The Teacher Tool Box is a place where teachers can find new ideas for lessons they can use in their gardens.
Lessons are arranged by subject: math, social studies, science, language arts, and health.
The category called Basic Gardening Lessons includes lessons in a variety of subjects that teach the basics of gardening and plants.
Click on the pictures below to view the lessons.
Lessons are arranged by subject: math, social studies, science, language arts, and health.
The category called Basic Gardening Lessons includes lessons in a variety of subjects that teach the basics of gardening and plants.
Click on the pictures below to view the lessons.
Basic Gardening Lessons
Social Studies
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Math
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Science
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Video of
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Food Doesn't Grow
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Featured lesson for March
Seed Statistics
Use Math to Start Your Seeds Indoors
March is the time to plant seeds indoors so you will have seedlings to transplant into the school garden in April. You can get your students thinking like mathematicians by asking them to observe how many seeds actually sprouted compared to the number of seeds they planted. That's the germination rate!
Check out this Seeds Statistics lesson for all ages that links math with seed germination.
Check out this Seeds Statistics lesson for all ages that links math with seed germination.
Seed Statistics Lesson Plan
for Grades 1-5 Objective: Grades 1-2
Objective: Grades 3-5
empty egg cartons for each pair or small group of students or any recycled container potting soil Any type of seeds Note: If you use seeds that are a year or more old, you are more likely to get more duds. plastic spoons Procedure: Explain that a seed “germinates” when it begins to push shoots up from the ground. Tell the students that some seeds, for unknown reasons, are duds and simply do not grow. Tell students that today we are going to do an experiment to see how many seeds germinate and how many seeds grow out of 12 seeds. (Older students can use a larger number or groups can vary the number they plant.) Explain that the time it takes for a seed to germinate can be found on the back of the seed packet. In pairs or small groups, students use plastic spoons to scoop potting soil into each cup of an egg carton. Student plant just one seed in each cup and water the seeds lightly. Students observe the growth of their seeds daily and water as needed. After a little more time has passed than the germination time noted on the seed packet, ask the students to take the egg cartons back to their desks and answer these questions: 
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Grades 1-2
How many seeds germinated? How many seeds were duds? How can we show in a number sentence how many seeds germinated? How can we show in a number sentence how many were duds? Grades 3-5, depending on grade level How many seeds germinated? How many were duds? What is the fraction that shows how many germinated? What is the fraction that shows how many were duds? What is the ratio of germinated seeds to duds? What percent of seeds germinated? What percent were duds? Evaluation: Students will be able to answer the questions asked about the seeds. Extension: Compare the germination rate of some new packages of seeds compared to some that have expired according the date on the package. Do the “expired” seeds germinate? Is the germination rate the same as the new seeds? Students can let the seedlings grow more in their egg cartons and plant them in the school garden, or students can split the egg cartons so that each partner or group member can take some seeds home. Download the Seed Statistics lesson here. 
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