether that be in a pK-12 setting or a community setting. As food systems understandings evolve, along with our food systems themselves, the framework will too evolve. View Resource »
The Soil Story Curriculum
The Soil Story Curricular Guide is designed to educate middle school students about the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. Each of the five lessons supports students with understanding how carbon, as a form of matter, moves to and from various reservoirs on Earth. Building on what the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2013) suggest students know by the end of fifth grade, this unit engages middle school learners in using a visual model to explain interactions that occur when matter cycles between the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. View Resource »
The Three Sisters
This comprehensive project (designed for 5th graders) incorporates concepts of plant physiology, companion planting, ecology, history, and ethnobotany. It links to Next Generation Science Standards and is written to span two school years, but concepts could be adapted for shorter lessons. View Resource »
A similar lesson for younger students can be found here.
Want to cook with your Three Sisters harvest? Here’s a recipe!
Ethnobotany for the Holidays
Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants. Students share recipes of their favorite foods and research the origins and historical uses of important plant ingredients. Written for grades 3-6; adaptable for other ages. View Resource »
