School Garden Teaching Ideas

This section of our website is a work in progress. Click on the titles of the activities to download Word documents with details for the activities.

We welcome submissions from teachers and school garden volunteers. What lessons and activities have you done in your school garden that worked particularly well? Please write a summary and send it to us .

Garden class outline: case study

Ideas for subject area studies in a school garden
Food Storage Homework
What was the Value of our Harvest

Equipment useful for these teaching ideas

Garden Bug Study: find a bug in the garden and describe it.

3-4 dozen clear plastic snap-cap vials, available from www.Bioquip.com


Garden Scavenger Hunt: have your students identify the numbered plants.

3-4 dozen wire flag stakes, available from Terra Tech, 2635 W 7th Pl, Eugene 345-0597


Cooking in the Classroom: a few easy and safe recipes using produce from the garden.

Most of these items can be found at thrift stores

apple corer/sectioners
bowls (large and medium)
cutting mats, plastic
dishpans and dish drainer
electric frypan
garlic press
graters
knives
measuring cups (1/4, 1/3, ½, 1, 2, 4)
measuring spoons (1/8, ¼, ½, 1 t, ½, 1 T)
microwave
peelers-gets lots of these
salad spinner
spoons, large
whisks


  • For eating use: toothpicks, napkins, plastic spoons or forks
  • Save up a whole bunch of empty cottage cheese containers (12-16 oz) and use these for eating bowls. Wash and re-use.

    • Farmer's Market Field Trip: Go on a scavenger hunt at the market.

    Note: LTD gives each teacher one free field trip per year, and the Tuesday Farmer's Market is only a five minute walk from the Eugene Station. Reserve your trip two weeks in advance by calling 687-5555.
  • Clipboard and pencil for each group
  • Transparency film over paper if raining

    • Garden Songs: some lyrics to sing about gardens.

    If you don't know these tunes, call us at 284-9984. We will call back and sing them into your answering machine!