#12. Garden Museum @NetZeroLee

Our school garden functions as a living classroom where children discover how vegetables and flowers grow. I am also committed to expanding our garden education program to foster their curiosity, independent thinking, and character traits that will benefit our learners in the future. I will share our approach in this newsletter.

I often wonder what parents hope their children will gain from our garden education program in various situations. If you have any requests or ideas, please fill out the Google form. I would greatly appreciate your insights on our garden education program.

A visually appealing scavenger hunt is an engaging and effective way for kids to pay close attention to the nature around them, which they might otherwise overlook.

The pictures below are used in the scavenger hunt while exploring the garden. Through this activity, our learners become familiar with the plants in our garden, paying attention to each plant's traits and identifying them among other plants.

I also included the pictures I took a week earlier so learners can speculate about how plants change over time, helping to develop their reasoning and thinking skills.

Did you know there are so many flowers and vegetables growing in our garden?

G1, G2, GK, G5, & B5 participated in a scavenger hunt to learn about the 24 plants in our garden. 🌼🌹🥬

Observing similarities and differences is fundamental to science. Even 4th and 5th graders found it challenging to identify the three similar plants—cabbage, broccoli, and collard greens—in a complex natural setting.

Not all cabbage plants look the same, so kids learn what they share in common and how they differ, paying close attention and comparing with each plant in the real world.

In the school garden, kids can develop this observing skill through a fun plant-identifying game.

Who ate our broccoli leaves? The P3B learners guessed various animals, such as birds, bunnies, and caterpillars, that caused the damage. I explained how bunnies and mice damage plants differently from caterpillars.

Then they looked for caterpillars but wondered where to find them. They learned that caterpillars often stay on the undersides of leaves, such as those of broccoli, cabbage, and collard greens.

It was also a great opportunity to understand the ecosystem because they learned about wasps, which are caterpillar predators, and observed a wasp nest in the garden. I also introduced them to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural soil bacterium, used to safely and effectively control garden pests, making it an approved option for organic gardening.

Additionally, they examined the caterpillars under a microscope and were surprised to find spikes on their bodies!

A lot of real-world learning was happening during this activity.

Taking a picture of the damaged plants and hunting for caterpillars.

Spotting a ladybug is always a highlight in the garden. The kids learned how they need to behave when observing a wasp nest.

The learners hunted many caterpillars and observed one of them using the microscope.

While structured exploration, such as a scavenger hunt and a plant-identifying game, guides the learner's focus, free exploration functions like an open-ended question.

Encouraging our learners to explore our garden freely gives them autonomy and ownership of their learning. Learners often discover creatures like ants, ladybugs, caterpillars, worms, bees, wasps, and spiders in the garden. This sparks their curiosity, prompting them to observe and wonder about nature and how it works. Starting with their own questions, they develop independent thinking.

Providing exploration tools, such as magnifying glasses, binoculars, and a microscope, as well as references like books and catalogs, supports their inquisitive exploration.

Y4 learners found fire ants carrying a worm.

B4A Learners found a large, beautiful spider web and a bird feather in the field.

Tools, reference materials, and conversations are vital learning resources in our garden education.

When emotions are activated, our learning becomes more effective. Garden education promotes this experiential learning.

B2 learners explored "forth and motion" by removing weeds with tools. They began by using small shovels to pull weeds from the garden soil, which was easy and quick. Then, they used large shovels to remove weeds from the hard, heavy clay soil, which was more challenging and required lots of time and effort.

Using not only small shovels but also large shovels made their learning more emotionally impactful and deep.

The garden is filled with emotionally charged moments, from the surprise of finding a ladybug to the joy of working together to move heavy soil bags.

These experiences allow them to learn more profoundly through their feelings and emotions.

B2 investigated force and motion using different sizes of shovels to remove weeds in two locations. In which soil did you need to use more force— garden bed or ground? Which shovel worked best for each type of soil and why? 💪

B2 learners used force and motion with different-sized shovels to remove weeds from the hard soil. I was impressed with their strategic thinking and perseverance!

Active Learning learners planted a strawberry plug and garlic. They also watered the garden bed. It was a beautiful day, feeling the teachers' love for their learners!

Garden projects are exciting because they are naturally unpredictable. Even with thorough research, we can't be certain of their success. Storms or animal attacks might damage our plants. We watch the plants closely, learn through trial and error, and move forward with curiosity and optimism.

Real-world projects offer invaluable hands-on experience, equipping our learners with the skills and knowledge needed for future pursuits, including goal-setting, strategic thinking, teamwork, and taking action.

When you eat strawberries, do you think about which variety they are?

If you grow strawberries, you need to understand that. P5 learned about the types and varieties of strawberries and discussed which one they should grow. There is so much information from research, but what is the most important factor to consider? The harvesting time - we need to harvest before the school ends! 🍓

P5 discussed how to use the extra strawberry plugs they would receive and considered sharing the plugs and their knowledge with others to help them grow. They also added fertilizer and tested the soil pH, which seemed slightly more acidic than last time.

P5 learners finally planted strawberry plugs after researching and preparing the soil! They also planted garlic, which is a good companion plant for strawberries, measuring the depth and spacing.

The P5 learner planted strawberry plugs in fabric and plastic containers. They also made a plant sign for each plant and a bed sign. Their bed looks beautiful and personalized, showing their attachment to their strawberry plants!

We had to install the fences to protect our strawberries from bunnies. 🐰

Since September, B4A, G4B, and G5 learners have been responsible for the garden beds and have taken good care of them. They also kept taking pictures of the garden during their visits to use in their presentations.

Some of the learners took turns watering and checking the plants to maintain their beds in the mornings or during recess.

However, their carrots were damaged by animals, so we covered the beds initially with frost cloths. It took some time to install a fence to protect our plants.

When schedules were tight, the teachers were flexible and made time for small groups to work in the garden.

When the learners visited the garden after two weeks, they exclaimed with joy, “My carrot!” I was delighted to see that they remembered which plant they had planted, felt a sense of ownership over it, and were pleased with its growth.

Taking the whole class to the garden regularly requires a lot of effort, but I believe the experience of growing plants and sharing feelings together offers a worthwhile and enriching learning opportunity.

In October, they planted lettuce, radish, spinach, Bok Choy, and strawberries, and harvested radishes!

G5 checked their plants after 2 weeks

Watering Crew in the Morning

We covered the beds with frost cloths and then set up fences. The garden fence can be detached so learners can work more easily!

Our Garden Gurus, a team of 4th and 5th grade volunteers, worked on garden tasks each morning. Thanks to the B4B members for their help with watering, plant care, fundraising ideas, sign-making, and collecting water bottles for future projects! 🌱

Visit my blog, "Unlock Our Life", to discover more about our garden education!

Thank you to the teachers for collaborating and being so flexible with outdoor learning!

In this newsletter, I have included the pictures taken by teachers.