Curriculum Connections

Beyond the more obvious science connections, gardens provide a variety of opportunities for meeting other core curriculum standards.

• Language arts connections include interacting with informational texts, documenting observations in journals, recording experiments and explaining the results, and creating authentic written pieces such as cookbooks, thank you letters for garden volunteers, and garden signs.
• School gardens can help meet social studies objectives by giving students an opportunity to explore different cultures and historical times through food.
• Planning, designing, and planting a school garden requires students to problem solve and use math skills such as measuring, charting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and budgeting.
• Plant materials and soil from the garden can be used for a wide variety of art projects (see the Art in the Garden page of the School Garden Center).
• Growing fruits and vegetables provides an opportunity to discuss healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Research suggests that students who are actively involved in growing fruits and vegetables are more likely to have positive attitudes and preferences related to eating fruits and vegetables.