Curated OER
Rosa Parks Community Garden
Students explore gardening and nutrition in the Rosa Parks Community Garden. They work in stations to discuss food choices, the life cycles of plants, and mini-composting. After starting in one station, they rotate to try each activity.
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How Can You Test Your Soil?
Students investigate chemicals in soil samples. In this soil science lesson, students test local soil to measure the pH, nitrate, phosphate, and potassium content.
Captain Planet Foundation
Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the lesson includes a game about consumers and producers with a...
Curated OER
Investigation 6 - Soil Profile
Fourth graders study the components of soil. They observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant growth. They record color, texture, and kinds of materials on their profile log (light color, denser, grittier -...
Curated OER
Square Foot Garden
Students plant a garden and keep track of it. In this geometrical garden lesson, students collect data from their garden twice a week. They graph their finding and figure out how many square feet of growing space each person needs...
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It's Just Dirt
Students discover how seed germination varies according to the soil type. In this soil science lesson, students discuss what plants need in order to grow and investigate various types of soil. Students use their senses to describe each...
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Landscape Garden Makeover
A project-based learning plan focuses on landscapes in the community. After identifying problems, such as dead trees or misplaced automatic sprinklers, learners design solutions, contact local organizations to fix the problems, and do...
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Soil Profile
Fourth graders research soil layers and create a soil profile in a jar. In this soil profile lesson, 4th graders working in groups, research a given layer of soil, make a 3-5 minute presentation to the class, and complete a...
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Make Your Own Garden
Students explore gardening. In this Quiet in the Garden lesson plan, students read the picture book by Aliki and extend the lesson by taking part in up to 5 hands-on activities.
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Natural Gardening
Young scholars study the effect of pesticides on plants and insects. In this gardening lesson plan, students discuss the importance of insects. They define pesticides, evaluate their effectiveness and the problems they might cause. ...
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The"Dirt" on Soil
Pupils examine the three different types of soil and their physical properties. In this soil lesson students design and implement a model of a water treatment plant.
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Dyed Flower Garden
Learners create a dyed flower garden. In this art lesson, students read the book Tiny Seed and cut flowers out of tissue paper to create a paper flower garden.
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Decomposition, Soil, and Life Cycle Research
Students conduct background research on the decomposition process, soil composition, and the life cycle using the resources provided for Internet searches. They work in collaborative groups to research topics as a particular plant, soil...
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Planting Phil's Garden
Students explore gardening. For this agriculture lesson, students plan and plant seeds according to the procedure modeled by a "master gardener." Flowers are distributed at a local retirement home.
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How to Grow a Sunflower Plant
Students explore botany by conducting a sunflower growth experiment. In this plant life lesson, students identify the anatomy of a sunflower plant and the essential nutrients it requires to grow. Students utilize compost, soil, garden...
Education Outside
Erosion in the Garden
Groups create splashboards and use them to perform a series of experiments to determine the effect of rain on erosion.
Curated OER
Investigating the Response of Worms to Soil Improvers
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, but do they care what soil is all about? Find out in an easy and fun controlled experiment. Have your young biologists hypothesize, test, and draw conclusions about which type of soil worms...
Curated OER
Planning A School Garden
Students discover how to plan a vegetable garden. Each student take responsibility for growing one vegetable from seed, to transplanting the seedling into the soil, and providing the plant with light, moisture, temperature and healthy soil.
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Measuring Permeability of Soil, Sand and Gravel
Middle schoolers investigate the different materials in their environment. In this geology lesson, students collaborate in groups to examine the differences in sand, soil and gravel. Middle schoolers utilize a magnifying...
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Observing and Questioning
Third graders investigate different types of soil. In this soil lesson, 3rd graders compare various soil samples. They work hands-on with their peers to find the differences and similarities.
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Soil Buffering
Students observe the pH change of an acid mixture poured over soil in a filter. Since the buffering capability of soils differs, you may want to do this experiment with several different soil types.
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Traditional Soil Remediation in the Garden
Students use testing kits to analyze garden soil. They research the nutritional needs of various crops as well as the nutritional properties of fish. Students participate in fish harvesting for garden fertilizing.
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FBI
Fourth graders experiment with compost. For this Science lesson, 4th graders begin a worm compost as well as an outdoor compost. Students discuss decomposition.
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Plant Part Exploration: Stems
Explore water transport in plant stems using this fun experiment! Your scientists will start by reading Stems by Vijaya Bodach. Then, activate prior knowledge about plant stem functions and water transportation....