…ion and tips for starting a garden in last week’s Day by Day resource round-up. Looking for more garden-related activities? Check out the Growing Minds This Week in the Garden (TWIG) newsletter for the third week of April. Neighborhood Clean-up: Think globally, Act locally! Cleaning up litter from the streets near our homes helps to keep trash out of our streams, rivers, and even our oceans. It also makes our neighborhoods safer for wildlife an…
…going on around him Seeds are being planted, and inside them there are ten-foot-tall sunflowers and mammoth pumpkins and beans that just go on forever. And though the scarecrow knows that he can as quickly be turned back into straw and buttons as he was turned into a man, he doesn’t care. He has been with the owls in evening and the rabbits at dawn. He has watched a spider work for hours Making a web like lace. He has seen the sun tremble and…
…recommended for preschool through second grade, and is featured in these K-2 Growing Minds lesson plans: Cucumber Stacks and Insect Exploration. Note: this book is out of print, but is available to check out from our farm to school lending library. Up, Down, and Around Our next recommendation is Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayers. This rhyming story is perfect for introducing young children to fruits and vegetables that grow up (like corn a…
…the characteristics of vegetables that grow above and below ground. They become comfortable tasting new foods in the supportive, positive environment of their preschool. Potato Exploration (K-2): Introduce students to potatoes and how they grow. Teach students about measurement and guide them practicing close observation through potato explorations. Soil Exploration (K-2): Through garden exploration, students will learn about the properties of so…
…ies, fleas, snails, slugs, and a tick all make an appearance in today’s bug-themed book recommendation for preschoolers, A Frog in the Bog, written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Joan Rankin. This lyrical story emphasizes rhyming and counting as the hungry frog gobbles up bugs in the bog, growing bigger and bigger … until his log starts to move! Watch a read-aloud of A Frog in the Bog on YouTube. Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist Children i…
…The search for good food led Chef Alice Waters to France, and then back home to Berkeley, California, where she started Chez Panisse restaurant and the Edible Schoolyard. For Alice, a delicious meal does not start in the kitchen, but in the fields with good soil and caring farmers. Thanks for Readers to Eaters for donating this book to our lending library….
…n every Saturday morning. Educational Resources: Growing Minds Lesson Plans This week we’re recommending the following Growing Minds lesson plans for younger children: Watering the Garden: children will explore both dry and wet soils and practice watering plants in the garden. Garden Color Hunt: children will explore the garden and practice garden rules. They’ll also learn to observe and look closely in the garden by beginning to recognize and…
…life”, (life cycle), “tell me what you need” (food, air, space), “dare to compare” (compare and contrast life cycles of other life cycle – mealworms, ladybugs, crickets, guppies, frogs, etc.) “True or false”, “rhymes bug me”, “insect repellant” (beneficial garden plants), “come one, come all” (plants that insects love). While students are researching the questions the teacher should create a game board with each category listed across the top of…
…Young Children Learn Race” (Erin N. Winlker, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) “An Anti-Racist Approach to Supporting Child Care through COVID-19 and Beyond” (CLASP) 4 Core Goals of Anti-Bias Education (NAEYC): Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Activism “Teaching Young Children About Bias, Diversity, and Social Justice” (Edutopia) “Talking to Children about Racial Bias” (American Academy of Pediatrics) “Get comfortable with the uncomfortab…
…ur favorite pumpkin stories. Local Food Recipe: Planning on carving a jack-o-lantern this week in celebration of Halloween? Don’t throw away your pumpkin seeds! Pumpkin seeds can be baked into a tasty, crunchy fall treat. Pumpkin seeds are a healthy source of fiber, protein, and vitamins. They can be seasoned with a little salt before roasting, or you can toss them with a blend of dried spices and make up your own unique flavor profile! Roasted P…