Essentially, the garden is utilized as a teaching tool. Depending on the setting in which you teach, the garden can be the curriculum or it can help support and enrich the curriculum. No matter how you integrate the garden into your classroom, it contributes to all aspects of basic education, including academic skills, personal development, social development, moral development, vocational skills and life skills. A learning environment where a garden exists, fosters science literacy and social skills while enhancing awareness of the link between our environment and our well-being. Noted benefits of classroom gardens include increased nutrition awareness, environmental awareness, higher learning achievement and increased life skills.
For more information on garden based learning strategies check out the articles below:
- Eames-Sheavly, M.(1999). Sowing the Seeds of Success
- Eames-Sheavly, M.(2000). The Three Sisters: Exploring an Iroquois Garden
- Center for Ecoliteracy & Life Lab Science Program. Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms.
- Kemple, M. and J. Keifer. (1998). Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens into Schools and Communities. Canada: Foodworks.
- Patten, E. and K. Lyons. (2003).Healthy Foods from Healthy Soils: A Hands-On Resource for Teachers
- Life Lab Science Program. The Growing Classroom: Garden-Based Science.
- Williams, D. and Brown, J. (2011). "Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: Bringing Life to Schools and Schools to Life"
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