Free Resources from CSGN Partners
This is a list of highlighted free resources. Please visit our helpful links page for more resources.
Gardens for Learning
Gardens for Learning is a comprehensive guidebook that provides a strong foundation to support the growing school garden movement. It was developed by a team of experienced garden educators, nutritionists, state officials, and other garden experts. This guidebook is a must-have resource for anyone looking to enhance learning through the use of gardens in schools and other community settings. Click here to download.
Gardens for Learning Standards Supplement
The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom has produced a supplement to the Gardens for Learning book. This supplement maps the activities mentioned in the book to California State Education Standards for grades K-6. You can download or request a free copy at www.cfaitc.org/gardensforlearning.
California Department of Education School Garden Resource Packet
Contains over ten items, including Life Lab Science Program's "Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms." California Teachers request your free copy, by sending your mailing address here.
A Child's Garden of Standards: Linking School Gardens to California Education Standards
A guide to garden-based education using existing curricula in grades 2nd through 6th. It links activities selected from several published educational materials to specific academic content standards at each grade level in science, history/social sciences, mathematics, and English language arts. These varied publications, many already widely used and field-tested by teachers statewide, feature effective garden-based learning strategies. Download a PDF order form to purchase a hard copy or download a PDF version for free at the CDE's download page..
“WE Garden” Lesson Plans – California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC), along with other garden-based learning organizations, developed this series of 10 garden-based lesson plans in May 2009 as the educational component of First Lady Maria Shriver’s “WE Garden in Capitol Park.” Educators can use the lessons to transition the hands-on, real world experiences learned in a garden, into in a traditional classroom setting. Activities are based on overarching garden themes, such as Nourishing and Nurturing Soil with Compost, Following Food from Farm to Fork, Tasting and Testing the Harvest, and Observing and Identifying Garden Pests. Adaptable for students of all ages, the “WE Garden” lesson plans meet multiple CA State Board of Education Content Standards for first through sixth grades. Lesson plans are available for download at www.cfaitc.org/wegarden.
Plant a Seed, Watch it Grow
Web based guide to starting, caring for, and teaching in a school garden created by the Master Gardener Association of San Diego.
Student's Guide to Composting
Composting in the Classroom: Scientific Inquiry for High School Students, by Nancy Trautmann and Marianne Krasny is a comprehensive guide for teachers interested in guiding compost research projects by high school students. Click here to download.
Free Seeds! from The Dinner Garden
The Dinner Garden fights hunger by supplying people with free vegetable seeds. The site also offers planting guides and gardening information. www.dinnergarden.org |