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!
Journey to the Center of a Seed
A seed is more than meets the eye. In this curriculum for grades K-4, students observe, sort, and classify a variety of seeds according to different properties, and then take a journey inside a bean seed to predict and observe changes that occur during seed germination. View Resource »
Digging into Soil: A Garden Practicum
What we find below the ground may be even more important than what’s growing out of the ground. This curriculum for high school (adaptable for middle school) links soil science to Next Generation Science Standards. These resources from KidsGardening.org will convey the importance of preserving and conserving our existing soil resources while adhering to educational standards. View Resource »
Teaching to the Standards
Collective School Garden Network has resources from across the Web to help you incorporate garden-based education and plant projects while adhering to educational standards. View Resource »
