The School GardenIntegrating the Sciences and Play in

an Outdoor Classroom

2009 ACEI International Convention and Exhibition

Jeremy Winters Tracey Ring jwinters@mtsu.edu

tring@mtsu.edu Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee

State University

WELCOMEWELCOME

The journey begins…..

An under-utilized space at a public elementary school inspires a project that evolves into an Herb Garden. This project reflects collaboration of the students, parents, teachers, a local university, and the community. The herb garden creates opportunities to integrate curriculum with aspects of play in an outdoor classroom.

The goals of the project are to…

• Create an outdoor classroom • Expose students to herbs and

plants• Provide unique learning

opportunities• Provide a realistic context for

learning• Support the existing curriculum as

well as pioneer specific lessons

What is Play?

• A holistic learning alternative• Meets students cognitive,

emotional, physical, and social needs

• Can be unstructured or guided

Play in the Garden

The garden allows for a playful attitude. It also allows for

spontaneous events that could not occur inside the classroom

walls.

Why teach outdoors?

Given the opportunities, children will choose to engage in outdoor before indoor tasks, perform hands-on and manipulative activities rather than complete worksheets, and associate with relevant and personal meaning as contrasted with the abstract or symbolic.

The Outdoor ClassroomInstructional Uses

• A learning center• A project-based

station• Area for

observation• Area for

reflection

The Outdoor ClassroomThe Environment

Man-made Materials

• Picnic Tables• Gazebos• Birdhouses• Bricks

Natural Materials• Dirt• Rocks• Plants• Trees

The Outdoor ClassroomResearch

Frost (2005) indicates that in the outdoor classroom “the senses are heightened, consciousness is narrowed, self-consciousness disappears, and the person becomes absolutely absorbed in the activity” (p. 9).

The outdoors afford a particular variety of physical and personnel resources, invites naturalistic inquiry, ensures a range of observation and data collection opportunities, and provides aesthetic experiences (Burriss & Foulks, 2005).

The Outdoor ClassroomResearch (Continued)

The Curriculum Principle in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM), reports that mathematics needs to be important and transferable to settings outside the class walls (NCTM, 2000).

Lieberman and Hoody (1998) found that utilizing the environment can improve understanding of mathematical concepts and content, better mastery of math skills, and more enthusiasm for studying math.

About the Garden

• Located at Homer Pittard Campus School in Murfreesboro, TN

• A distinct area within a Nature Trail (1km long) surrounding the school building.

• Garden Details:• Dimensions- 8’ x 8’• Edging- Railroad Ties• Center- Tree stump with a sundial on top• Subdivided into 4 areas by rectangular bricks• Various herbs planted within the 4 sub-regions• See diagram on next slide

HerbsTree

Stump(Sundial)

8 feet

8 feet

Bricks

Railroad Ties

Herbs

Herbs

Herbs

Herbs

Click to seeSampleHerbs orFull listof Herbs

About the Garden

• Utilized by the Kindergarten classrooms

• Used to study• Annuals• Perennials• Herbs• Insects• Bees• Pollination

Sample Lessons from the Herb Garden

Sundial- Roman Numerals/Time

Rocks- Art: Hand painted by each child

Seasonal- Annuals vs. perennials; Changes in leaves; Rocks, insects, bees & pollination

Cooking- Using herbs to cook various items; following recipes, measurement, etc.

Writing Stories- Writing about observations and experiences

Meeting Math Standards• Number and Operations: Children use numbers,

including written numerals, to represent quantities and to solve quantitative problems, such as counting objects in a set, creating a set with a given number of objects, comparing and ordering sets or numerals by using both cardinal and ordinal meanings, and modeling simple joining and separating situations with objects.

• Geometry: Children interpret the physical world with geometric ideas.

• Measurement: Children use measurable attributes, such as length or weight, to solve problems by comparing and ordering objects. (NCTM, 2000, p. 12)

Sample Math Activities

• Counting and Sorting Seeds to be planted• Counting number of plants that grew and

number of herbs picked in the garden• Counting activities associated with herb

biscuit recipe (translating between oral, written, and symbolic) – Herb biscuit recipe

• Common fractions associated with the herb biscuit recipe and in the sub-regions of the garden

Sample Math Activities(Continued)

• Roman numerals associated with the sundial

• Comparing and Ordering – Calculating the amount of herbs produced by each

plant– Comparing and ordering according to productivity– Size of the herbs

• Length of a leaf• Volume of the plant

• Exploring and analyzing shapes found in and near the garden

Meeting Science Standards

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry• Understanding about scientific inquiry• Properties of objects and materials• Position and motion of objects• Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism• Characteristics of organisms• Life cycles of organisms• Organisms and environments (National

Academies Press, 1996, p. 105-106)

Sample Science Activities

• Hypothesis Testing– What herbs/plants will grow the fastest, grow

the tallest, grow the fullest– What area of the garden will be the most

productive– How does exposure to sunlight effect the

herbs/plants• Time exposed to sunlight• Direct versus indirect sunlight

Sample Science Activities(Continued)

• Charting and classifying– Locating herbs/plants in the garden– Characteristics of organisms in the garden– Differences and similarities of the herbs/plants

• Exposure to the scientific method.– Observations of the seasons– Observations of the life cycles of organisms in

the garden

References

• Burriss, K.G. & Foulks Boyd B. (Eds.). (2005). Outdoor learning and play: Ages 8-12. Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International.

• Frost, J. L. (2005). Introduction. In K.G. Burriss & B. Foulks-Boyd (Eds.), Outdoor learning and play, ages 8-12. (pp. 9-12). Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International.

• Lieberman, G.A. & Hoody, L. (1998). Closing the achievement gap: Using the environment as an integrating context for learning. San Diego: State Education and Environment Roundtable.

• National Academies Press (1996). National Science Education Standards.

• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA.

Must we always teach our children with books?

Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above.

Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth.

They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real

education.

- David Polis

Sample Herbs found in the Garden

Rosemary Mint Sage

Dill

Thyme

Parsley Basil

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All the Herbs in the Garden

CatnipGarlic ChivesHyssopLavenderLemon BalmMarjoram

MintRosemarySageBasilThymeDillParsley

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Herb Biscuit Recipe

PREPARATION:Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Fahrenheit. Spray cooking oil on cookie

sheet.

Using a large dinner fork, stir together self-rising flour, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, garlic, parsley, basil, and milk until combined.

Drop dough onto cookie sheet using large serving spoon.

Bake in oven for 10 – 15 minutes.Serve warm.

INGREDIENTS:Cooking oil spray 2 cups self-rising flour 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried sage 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme Dash of garlic1/4 teaspoon of parsley1/4 teaspoon of basil1 cup milk

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