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Gardening 1
Running Head: GARDENING
Gardening in the School System
Tiana Noel Schwartz
Walla Walla College
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Gardening in the School System
Elementary students are being closed up in the classroom for a
majority of the day and have minimal time out in nature for academic
purposes. They only go out during recess and PE, both of which are for
non-educational purposes. The problem is that children do not get
enough time in a school day to play and interact with nature. Including
gardens in academic development, such as the sciences could solve this
problem for these 6-14 year-olds. Gardens have a way of exciting
elementary students to become active in eating healthfully, promoting a
clean environment and gaining a better education. The students can
also learn more about their teachers and community members while
working in the garden.
Gardens have recently been sprouting in schools nation-wide.
One teacher said, “Students from Alaska to Florida are learning by
working in gardens found just beyond their classroom walls” Mohrmann
(1999).
These gardens have spanned from vegetables grown in pots, to
Balinese Asian Gardens, which are gardens with rainforest atmospheres
created by staggering palms and ferns on a very steep slope Burke’s
Backyard Magazine (1998).
Gardens have been more popular among schools because
educators see that hands-on science is very important for children at a
young age. The curriculum is changing from what it was only 10 years
ago. According to Gail Rittenbach (Personal communication, February
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21, 2002), an education professor, “formal science classes are now being
taught in the first grade”. This is unlike my science education that
began in the 3rd and 4th grades. Before 3rd and 4th grade I wanted to
know everything I could know about nature. I didn’t want to wait 3 years
to learn about the plants I played outside with every day. Students
should learn how to identify the grasses they make forts in and the trees
they climb. In one school, students “…learn to identify and name fruits
and vegetables…” Cason (1999). This would be a fundamental way to get
students involved in their science education.
Students not only need to know plant names, but they need to
know how these plants can improve their lives. Fruits and vegetables
give needed nutrients to the body. It is important that students know
why their parents want them to eat their fruits and vegetables. Students
also need to know that vegetables “do not magically appear on grocery
store shelves” Lineberger (2002). Everyone knows children do not like
eating their fruits and vegetables. Gardens would sway this lack of good
nutrition practice. When children were surveyed on their eating habits
only 9% of 6-11 year olds eat the recommended five servings of fruits and
vegetables a day Cason (1999). According to Rauber (1997), when kids
were referring to different varieties of vegetables such as brown tomatoes,
they said, “It looked nasty, but it tasted good.” This is important because
it shows what students might think unless they have experienced
working in a garden and have watched their work become a meal, craft
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or decoration. Another “survey of elementary age children has found
that 15% of the children ate no vegetables and 20% ate no fruit” Cason
(1999). How a young student reacts to vegetables before their first
gardening experience is important in determining whether or not the
student appreciates vegetables. There was also a survey given out at this
same school in South Carolina. The student surveys indicated a 69%
increase in willingness to taste fruits and vegetables. Before the
educational gardening experience, 89% of the students chose cookies,
cake and popsicle snacks as the “best snacks.” After the gardening
experience, “only 36% regarded this type of snack as the best and
selected fruits and vegetables as the best choices” Cason (1999).
Surveys were not the only sources of feedback given out. Vegetable
and fruit awareness tests were given to students at a South Carolina
elementary school in 1999. The test was given before and after
involvement in their garden. These tests consisted of colorful pictures of
fruits and vegetables. The tests measured fruit and vegetable
identification, willingness to taste, and identification of the “best” snack.
The results of the first test were that 52% of the students were able to
correctly identify fruits, and only 43% were able to correctly identify
vegetables. The results of the test after having garden experience were
that 94% of the students could correctly identify fruits and 86%
identified the vegetables Cason (1999).
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Students were not the only ones saying that fruits and vegetables
were the best choice. The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and the National Academy of Sciences also recommend that
Americans eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Cason (1999). In a garden, students are able to taste and grow fresh
fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries and carrots. This is the most
exciting part of the whole process. The students can realize how fruits
and vegetables are grown. And this will help the students develop an
appreciation for them.
Along with an appreciation of fruits and vegetables comes a
greater level of education. Education in the sciences is becoming more
important as research and medicine emphasis increases. The academic
program of gardening has much potential because the scientific method
is incorporated into it. The scientific method, according to
Dictionary.com is “ scientific investigation, generally involving the
observation of phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning
the phenomena, experimentation to demonstrate the truth or falseness of
the hypothesis, and a conclusion that validates or modifies the
hypothesis”. Learning the scientific method early in childhood can
provide students with the tools they need to solve many other problems
later in life. The scientific method can be taught in gardens as a tool for
learning. Since gardening is outside and hands on, students will be able
to use the entire scientific method. The students will be able to observe
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plants outside, formulate hypotheses on their growth, experiment with
plant growth rates and make conclusions on the evidence they find.
They won’t stop at the hypothesis step, as they would in the classroom.
Gardening will “give students practice at using the scientific method,
enabling them to hypothesize, observe over time, keep detailed records,
and arrive at reasonable conclusions” Mohrmann (1999).
Education that comes out of the garden does not stop at the
scientific method. Math, reading and design can be incorporated into the
garden curriculum. Jakab (1999) suggests that fifth and sixth grade
students could mathematically figure the cost of soil for a certain area.
Jakab (1999) also states that this could involve “skills in scale drawing,
calculation of area, volume and finally, the cost of the soil.” Since the
students will have done the entire math behind the soil, they will feel like
the soil is their own. Reading could be incorporated, by students reading
books about gardens and gardening. The students could read such
books as “Beatrix Potter” and “The secret garden” Mohrmann (1999).
Gardens are not all work and no play, however. A third grade
teacher at Davis Elementary school in College Place, Washington said,
“First we role played having a garden using pretend tools, seeds, fences,
soil, flowers and veggies. We read a lot of appropriate books about
gardening and drew many favorite pictures”. She also said, “The kids
really loved the whole experience” (Personal communication, February
13, 2002).
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Such a wonderful gardening experience can begin with the help of
willing teachers. One teacher said, “Many of us were home gardeners,
and we wanted to bring the joy of gardening--and its learning benefits--to
children,” says Mohrmann (1999). This enthusiasm shows that teachers
are interested in school gardens. Teachers could show students how to
train green beans to climb up a pole and why they do this. They could
also help the students prop up tall sunflowers and explain to them why
the flower follows the sun throughout the day. Another lesson the
teachers could teach is how “to embrace the revegetation and nurturing
of the environment and the children’s role in this, as a part of the school
curriculum and enrichment activities Jakab (1999). Another important
aspect of gardening with faculty is that the students have an opportunity
to become friends with the teacher. The garden is a more informal
setting for the students. This could help the students feel that they can
trust their teacher more, instead of looking at the teacher as the
demanding boss.
Each faculty member should have specific tasks. They could split
up jobs such as researching garden projects, digging up science activities
for a curriculum, building community support and publishing findings or
public relations Mohrmann (1999). Mohrmann points out that a team,
not just one person, should run the garden. Working as a team by
splitting up jobs is important for growing a school garden.
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Gardens cannot grow without proper funding, however. A garden
could be funded by donations from local businesses and organizations,
classroom fundraisers and parents. I estimate that the cost of the
garden tools and supplies would be 50 dollars for the needs of 15
students. The least expensive way to start a garden would probably be
from donations, but if the students could get involved in the fundraising,
it might help them feel like they are part of the gardens’ beginning.
After the funding is taken care of, teachers need to find an area to
put a garden. Location is very important to the success of new plants.
The garden area depends on each class size and location. The area must
be large enough, so that every student can have an equal area of soil to
work. It also needs to be on a flat area in order for the soil to drain
properly. The garden needs to be composed of good soil. If the school
grounds do not have soil (mostly asphalt or concrete), they could make
soil boxes. Soil boxes are more expensive because the cost of wood is
more than digging a patch of land. However, most lumberyards have
wood at discount prices that they could sell to a school at a good price.
If this does not work, ask members of the community if they have wood
they are not using. If soil boxes are the only option, choose strong wood
(not particle-board) to build with. I would also recommend that you seal
the wood with a coat of rain repellant. If the wood rots and the nails fall
out, there could be a liability if a student steps on a nail.
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In order for students to attain their nutritious crops, they need
gardening supplies. School gardens should start with rakes, shovels,
spades, hoes, gloves, kneeling pads, hats, grubby clothes or protective
apron, wheelbarrows, garbage bags, clippers, bulb planters, and plant
identification tags. These tools vary with the types of projects that the
faculty designs. These can all be useful when starting a garden.
After a proper garden area is established, drainage and water
systems are the next issues Mohrmann (1999). Wooden garden boxes
need proper drainage to allow water to exit. If the water stays inside the
box without proper drainage, the roots rot and the plants die. So, it is
good to take the precautionary measures. Hoses, drip-lines, and
irrigation need to be set up accordingly. A timer on the hose would aid
in watering after school hours. When I was a child, my next door
neighbor told me that the best times to water a garden were in the
morning, just after the sun comes up and in the evening, a few hours
before the sun went down. I have followed this method in my own
gardening and have found that it works great. My advice for a school
garden would then be to have a timer to run in the evening. I think that
the students could water the garden in the morning hours. I believe it is
important for the child to feel involved in this watering/life giving
process.
As teachers pay attention to the care of the garden set up they
should also take extra precautions for students with disabilities.
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Pathways and wheelchair access is a necessity when planning the garden
area Mohrmann (1999). Turning the soil on the ground or up in boxes
for these disabled students could make the garden more accessible. If it
is needed, a gardening tray could even be made for disabled students
who are wheelchair-bound.
If there is a problem with wildlife or unwanted visitors, fencing and
other forms of protection can be established Mohrmann (1999). Lighting
is another important issue. Make sure the garden is in a mostly-sunny
location and decide if a greenhouse is needed. If a greenhouse is needed,
cost and upkeep of the building will need to be considered Mohrmann
(1999). Another aid in gardening is the compost bin. It is an economical
way to create nutritious soil for the student’s crops Mohrmann (1999).
The students will have a greater success with their crop when they
feel that their contribution to a project is important. Another way,
besides fundraising, to make the students feel important is to have
community members come and interact with them. Every community
enjoys fresh fruits and vegetables. School gardens can use the expertise
of community members (including parents) to aid in the learning process
and to raise confidence levels of each student. I was able to talk to my
father about outdoor gardens. He spoke several times with teachers who
worked at an elementary school across from our house in California. He
told me that the teachers said, “The community members were great.
They helped out even in the summer time when school was out and the
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harvest was on” Garry Schwartz (Personal communication, Feb 17,
2002). Community members could do everything from helping the
student’s plant flowers, to digging up the soil with Rototillers. The
community members could learn from helping the students with their
different projects. Another way that a community benefits from a school
garden is that it “… would help ensure good food security,” says Conroe
(1999). This is important because community involvement helps a
garden thrive. Schools would be able to give food to their community.
Having several school gardens in one community would boost production
of free produce as well as the knowledge of good nutritional values. The
produce could go to homeless shelters, food banks or other community
agencies. The students would also benefit by becoming more community
oriented.
Conclusion
Students will learn more about themselves by working out in
nature with community members, faculty and peers than they ever could
in the classroom. They can breathe fresh air and have a unique handson experience. Environmental issues, such as global warming and the
green house effect will face the students in later years and because of
their gardening they will know how they want to respond. The students
will feel more comfortable talking to their teachers as friends because
they will have interacted with them in a more informal setting. When
community activities arise, students will get involved, because they have
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a good sense of community from the garden. Good nutrition habits
learned in the class will encourage students to eat healthfully. The
students will not look at fruits and vegetables as poison, but more like
candy. Who knows, these students could be the ones several years down
the road who use plants to find the cure for cancer and other diseases.
It would just be great to open their minds up to the possibilities.
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References
Cason, Katherine L. (1999, July/August). Children are ‘growing healthy’
in South Carolina. Journal of Nutrition Education, 31. (4), 235237.
Carter, Nancy. (Personal Communication, February 13, 2002). E-mail
correspondence
Conroe. (1999, Winter). Community food security-ensuring food access
locally. Human Ecology, 27. (1), 14-17.
Exotic Bali Garden. (1998). Burkes Backyard Magazine. Retrieved March
7, 2002, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au
Jakab, Cheryl. (1999). School ground projects: Technology and
Horticulture. Primary Educator, 5. (4), 14-19.
Lineberger, Sarah (2002). Nutrition in the Garden. Retrieved March 7,
2002, from the World Wide Web: http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/nutrition/index/index.html
Mohrmann, Pam. (1999, March). Planting the seeds of science.
Instructor-Primary, 108. (6), 25-30.
Rauber, Paul. (1997, November/December). The Edible Schoolyard.
Sierra, 82. (6), 24-26.
Scientific Method: Dictionary. Com. Retrieved February 7 from the world
wide web, February 15, 2002, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.Dictionary.com