TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Apr 30, 2023
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Seed Exchange - Houzz Inc.
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): plants (244),
In the Classroom
Create a class garden and use this site to find (and share) seeds with folks from locations near and far. Use this site to show students the importance of not just throwing away leftover seeds, but repurposing them and sharing them with others in need.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Flowers Seeking Pollinators - California Academy of Sciences
Grades
2 to 7tag(s): reproduction (13), insects (123), plants (244),
In the Classroom
In a perfect world, students would use this lesson as a starting point for planting and growing their imaginary garden. Although it might not be possible to plant a garden in every case, consider using portions of the lesson to let students grow a plant of their choice in the classroom. Enhance learning by using edublogs, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to document the growing process including failures and successes. Include images, videos, and student writing to document their learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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School Garden Resources - Whole Kids Foundation
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Share information from this site with your school's parent/teacher organization to gain support and possible funding for a garden project. Extend classroom technology use and student learning by asking students to create video commercials to ask for funding, share their gardening success, or for their favorite gardening tool. Use a video creation tool like Flexclip, reviewed here. Gardening is a perfect topic for student blogs. Enhance student learning by replacing paper and pencil journals and use Edublog, reviewed here, to share the progress of their gardens including images and journal entries.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Get Your Hands Dirty Guide - Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Download this guide as a resource for starting "growing" opportunities at school, or for suggestions on keeping animals in the classroom. If your school has a gardening club, this guide is perfect as a resource for new ideas. If you don't have a gardening club, use the guide as a starting point. Perhaps find a parent volunteer to get your club going!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project BudBurst - Chicago Botanic Garden
Grades
K to 12tag(s): citizen science (28), plants (244), scientific method (84), environment (462), Project Based Learning (29),
In the Classroom
Bring your science class to life and the "real world" for students using Project BudBurst's free resources. Captivate student interest by having them discover the importance of nature and our interactions with it. Participants must be 13 years of age to set up an account. Since participation requires registration with email, for young students consider using a "class set" of Gmail subaccounts, explained here; this tells how to configure Gmail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Using Gmail subaccounts will provide anonymous interaction within your class. Add to the growing database and document plant phenology as seen in your area. As you discuss various types of plants, assign students to take pictures of the stages observed, make observations about the stages, and then modify classoom technology use by having students create an infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. This resource is perfect for use in a project based learning unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plants Map - Bill Blevins
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): maps (415), communities (65), plants (244),
In the Classroom
Share Plants Map on your interactive whiteboard or projector to locate and discover different kinds of plants. Click the map to find species near you. If you are lucky enough to have a school garden, Plants Map is the perfect site for planning, documenting, and sharing your garden with your students and community.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How Does Your Garden Grow? A Project-Based Approach to Learning - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): life cycles (38), soil (27), plants (244), book lists (219),
In the Classroom
After reading one or two of the suggested books as a class, brainstorm what students know about gardens using your interactive whiteboard or projector. Consider setting up stations around the room with the other recommended books and their activities; be sure to request some of the books on inter-library loan if you do not have them in your school. After completing the stations, return to the brainstorm and revise what students know about gardens and planting. Use some of the ideas from Gather Information to implement spring garden planting, literacy, and a growing understanding of science. Next step, planting! Use one or more of the ideas in this article for planting your garden. You might even consider working across grade levels and subjects and planning a school garden together. Your health/PE teacher will probably join in the effort! Follow through with one or more of the Show What You Know suggestions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Grow For It - North Carolina 4H
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): ecosystems (132), insects (123), plants (244), soil (27), agriculture (75), erosion (23), natural resources (71), nutrition (234),
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans included on the Grow For It site as part of a plant or nutrition unit. Share ideas from the site with parents interested in helping set up a school or classroom garden. Once you have started your garden, engage students by having them upload a photo they have taken and add their voice to explain what they learned using a tool such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Ask a local 4H leader or Coop Extension Agent to come to your classroom to discuss local plants and gardening ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Farm to School Network - Tides Center National Farm to School Network
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Visit this site for information about nutritious foods, local produce, and in-school gardening projects. The Farm to School Network resource center includes several lesson plans that offer opportunities for students to learn about growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Learn more about the many diverse ways to design and support school gardens by visiting School Garden Resources, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Life Lab - Life Lab Science Program
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
If you are lucky enough to have garden space in your school, use Life Lab as a resource for teaching math and science skills through your garden. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on plants. Share the site on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Take advantage of the free lesson plans offered on the site to use for inspiration for your school's garden. Collaborate with others in your school to curate a list of gardening ideas and resources using Padlet, reviewed here. Be sure to include students in the planning and design process, too! Maintain interest in your garden project by sharing information on your class webpage on a routine basis. Ask students to create blog posts detailing the latest information and include pictures taken by students. Bring life to all images using Image Annotator, reviewed here, to annotate and share information about specific parts of your image. Hang on to your pictures of the garden from start to finish, then as a final project, create a class book using Book Creator, reviewed here, to tell and share your garden story from start to finish.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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You Are What You Eat - Examining Nutrition through Literature - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 7tag(s): commoncore (135), nutrition (234),
In the Classroom
This is a thorough unit on food and nutrition. Start with activating prior knowledge on your interactive whiteboard or using your projector. Use Padlet, reviewed here, once students have sorted their favorites into categories and project the results on your whiteboard. When teaching science, social studies, or health content about nutrition, foods, plants, or farms, consider pairing fictional books along with informational texts (several are suggested) to maximize the potential of every unit of study. This article is a good starting point. What a perfect way to integrate healthy eating, whether during the holiday season or spring garden planting! Speaking of planting, whether you are considering or implementing a school garden unit you will want to check out this article.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Edible Schoolyard Project - Alice Waters
Grades
K to 12tag(s): nutrition (234), plants (244), sustainability (63),
In the Classroom
Use the search feature to find lessons by grade, topic, or even season. View videos available on The Edible Schoolyard to learn how to begin a classroom or school garden. Show the videos to parents to encourage help and participation. If your school doesn't have an area for planting a garden, be creative! Plant a small garden in a wagon to roll in and out each day! Enhance learning by creating a class wiki using PBWorks, reviewed here, and having students update your garden's growth through pictures and words each week. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids Gardening - National Gardening Association
Grades
3 to 8This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
If you aren't lucky enough to have outdoor gardening space, take advantage of ideas offered for indoor gardens, such as terrariums and container gardening. Check out the extensive lesson library to search by theme, standards, season, and more. You will also find lessons and activities appropriate for science and math. Use the Growing Poems, found here, to enhance your classroom poetry unit. Whatever activities you choose, have students record the growth in their garden or container by taking photos. As a summation for your gardening project use Photo Joiner Collage Maker, reviewed here, to create a collage of your garden photos with special effects, text, frames, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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