GrowinG MinDs: school GarDens anD whY TheY’re iMPorTanT
Studying a banana slug.
Calmels, a middle school science teacher in the Bay Area. “The friendships and camaraderie built from the hours turning the compost pile, taking soil samples, witnessing heads of broccoli grow from tiny seedlings and learning botanical
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names cannot be measured. The feeling of self-worth from contributing to such a project as part of a team cannot be tested. Our garden has raised a “science family” in the classroom. As a teacher, I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.” MY
For more on school gardens and science curriculums, visit the California School Garden Network (csgn.org) and the National Gardening Association Kids Gardening program (garden.org), and check out How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle. Any donations of tools or garden products to school gardens would be greatly appreciated since public school budget cuts are growing like weeds. Also, contact Annie at dirtdiva.com with any corporate sponsorship ideas.