SEL Garden Activity: Go and See (adapted from LifeLab)
This is a great game for using observational skills and moving from place to place.
One person volunteers to move ahead while the rest of the group counts down from 10; when the group gets to 0, the volunteer stops, looks around, and finds something special or interesting to share with the rest of the group. When they have found what they want to share, they give the group a thumbs-up, and the group moves forward to join them. Lead the group in asking, “What did you find?” Let the volunteer point it out and share anything they want to say about it. Ideas include: What do you notice about it? What do you wonder about it? When discussion about their find has concluded, the next person takes a turn, until everyone who
wants a turn has had one, or you’ve reached your destination. According to our evaluation survey, Go and See was a teacher favorite at our SEL workshops this summer. The simplicity of this activity makes it a real winner. It doesn’t require any prep or materials. This activity allows the volunteer to seek out something that is meaningful to them or something that sparks their interest; by allowing the volunteer to go ahead of the group, we eliminate the peer pressure to see what others are choosing and allow them space of their own to find something they would like to share. Asking “What do you notice?” and “What do you wonder?” may help reluctant participants to share their thoughts more easily.
We’ll be sharing an SEL activity in each issue of FRESH throughout the school year. We hope you’ll incorporate them in your classroom.
Arts Integration
The 5th graders at A.T. Allen Elementary School have a school tradition of working on a legacy project. Some past projects included a recycled bottle cap mural for the cafeteria titled, “Garden Fresh is Best” and a ceramic tile mural
titled, “Tree of Learning.” Last year, the “Connect” team of teachers (art, music, PE, library and GROW Lab) were working on an inquiry unit during the pandemic using the school-wide theme, “game changers.” The legacy project took root when Janet Childress, the GROW Lab instructor chose the topic of bees and introduced the importance of asking good questions and researching them.
The project grew wings when the art teacher, Gina Meyers, got involved by envisioning an interactive sculpture. The classes built a honeycomb-inspired sculpture to place outside the school, with each niche (or cell) holding a model of one of 15 different bee species. Using a QR code, students or guests admiring the sculpture can link to a Google Slides presentation created by the students to learn about the
importance of bees in our everyday life, including their necessity for fruit and vegetable production.
The librarian, Sandy Ku, helped students do research and prepare their presentations. This kind of collaboration along with the extensive day to day teaching in the school garden is only possible by having a full time garden educator.
Janet’s teaching position at ATA has evolved over the past 7 years. She spent 3 years as a STEM instructor, during which time she began a garden club that met after school. The success and growth of the garden club was recognized by the administrators and led to the formation of her current role, the GROW Lab teacher, the only one of its kind in Cabarrus County Schools...so far (these photos were taken during a “show and tell” meeting with members of the CCS Board of Education to demonstrate the value of a dedicated school garden educator).
Janet teaches all the students in the school on a rotational basis. This sort of impact on a whole student body can only occur by having a dedicated school garden (GROW Lab) instructor. While this sort of arrangement is
currently uncommon in NC, there are numerous places across the country that have dedicated resources to full or part-time garden educators in schools. With an ongoing demonstration of success in schools like A.T. Allen, we hope that this area of education will grow and flourish.
Video: Loofahs
Many folks are surprised to learn that a Loofah sponge is a plant, a dried fruit, to be exact. Loofah are also a fun crop to start at the end of the school year and harvest in late summer after school begins (with little maintenance
required through the summer months). Check out this video and the Loofah Crop Guide for growing tips.
Grant Opportunities
The Youth Garden Grant is now open, accepting applications through December
17, 2021. Forty winners will receive award packages valued at $1050, including $250 cash as well as supplies that support school gardening. Additional awards include a tool grant, and Garden Towers. Any nonprofit organization, public or private school, or youth program in the US or US Territories planning a new garden program or expanding an established one that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 3 and 18 is eligible to apply. Learn more here. Winners will be notified January 28, 2022.
The NC Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Going Local Grants, valued at up to $500, are due November 15, 2021. Teachers practicing in private and public NC schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to apply.
The Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year award is due February 15, 2022. This award will include an invitation to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York on June 28 - July 1, 2022 with up to $1200.00 of expenses covered by NCFB AITC program.
Walmart awards Local Community Grants ($250-$5,000) through an open application process. Organizations may submit up to 25 applications within the 2021 grant cycle. The submission deadline is December 31, 2021.
Don’t forget you can find grant opportunities on our PHHI STEM website, too!
