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Farms for City Kids

It was not an ordinary week for the sixth graders at St. Aloysius School in Harlem. Instead of heading to their inner city school every day for indoor study, they were up at 6:15 and heading to do farm chores before breakfast at Spring Brook Farm in...
Plants and Energy

Photosynthesis: During photosynthesis, plants absorb radiant energy from the sun (kinetic) and convert and store it as chemical energy (potential).What do plants have to do with energy? Believe it or not, in one way or another they’re related to almost...
Rain Gardens to the Rescue

Also known as a bioretention system, a rain garden is a landscape feature planted in a shallow depression designed to capture stormwater runoff. Once collected, stormwater is slowly absorbed into and filtered...
Wondrous Wetlands

Whether you live in a forest, a city, a desert, or on a seacoast, wetlands are working for you. These ecosystems are vital to our survival, and the hurricanes Katrina and Rita helped to drive home this fact in a very real and tragic way. Wetlands absorb...
Going Native

Overview In this lesson, students learn that plants have adapted to survive in a native environment and require less maintenance in that environment. Students then develop a list of landscape plants recommended for your school garden's site conditions....
Reducing, Recycling, and Re-using in a School Garden

School gardening is naturally an activity that lends itself to reducing, recycling, and re-using resources. In any garden the first goal needs to be to reduce inputs. Next, we should recycle, especially by composting as much plant material as possible....
The Plant-Soil Relationship

Overview Students investigate the relationship between plants and soil. Materials: Student observation journals Chalkboard or dry-erase board Background Without plants, the earth would be barren, its surface unprotected from the effects of sun,...
Wise Watering

Water. All living things it need to live and thrive, making it one of our most valuable natural resources. Unfortunately, it's rapidly becoming one of the most endangered. Water shortages...
Taking It To the Bank

Have you ever considered the importance of saving seeds? A seed represents the promise of life -- a new plant in a ready to grow package. It also contains that species’ genetic code including the traits the plant hopes will ensure its survival over...
Catching the Rain

Objectives Students will: discover the impact of soil conditions on rainwater absorption learn gardening practices to help increase moisture absorption Central Concepts Water does not penetrate well in some soil conditions, causing runoff and...