Water Conservation

The Rain Garden is an Effective Tool

Submitted by cynthiad on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 14:31

By:

Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff

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A Book for a Rainy Day

Title: The Listening Walk
Author: Paul Showers
Illustrator: Aliki
ISBN: 978- 0064433228

“Because Your Children Live What They Learn…”

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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Here are some meaningful plant selections to incorporate into your peace garden:

Rhododendron - in Russia, the blossoms signify peace, health, and purity

Mistletoe - in Scandinavia, associated with Frigga, the goddess of love

White pine tree - for the Native American Haudenosaunee, or Six Nations Peoples, the five needles joined together indicate unity

Peace Rose - a rose variety introduced in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II

Sunflowers - a symbol of freedom from the threat of nuclear weapons during the 1990s. Sunflowers are warm and welcoming; grow in friendly crowds; and produce nutritious seeds for people and wildlife.

Cosmos - named after the Greek word for well-ordered universe; symbolizes peace and order

Education in the garden is a great way to teach kids to live responsibly and peacefully.This philosophy, from the creator of Playschool Child Care, Inc., Carol Acosta, is what continues to guide the program more than 25 years later.

Teaching Kids about Water Conservation

Submitted by pauls on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 16:15

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Did you know there is as much water in the world today as there was millions of years ago? Actually, it is the very same water recycled through the hydrologic cycle. The water you drink or use in your garden today may contain the same molecules our ancestors or even the DINOSAURS once drank.

School Gardens = Natural Playgrounds

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 15:07

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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Teachers at the K-State Center for Child Development use the produce from the garden to prepare simple dishes with their students. Here’s a recipe for Caprese Salad that is easy to make in a classroom.

Ingredients:

Thick slices of a Ripe Tomato (enough for each child to have at least one)
An equal number of slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
Twice as many leaves of fresh basil
A pinch of salt and pepper
Olive oil

Make sure everyone washes their hands and the work surface prior to touching the food.

Starting at the edge of a serving platter, place a slice of tomato, a basil leaf, a slice of mozzarella and another basil leaf. Continue in that pattern, forming a spiral from the outside in, until all the ingredients have been arranged. The salad should end in the center of the platter. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and salt.

Upon arriving at the Center for Child Development (CCD) on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, visitors quickly recognize the uniqueness of the facility.

Volunteer Surveys, FREE Download

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 15:49

By:

NGA Staff

As a garden coordinator, if you can understand what motivates your volunteers you'll be more prepared to recruit, support and retain a support network. Download Volunteer Surveys(PDF) »

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Promoting Environmental Stewardship through Rain Gardens

By:

Ann English for NGA with Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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How to Design a Rain Garden

This detailed account provides step-by-step instructions for designing, installing, and maintaining a rain garden. Additional content provided to use this as a high school activity. Download How to Design a Rain Garden (PDF) »

Rain Garden at Coolidge High School, Washington DCSchool gardens have a long and successful history with a variety of purposes. Ninety six percent of the 2010-2011 National Gardening Assoc

Exploring Water — Four Lessons to Teach about the Importance of Water

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 02/14/2012 - 15:09

By:

NGA Staff

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Each lesson within this curriculum unit can be taught independently or in succession with the others. Download the lessons below:

This curriculum unit, developed by the education staff at the National Gardening Association addresses the core specific elements of the water cycle for K-12 students. There are four grade specific lesson plans, but the lessons can easily be adapted to meet the needs of any age classroom. Content in the lessons covers different aspects of the water cycle and applying the principles to activities and inquiry that can be discussed in and out of the school garden.

Catching the Rain

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 07/22/2010 - 09:10

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 erosion.

Understanding and Conserving Community Water Resources

Objectives

Students will:

Why Root for Roots?

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 01:21

This activity is from NGA's GrowLab®: Activities for Growing Minds. This curriculum brings plant-based explorations to life through 46 lesson plans and hundreds of extension activity ideas that spark students' curiosity about plants and invite them to think and act like scientists. Developed by NGA and written and field-tested by educators, this complete curriculum uses fun, illustrated activities to explore plant life cycles, examine plant diversity, and investigate the interdependence of plants, humans, and other living and non-living things.