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21ST CENTURY AFTER-SCHOOL GARDENING CLASS


21ST CENTURY AFTER-SCHOOL GARDENING CLASS

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVEL K-5
ACADEMICS MATH, SCIENCE, LANGUAGE ARTS, SOCIAL STUDIES
TEKS ADDRESSED Math, Science, Reading, Writing
TEKS Objectives: Math shapes, measurements, geometry. Science concept: use a variety of tools and methods to conduct a science inquiry.
DESCRIPTION This enrichment class helps students learn about horticulture using an embedded academics approach. Core subject lessons in science, reading, social studies, and math are embedded into this gardening class. In hands-on activities, students actively research plants, soils, fertilizers, and watering methods, and plant or transplant their products into flowerbeds to create butterfly gardens and campus beautification areas. Students research, design, and help build a small greenhouse. They develop and maintain a butterfly garden.

Activity 1: Ladybug Activity
Description of Lesson: Learn the anatomy of ladybugs and compare it to those of other insects. Use fruits and vegetables to create a ladybug.
TEKS Objectives: Math: Study patterns and sorting, fractions, numbers. Science: Parts of insects, habitat of the ladybug, how ladybugs help.

Activity 2: Farmers’ Market
Description of Lesson: Create a farmers’ market/store and have students run it. Have students play different roles (for example, the farmer, the store owner, a sacker, a customer).
TEKS Objectives: Math: Working with money, addition, subtraction, sorting, lesser and greater. Science: The parts of a plant. Science concepts: Observe and identify patterns (for example, seasons, growth, weather, predicting what will happen next).

Activity 3: Poisonous Plants and Animals
Description of Lesson: Do research and learn about poisonous plants and animals: Where they are found, their size, how they look. Do a field investigation and try to identify any poisonous plants or animals.
TEKS Objectives: Science: Poisonous plants, parts of a plant, dangerous animals. Scientific processes: Demonstrate safe practices during class and field investigations. Using senses as tools of observation.

Activity 4: Butterfly Activity
Description of Lesson: Learn about the life cycle of the butterfly. Create a butterfly mobile, do field work, and try to identify any types of butterflies encountered.
TEKS Objectives: Science concepts: Butterfly life cycle, observe and describe the parts of plants and animals. Scientific processes: Demonstrate safe practices during field and class investigations.

Activity 5: Building a Greenhouse
Description of Lesson: Make a blueprint of a greenhouse, create a model, and help build a greenhouse.

TIME REQUIRED Two consecutive days, 1 hour per day
MATERIALS Materials depend on the lesson plan and on whether the activity is done indoors or outdoors.
APPROXIMATE COST
TEACHER TIPS 1. Align the lesson plans with the TEKS objectives being covered during the school day classes.
2. Make the activities fun, whether they’re done outdoors or indoors. For example, in the indoor activities, try to do a lot of hands-on. For K-2 we played store: One student played a farmer, others played a store owner, a clerk, a bagger. etc. Students were able to experience the process of getting different foods in the store. For the older students (3rd-5th grades), an indoor activity that we did was creating and decorating bird feeders from plastic bottles.
3. Organize your lesson plans using the 80/20 rule: at least 80% of the time should be devoted to hands-on activities, while no more than 20% should be spent on lecturing or paperwork-type teaching methods.
4. Utilize activities in which students work on projects in groups.
5. Assign this activity to a teacher/instructor who has a passion for the subject.
ADAPTATIONS 1. Delivery of the lesson plan is adaptable to all students. The activities will allow teachers/instructors to modify their lesson plans according to the group working on projects. Lesson plans are matched to the grade levels and their TEKS objectives.
CONTACT Raymondville ISD