Butterfly Gardens

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.

Learning in the Outdoors

Here are two lessons created by our staff at NGA to get your students learning in the garden.

• Give your Cabbage a Story (PDF) (Grades 3-5)
• What Lives in the Garden (PDF) (Grades K-8)

Image taken from: Adirondack ArtA footprint map is a visual of animal footprints used to identify animals. Guides showing local animal tracks are a great way to help your students identify garden visitors. Tiny identification guides can be downloaded online and tucked into garden journals. Posters are also available for display in the classroom. Do a search of animal footprint maps to locate a guide for your area.