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Nothing better than a fresh school garden! 🌱 Th

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Nothing better than a fresh school garden! 🌱 This week we worked with @irwin_park_elementary in their brand new beds built by @vvictorygardens. Very impressed with the students who moved 13 yards of soil to fill their garden beds before our first day together! We planted and seeded fall crops, created pathways in the long bed to prevent compaction of soil (thank you Gr 6/7 hardscapers! 💪), created intentions in our garden journals and talked about our favourite foods, used the magnifying lenses from our Looking Closely Kit (@outdoorlearningschoolandstore) and introduced the play garden (can you guess which bed it is? 😄) Looking forward to seeing this space absolutely packed with veggies in the Spring!">

We are incredibly excited to announce the release

We are incredibly excited to announce the release of our newest resource kit, Patterns in Nature! Developed in partnership with @janicenovakowski, this kit includes 6 children’s books that focus on nature patterns, each with a collection of instructional ideas, inquiries and learning prompts to enrich learning. It also includes materials and tools for finding patterns in nature that will support teaching mathematical concepts at all elementary levels. Find it at the link in our bio!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="We are incredibly excited to announce the release of our newest resource kit, Patterns in Nature! Developed in partnership with @janicenovakowski, this kit includes 6 children’s books that focus on nature patterns, each with a collection of instructional ideas, inquiries and learning prompts to enrich learning. It also includes materials and tools for finding patterns in nature that will support teaching mathematical concepts at all elementary levels. Find it at the link in our bio!">

Registration is OPEN for this year’s (free!) Gar

Registration is OPEN for this year’s (free!) Garden Classroom series with Megan Zeni in collaboration with @vandusengarden and @ubceducation .
This 10-part series supports K-7 elementary teachers who are eager to explore opportunities for teaching across the curriculum in a west coast school garden.
Link in bio to register! 📚🌻🍎

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Registration is OPEN for this year’s (free!) Garden Classroom series with Megan Zeni in collaboration with @vandusengarden and @ubceducation . This 10-part series supports K-7 elementary teachers who are eager to explore opportunities for teaching across the curriculum in a west coast school garden. Link in bio to register! 📚🌻🍎">

We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to a

We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend the 2023 Outdoor Learning Conference, hosted by @take.me.outside @eecom.canada and @outdoorlearningstore learning store.
Located on Treaty 7 territory in Banff National Park, the conference hosted 450 participants from all over Canada, and focused on Indigenous Ways of
Knowing, Health and Well-being, and Environmental and Climate Change Education. It was a deeply humbling and educational experience to learn from the land alongside our peers, listen to Indigenous speakers share their valuable knowledge and stories (including the inspiring @moniquegraysmith), attend workshops, co-host a workshop together (Megan Zeni @roomtoplay and Jenna Jaski @vvictorygardens) sharing our school garden experience, and network with like-minded individuals. The three teens who spoke from the @canadian_rockies_youth_network gave us hope for the future with their passion for environmental issues and courage to speak their truth.
Megan’s TEDstyle talk highlighted the importance of looking at outdoor education programs with a critical lens to ensure a pedagogical framework and respect for Indigenous stories.
The conference ended with a powerful closing ceremony featuring dance and storytelling from The Blackfoot Medicine Speaks Dance Company.
This experience has certainly shaped how we move forward as an educators, with a responsibility to teach the next generation how to care for the land. 💚
A big thank you to @nserc_crsng for the opportunity to deepen our learning!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend the 2023 Outdoor Learning Conference, hosted by @take.me.outside @eecom.canada and @outdoorlearningstore learning store. Located on Treaty 7 territory in Banff National Park, the conference hosted 450 participants from all over Canada, and focused on Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Health and Well-being, and Environmental and Climate Change Education. It was a deeply humbling and educational experience to learn from the land alongside our peers, listen to Indigenous speakers share their valuable knowledge and stories (including the inspiring @moniquegraysmith), attend workshops, co-host a workshop together (Megan Zeni @roomtoplay and Jenna Jaski @vvictorygardens) sharing our school garden experience, and network with like-minded individuals. The three teens who spoke from the @canadian_rockies_youth_network gave us hope for the future with their passion for environmental issues and courage to speak their truth. Megan’s TEDstyle talk highlighted the importance of looking at outdoor education programs with a critical lens to ensure a pedagogical framework and respect for Indigenous stories. The conference ended with a powerful closing ceremony featuring dance and storytelling from The Blackfoot Medicine Speaks Dance Company. This experience has certainly shaped how we move forward as an educators, with a responsibility to teach the next generation how to care for the land. 💚 A big thank you to @nserc_crsng for the opportunity to deepen our learning!">

We are busy as bees back in the school gardens! He

We are busy as bees back in the school gardens! Here we are being seed detectives making minute observations 🕵️🌱Obviously we also had to do the important work of seeing how many we could stack before they fell over 😜 Our handy magnifying glasses with lanyards are from @outdoorlearningstore!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="We are busy as bees back in the school gardens! Here we are being seed detectives making minute observations 🕵️🌱Obviously we also had to do the important work of seeing how many we could stack before they fell over 😜 Our handy magnifying glasses with lanyards are from @outdoorlearningstore!">

It’s incredible what a pack of googly eyes and f

It’s incredible what a pack of googly eyes and fallen leaves can make with a little imagination! We are creating leaf monsters and funny faces in the garden today. What kind of art is happening in your garden classroom?

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="It’s incredible what a pack of googly eyes and fallen leaves can make with a little imagination! We are creating leaf monsters and funny faces in the garden today. What kind of art is happening in your garden classroom?">

Today in the garden we worked on making signs to c

Today in the garden we worked on making signs to communicate boundaries of our growing spaces! We introduced students to our newly designated play garden space, where digging and imagination are encouraged, and created a set of respectful rules around interacting with the rest of our garden, its creatures, and each other.

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Today in the garden we worked on making signs to communicate boundaries of our growing spaces! We introduced students to our newly designated play garden space, where digging and imagination are encouraged, and created a set of respectful rules around interacting with the rest of our garden, its creatures, and each other.">

We are so excited to announce the release of our l

We are so excited to announce the release of our latest Soil Study and Inquiry Kit in partnership with the @outdoorlearningstore !✨
🪱Developed by teachers for teachers, this kit includes 8 curated books, each with their own lesson sparks, guiding questions and curricular connections for playful inquiry in your school garden or yard.
🪱Also included are materials for exploring, collecting and making observations of soil, which will deepen students’ understanding of this core component of our gardens.
🪱Check out our free virtual workshop exploring this kit and other activities for soil studies on Tuesday, September 20th through the Outdoor Learning Store!
🪱100% of proceeds from the sale of this kit go back to supporting outdoor learning initiatives, including the creation of more inquiry kits!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="We are so excited to announce the release of our latest Soil Study and Inquiry Kit in partnership with the @outdoorlearningstore !✨ 🪱Developed by teachers for teachers, this kit includes 8 curated books, each with their own lesson sparks, guiding questions and curricular connections for playful inquiry in your school garden or yard. 🪱Also included are materials for exploring, collecting and making observations of soil, which will deepen students’ understanding of this core component of our gardens. 🪱Check out our free virtual workshop exploring this kit and other activities for soil studies on Tuesday, September 20th through the Outdoor Learning Store! 🪱100% of proceeds from the sale of this kit go back to supporting outdoor learning initiatives, including the creation of more inquiry kits!">

Potatoes were late this year (along with a lot of

Potatoes were late this year (along with a lot of crops!) but we can’t wait to harvest with our students when we return in September!
There’s nothing quite so exciting as reaching into the dirt to find these tasty gems 🤗
What do you make with your school garden potatoes?

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Potatoes were late this year (along with a lot of crops!) but we can’t wait to harvest with our students when we return in September! There’s nothing quite so exciting as reaching into the dirt to find these tasty gems 🤗 What do you make with your school garden potatoes?">

It is truly so rewarding to finish off the last da

It is truly so rewarding to finish off the last days of school by enjoying a healthy harvest from the school garden. The joy of students pulling their first carrot, or tasting fresh lettuce and kale, and getting to see the “click” in their brain of understanding the life cycle from seed to harvest…nothing better for a school garden teacher!
We practice open-minded tasting to try new foods, compare and contrast textures and flavours, share stories of our home gardens, and celebrate our hard work!
(And of course, we’re thankful for all the rain this spring for contributing to HUGE garlic bulbs!)
We hope you’re enjoying the last few days of school and taking your students outside!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="It is truly so rewarding to finish off the last days of school by enjoying a healthy harvest from the school garden. The joy of students pulling their first carrot, or tasting fresh lettuce and kale, and getting to see the “click” in their brain of understanding the life cycle from seed to harvest…nothing better for a school garden teacher! We practice open-minded tasting to try new foods, compare and contrast textures and flavours, share stories of our home gardens, and celebrate our hard work! (And of course, we’re thankful for all the rain this spring for contributing to HUGE garlic bulbs!) We hope you’re enjoying the last few days of school and taking your students outside!">

June is for salads in the garden!!

June is for salads in the garden!!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="June is for salads in the garden!!">

This cold wet season means our first garlic harves

This cold wet season means our first garlic harvest looks more like spring garlic but how special it is for students to nurture a crop through nearly an entire school year! 🧄

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="This cold wet season means our first garlic harvest looks more like spring garlic but how special it is for students to nurture a crop through nearly an entire school year! 🧄">

We are so excited to announce the release of our f

We are so excited to announce the release of our first outdoor learning kit! The theme is Looking Closely 🧐, and our kit is full of materials for student use, picture books for reading in the garden, as well as lesson sparks, guiding questions and curricular connections for looking closely outdoors! Zero planning involved, just grab your kit and head outdoors! Link in bio to purchase, see below for more info.👇
Each kit includes:
📚 10 x curated picture books that support looking closely outdoors
📝 11 page PDF that includes a conceptual overview of looking closely with lesson sparks and guiding questions for each book
🔍 10 x magnifying lenses on lanyards
🐛 3 x nature magnifier jars (great for looking at bugs, leaves, soil — both from above and below)
🐿 3 x National Geographic student binoculars
🐌 2 x Bugs & Slugs Nature Guides
🦋 2 x Butterflies & Pollinators Nature Guides
🐝 2 x Bees & Pollinators Nature Guides
We are proud to partner with The Outdoor Learning store (@outdoorlearningstore) for the sales and distribution of our kits. The kit was created and curated by teachers Megan Zeni (@roomtoplay), Sarah Regan and Lauren MacLean (@mentoringnatureconnections ).
Support for creation of our kits comes from our relationship with the Intergenerational Landed Learning program at UBC and the National Science and Engineering Research Council (@nserc_crsng )

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="We are so excited to announce the release of our first outdoor learning kit! The theme is Looking Closely 🧐, and our kit is full of materials for student use, picture books for reading in the garden, as well as lesson sparks, guiding questions and curricular connections for looking closely outdoors! Zero planning involved, just grab your kit and head outdoors! Link in bio to purchase, see below for more info.👇 Each kit includes: 📚 10 x curated picture books that support looking closely outdoors 📝 11 page PDF that includes a conceptual overview of looking closely with lesson sparks and guiding questions for each book 🔍 10 x magnifying lenses on lanyards 🐛 3 x nature magnifier jars (great for looking at bugs, leaves, soil — both from above and below) 🐿 3 x National Geographic student binoculars 🐌 2 x Bugs & Slugs Nature Guides 🦋 2 x Butterflies & Pollinators Nature Guides 🐝 2 x Bees & Pollinators Nature Guides We are proud to partner with The Outdoor Learning store (@outdoorlearningstore) for the sales and distribution of our kits. The kit was created and curated by teachers Megan Zeni (@roomtoplay), Sarah Regan and Lauren MacLean (@mentoringnatureconnections ). Support for creation of our kits comes from our relationship with the Intergenerational Landed Learning program at UBC and the National Science and Engineering Research Council (@nserc_crsng )">

Successful successions! 🌱 Succession planting

Successful successions! 🌱
Succession planting is an ideal planting method for school gardens. By spacing your timing of seeding rows a few weeks apart, you can ensure a constant supply of fresh veg! Overlapping generations of plants means a crop may be more resilient to pest cycles, there is less food waste in the garden due to smaller, more frequent harvests, and it keeps young learners busy with lots of seeding, thinning, and harvesting!
Plus those thinned out sprouts make for the tastiest garden snacks 😋

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Successful successions! 🌱 Succession planting is an ideal planting method for school gardens. By spacing your timing of seeding rows a few weeks apart, you can ensure a constant supply of fresh veg! Overlapping generations of plants means a crop may be more resilient to pest cycles, there is less food waste in the garden due to smaller, more frequent harvests, and it keeps young learners busy with lots of seeding, thinning, and harvesting! Plus those thinned out sprouts make for the tastiest garden snacks 😋">

Another day of dirty hands and smiling students!!✋🤚
During the month of March we amend the soil in our gardens and discuss with students the differences between:
-compost (decayed organic matter 🍌🍂 broken down by our 🪱worm friends & many other creatures/microbiota)
-manure (horse or cow poop 💩 aged with mushrooms🍄 to help break down the nutrients into a form available to our plants 🌿)
-organic fertilizer (dry powder- ours is made from soya bean meal, kelp meal, alfafa meal and sunflower hull ash 🌻 - it acts like a multivitamin💊 to give our plants all the balanced nutrients to grow big and strong!)
Living on the rainy west coast, we lose a lot of soil nutrients through the winter. Amending garden soil helps to rebuild the quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as improve soil structure for increased water and nutrient retention!
Have you got your hands dirty in the garden yet? 🤲🏼

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Another day of dirty hands and smiling students!!✋🤚 During the month of March we amend the soil in our gardens and discuss with students the differences between: -compost (decayed organic matter 🍌🍂 broken down by our 🪱worm friends & many other creatures/microbiota) -manure (horse or cow poop 💩 aged with mushrooms🍄 to help break down the nutrients into a form available to our plants 🌿) -organic fertilizer (dry powder- ours is made from soya bean meal, kelp meal, alfafa meal and sunflower hull ash 🌻 - it acts like a multivitamin💊 to give our plants all the balanced nutrients to grow big and strong!) Living on the rainy west coast, we lose a lot of soil nutrients through the winter. Amending garden soil helps to rebuild the quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as improve soil structure for increased water and nutrient retention! Have you got your hands dirty in the garden yet? 🤲🏼">

Can you feel it? Spring is coming! ✨ We are look

Can you feel it? Spring is coming! ✨
We are looking forward to getting our hands in the dirt and exploring all the creatures that have been breaking down our leaf mulch over the winter! 🪱🪲🕷
Decomposition is a fascinating topic to start the growing season and fosters so much emergent learning on soil composition, food webs, and even storytelling about our garden dwellers. On a sunny day like today, take a few trowels into the garden and see who is living in your garden soil!
⏩ swipe for a baby worm, ready to take on Spring!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Can you feel it? Spring is coming! ✨ We are looking forward to getting our hands in the dirt and exploring all the creatures that have been breaking down our leaf mulch over the winter! 🪱🪲🕷 Decomposition is a fascinating topic to start the growing season and fosters so much emergent learning on soil composition, food webs, and even storytelling about our garden dwellers. On a sunny day like today, take a few trowels into the garden and see who is living in your garden soil! ⏩ swipe for a baby worm, ready to take on Spring!">

While we collect leaves for mulching the garden th

While we collect leaves for mulching the garden this fall, we are discussing how worms decompose leaves to become part of the soil structure. A fun way to break up our leaves like worms is to cut out the letters of our names! This activity is great for fine motor skills, literacy, creativity and problem solving (how to make a hole for an A or O without cutting through the leaf?)

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="While we collect leaves for mulching the garden this fall, we are discussing how worms decompose leaves to become part of the soil structure. A fun way to break up our leaves like worms is to cut out the letters of our names! This activity is great for fine motor skills, literacy, creativity and problem solving (how to make a hole for an A or O without cutting through the leaf?)">

Seed saving time! ⏰ The opportunities for garden

Seed saving time! ⏰
The opportunities for garden learning in the fall are endless, and one of our favorites is saving seeds. Excellent for fine motor skills and dexterity, seed saving allows students to observe the similarities and differences between crops, understand the full life cycle of the plant, how seeds travel, and learn the economics of seed purchasing and saving. Older students can discuss GMO’s and global seed banks!
What seeds are you saving from your garden right now?

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Seed saving time! ⏰ The opportunities for garden learning in the fall are endless, and one of our favorites is saving seeds. Excellent for fine motor skills and dexterity, seed saving allows students to observe the similarities and differences between crops, understand the full life cycle of the plant, how seeds travel, and learn the economics of seed purchasing and saving. Older students can discuss GMO’s and global seed banks! What seeds are you saving from your garden right now?">

Magnifying glasses spark such a sense of wonder in

Magnifying glasses spark such a sense of wonder in a garden! We are looking closely at the sleepy bumblebees in the marigolds as they wake up and drink their first sips of nectar 🐝

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="Magnifying glasses spark such a sense of wonder in a garden! We are looking closely at the sleepy bumblebees in the marigolds as they wake up and drink their first sips of nectar 🐝">

First day back in the garden! We are spending this

First day back in the garden! We are spending this rainy day identifying the plants that have flourished in our garden over the summer. Identifying plants helps students create a relationship with the garden and their natural surroundings, and when they can name the plants, they are more likely to protect and love them!

<img decoding="async" src="https://theclassroomgardener.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png" alt="First day back in the garden! We are spending this rainy day identifying the plants that have flourished in our garden over the summer. Identifying plants helps students create a relationship with the garden and their natural surroundings, and when they can name the plants, they are more likely to protect and love them!">

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