STEM in the Garden
Curriculum Guide and Background
The STEM in the Garden curriculum consists of a series of 6 Modules. The order of the modules loosely follows the growing season/school year. Introduction to the Garden and Growing the Plants gives students an introduction to the garden and plant needs at the beginning of the fall when there is a lot of diversity of crops in the garden. Developing a Locally based Food System involves a lot of harvesting, which works well during the fall harvest season. Making the Soil Rich and Designing the Garden are topics for the winter months when there is little plant life in the garden- a great time to explore all the bare soil and think ahead to the next growing season. Independence and Garden Life are a good focus for the spring when the garden is coming back to to life and students have already gained a basic understanding of plants. Though you can follow this order, all of these activities can easily be done at any time of the year to fit with your needs.To the Right-Hand side of the page, you will find four links to schools in the 4J district where the STEM in the Garden program is currently in action! You can click on any of these links to find real-world examples of how these Modules can be implemented in a class setting at both the Elementary and Middle School Level.
This Blog has been designed to create a forum in which educators experimenting with the STEM method can communicate regarding their experiences, please feel free to use the comment section below to ask questions and share experiences.
For External Resources, we have also provided links we've found useful at the very bottom of this page
