A Program for grades 3-5
This curriculum uses the garden as a tool to teach about nutrition, encourage students to eat more fruits and vegetables, and increase physical activity. Program includes 8 to 10 lessons, taught throughout the school year. Lessons consist of engaging discussion, recipe tasting, interactive activities, tending to a garden, and take-home material for the family.
Key behavior outcomes include making half your plate fruits and vegetables, make your grains whole grains, and switch to fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Increase physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors as part of a healthy lifestyle. Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life – childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age.
Lesson topic areas include:
- What’s So Great About Gardening?
- Parts of the Plant We Eat
- Feed the Soli and the Soil Will Feed You
- Variety: The Spice of Life!
- Plan You Planting
- Seed Magic
- Keep it Growing
- Healthy Harvest
- Garden Fitness
Special Note: A school garden is necessary for participation.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact: http://foodhelp.wa.gov or the Basic Food Program at: 1 877 501 2233.
Preparing garden bed to plant potatoes at Edison Elementary.
During one lesson, students tasted different varieties of pears. Some were from a local farm while others were purchased at a grocery store.