Biological evolution

The Beginning of a Library Garden

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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NGA's Own LibraryGardens.org

Libraries have a unique opportunity to provide a visual connection between literature and nature. Grants are available to support library gardens, but often require someone with a vision. National Gardening Association offers assistance in this area. Whether you’re interested in developing a particular theme garden or a garden that encompasses a variety of books, our professional staff of landscape architects, horticulturists and educators can help you develop your vision. Visit Library Gardens for more information about how we can design your library garden which will in turn help you as your seek support for funding the installation of this space.

The Village of Plain City Garden features several animal topiaries named after classic authors.In an effort to preserve the historic Village of Plain City, Ohio, local gardeners and members of the county Master Gardener program pulled their resources to establish a landmark for the town.

School Gardens = Natural Playgrounds

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

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

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.

My Seed Bank

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:59

By:

Sarah Pounders

Grade Levels: 2-4

Materials:

The Benefits of Native Plants

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 07/22/2010 - 01:57

Objectives

Students will:

learn that some plants are better adapted to survive in their local environment than others.
discover that well adapted plants grow better with less maintenance.
develop a list of landscape plants recommended for your site conditions.

Central Concepts

Using plants adapted for your environment helps create a sustainable landscape and makes better use natural and financial resources.

Introduction to Plant Breeding

The following activity is from the Harvest of History, an online fourth grade curriculum that introduces students to agriculture of the past and present, emphasizing its importance in our lives.

Honeybees: Powerhouse Pollinators

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 07/16/2010 - 17:23

By:

NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

When we have breakfast each day, we can thank honeybees for making our meal possible by pollinating the blueberries on our cereal, oranges for our juice, or almonds in our muffins.

Prehistoric Plants

Create a Garden Fit for a Dinosaur!

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Dinosaur Dimensions

Lizards weren't the only things that grew to huge sizes during the Mesozoic Era -- some ancient horsetails were 30 feet tall! Even today, the cones of some cycads, which emerged during the Jurassic Period, can reach three feet in length and 95 pounds!

A museum diorama shows both plant and animal elements of the dinosaur age.

Curriculum Connections

By:

NGA Staff

Cultivating Keen Observers

If birds grace your schoolyard or neighborhood, invite students to spend some time each day or week observing them. If you don't yet have bird feeders set up, consider enticing feathered friends to visit by spreading seeds on the ground or in a shallow pan. What do students notice and talk about?

Curriculum Connections

Submitted by editor on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 16:21

Perusing Pollination Partners

Have your students spend at least a couple of sessions a week observing flowers and their visitors in the school garden, wildflower meadow, or other context where flowers bloom. You might leave it open-ended and have them write down observations and questions they have or focus the observations with guiding questions.

Creating a Pollinator Garden

Preserving a Precious Partnership

Photographer: Melissa WenzelAnimals can roam about and seek mates with whom to reproduce, but imagine the challenge for a plant, rooted firmly to the ground, to achieve the same end.