Life Lab has cross-mapped every lesson in The Growing Classroom with the Common Core Math and Language Arts standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Check out this page for lots of great resources and lessons. View Resource »
Germination & Plant Reproduction
Growing seedlings from seeds isn’t just about getting a head start on next spring’s garden! It is a golden opportunity to learn about plant life cycles, seed structure, and little tricks that some plants have developed such as needing to expose seeds to cold temperatures before they will germinate. Take a look at this resource from Easy Science for Kids for tips and information on germination and plant reproduction. View Resource »
Botanical Classification, or What’s in a Name?
You may say “po-TAY-to” and I may say “poTAH-to”, but someone else might call it Solanum tuberosum. It can be easy to forget that the veggies we grow in our gardens are, first and foremost, plants. Plants can go under a variety of monikers and it’s helpful to understand where the various names come from and what they mean. This tool from kidsgardening.org is a great introduction to how we classify plants. View Resource »
Parts of a Plant Roll-Up Recipe
This is great for discussing what parts of a plant we eat. Most students are surprised to learn they’ve been eating flowers (broccoli, cauliflower) for most of their life. It’s easy and simple way to get students to try raw foods. View Resource »
Decomposition Observation Bags
From KidsGardening.org, students examine the process of decomposition and consider how living and once-living materials decompose to become part of soil. View Resource »
