Inch by Inch, Row by Row: Read-Alouds for Gardens

Introduction

The popularity of school and community gardens is on the rise as more and more schools seek to educate youngsters about healthy choices and work to bring fresh, local food to school. Gardens, gardening, and farm-based education provide a myriad of opportunities to integrate curriculum and solve real-world problems.  View a list from LifeLab of applicable Next Generation Science Standards here along with Common Core connections.

A wealth of excellent books—both fictional and informational—are available for teaching topics such as the life cycle of plants, the scientific method, what plants need to thrive, ecosystems, food chains, soil science, and more. This read-aloud offers a sampling of books and websites to get you started. If food and nutrition are more of a focus, you will want to check out these suggestions in another recent article.

 

IntroductionFor Lower ElementaryFor Middle Elementary
For Upper ElementaryResources

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