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Sharing the Love: Spreading Seeds

Submitted by RoseJM on Mon, 06/11/2012 - 00:00
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By: 
Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff
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How-To: Make A Seed Bomb

Materials:

  • Clay (purchase at craft stores)
  • Compost or potting soil
  • Seeds (we recommend easy-to-grow or native varieties)

Bring this activity home, or share it in the classroom with these easy step-by-step directions (PDF). »

Follow these step-by-step instructions to make your own seed bombs.

Taking a walk together as a family is a great way to teach your kids about varieties of flowers, shrubs, and trees. It's an unstressful time to engage and allow them to ask questions about their own local environment.

School Gardens = Natural Playgrounds

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

Promoting Environmental Stewardship through Rain Gardens

Submitted by cynthiad on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 11:37
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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) »

Instructions for how to install a rain garden and use it to promote environmental stewardship.

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

Plants and People - Appalachian Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:43
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You are amazed at how many useful plants there are in the mountains. The fact that plants like ginseng are rare is a reminder, though, that the variety of useful plants available in the mountains today is nothing like what it used to be. Traditionally, most collectors were local people who harvested enough for their families. Sometimes they would gather additional plants to sell in the local market. In recent years, however, there has been increased global demand for natural products like medicinal herbs. This has brought outside collectors to the mountain.

Plants and People - Appalachian Expedition Part 1

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:42
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When you step out of your tent, the rain-soaked landscape reminds you that a storm blew through camp during the night. It's a little cloudy out, but the sun is already trying to break through. Before long the rest of your teammates are awake and you gather around the fire, eating toast with butter and drinking hot tea. Now that you know a little bit about the people of Blair Mountain and have seen their natural landscape, you begin to think about the relationship between the two. Do these mountain people use the natural resources found on Blair Mountain to survive?

Mountains as Biodiversity Hotspots - Appalachain Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 16:13
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Mountain logging site. Photo: Library of CongressYou've just been fortunate to witness the incredible diversity of plant life on Blair Mountain. Unfortunately, many of these plants are in danger. In addition to the threat of mountaintop mining, these plants are threatened by logging, agricultural practices, and tourist activities. These threats exist because people have discovered the vast resources-from fun to wood-that mountains have to offer and they are taking advantage of them.

Mountains as Biodiversity Hotspots - Himalayan Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 16:10
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You've just been fortunate to witness the incredible diversity of life in Makalu-Barun National Park. Unfortunately, many of these plant and animal species are in danger. In addition to the degradation of forests and grasslands from cattle grazing, deforestation is taking place as trees are removed for fuelwood. You and your team even brought a camping stove to cook with so you wouldn't increase the pressure on these forests. More pressure comes from the illegal hunting of wildlife and harvesting of wild plants by outsiders.

Mountains as Biodiversity Hotspots - Appalachain Expedition Part 1

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 15:51
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The Expedition Begins

The Appalachians. Photo: TMIAfter weeks of planning and preparation, your expedition is finally going to begin. First you land at Logan County airport in Ethel, West Virginia. After renting a car, you drive 20 miles to the town of Hetzel.

Hetzel, the closest town to Blair Mountain, is where you will spend a day making final preparations for your expedition.

Final Assessment

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 15:43
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Students have completed their expeditions. Now it is time to determine whether they have gained understanding of and appreciation for mountains. Why are mountains important? Students may come up with the ideas that mountains are valuable to them for their recreational uses-skiing, hiking, climbing, rafting, and so on. Encourage students to think about the many other resources that mountains provide (water, timber, mineral resources, food). If they haven't already, challenge students to consider their life without these things. Why do mountains need to be protected?

Module 2: Teacher's Guide

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 15:36
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Time: 9 days, 30-60 minutes/day

Overview: Students begin their expedition by investigating local and mountain biodiversity and exploring the environmental threats and conservation measures related to the biodiversity of these two areas.

Objectives: To become familiar with local native plants through the investigation of and comparison to native plants in the mountain environment.

National Standards Addressed (attached below)

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