Charleston County School District...... in this document on Charleston County School District grounds. ... during in-school or after-school hours or ... If one of your school’s key

EXCELLENCE IS OUR STANDARD

Charleston County School District Office of Risk, Safety, and Environmental Management

Planning, Construction, and Operation Guide for gardens, greenhouses, and rain barrels

Guide for Gardens, Greenhouses, & Rain Barrels 2

Table of Contents

Program Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Planning Your Garden ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Why? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Who? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Key Players ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Partnership Model.............................................................................................................................................................................. 8

What?..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Types .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Themes ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Size and Scale ................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Academic Integration ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Physical & Social Wellness ............................................................................................................................................................... 14

Plant Lists ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Where? ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16

Site Selection .................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Materials .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

When? .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 18

Submission Requirements ................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Suggested Checklists ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Additional School Garden Program Components..................................................................................................................................... 22

Maintenance Requirements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Garden Safety .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Volunteer Training ............................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Construction Safety .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Operational Safety ............................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Food Safety .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Funding & Garden Sustainability ............................................................................................................................................................. 28

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix A: Required Forms, Submissions, and Processes .................................................................................................................. 30


Resource Allocation Request (RAR) .................................................................................................................................................. 30

Volunteer Screening Process ............................................................................................................................................................ 31

Garden Program Proposal Submission Process ................................................................................................................................ 32

Appendix B: Rainwater Harvesting Best Practices Guide for Schools................................................................................................... 33

Appendix C: KidsGrow! Inquiry-Based Elementary Lesson Plan Examples for Outdoor Classrooms and School Gardens ................... 38

Appendix D: Middle School Lesson Plan Examples for Outdoor Classrooms and School Gardens ....................................................... 51

Appendix E: Vegetable Planting Charts ................................................................................................................................................ 64

Appendix F: Related District Policies and Protocols ............................................................................................................................. 67

Policy ECB Buildings and Grounds Maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 67


Program Overview

Introduction

The mission of the Charleston County School District (CCSD), a dynamic system of challenging educational choices, is to increase

student achievement overall and close achievement gaps in order to prepare all students to compete in a global economy and make a

positive contribution to our community and nation. School gardens and garden systems provide a medium for hands-on instruction

and living learning opportunities which transcend the boundaries of the conventional classroom. Gardens and outdoor learning areas

provide mechanisms to enhance internal and external partnerships within a school, increase access to students of all learning styles,

and foster results in student achievement, nutrition, and physical wellness as shown in research. CCSD recognizes the importance and

impact of gardens on student learning and as a result, has created a comprehensive document to help guide faculty, staff, and

community partners on their establishment, operation, and long-term sustainability in Charleston County School District. The

information provided in this manual is meant to outline District protocols and process requirements for any size, scale, or type of

garden and provide simple guidance for individuals who are planning to or have already started a school garden project.

This document must be reviewed with any Garden Program Proposal and/or Resource Allocation Request (RAR) submission for

approval of garden, structure, or rain barrel system establishment.

Schools that already have a garden in place as of Fall 2015 have until Fall 2016 to come into compliance with this document’s

requirements. Full compliance requires the submission of a Garden Program Proposal for any third party organizations operating,

maintaining, or significantly supporting a school garden, as well as, submission of a Resource Allocation Request (RAR) detailing

information about the garden and its associated structures already in place to avoid any remedial action after the deadline for

compliance has passed.

This document applies to all gardens and their associated structures and systems as defined in this document on Charleston County

School District grounds. These guidelines intend to ensure that CCSD public school facilities comply with District policies, standard

business procedures, maintenance practices, and applicable building codes, all in an effort to effectively support student learning,

achievement, and access in a manner that is both safe and sustainable. CCSD requires that schools follow and abide by the guidelines

and requirements outlined in this document. Failure to do so may result in the closing or removal of a school’s garden system.

Thank you for guidance from Clemson University Cooperative Extension, Eat Smart Move More SC, Life Lab Science Program Center

for Ecoliteracy, and KidsGrow! on the content and practices outlined in this document, and from our friends at Jeffco Public Schools

for the use of wording, content, and sections from their School Garden and Greenhouse Operating Manual and Required Procedures

developed for their facilities in Colorado.


Planning Your Garden

Why?

When starting the garden planning process, there are several things to consider. Determining a garden’s purpose is one of the first

steps you should take to help create a successful and sustainable garden program. Important questions to ask would be: Why is my

school interested in gardening with students? Why should my school have a garden on school grounds? How can my school use a

garden as an outdoor classroom? Does my school intend to use this garden during in-school or after-school hours or both? In what

ways does my school plan to use the plants, herbs, or edibles produced and established from this endeavor?

Once a garden’s purpose is established, it will be much easier to answer the other “W’s” associated with garden planning. Make sure

to include your school’s garden purpose in your Resource Allocation Request (RAR) and Garden Program Proposal (when applicable).

Guiding Principles

1. School gardens are spaces for “hands-on” education, incorporating the full cycle of learning associated with science and

healthy food- from growing to nutrition to cooking to eating.

2. School garden programs are designed to involve teachers and enhance their multi-disciplinary curriculum primarily in the

subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, (STEAM) and social studies, while also promoting self-

growth and socio-emotional wellness.

3. Student education and physical wellness, rather than food production, should be the primary purposes of a school garden

program.

4. Community involvement from the school administration, parents, and neighborhood volunteers is essential to the

functionality and sustainability of a school garden program and its inclusion in the day-to-day culture of a school.

5. School gardens can function as “outdoor classrooms,” which utilize the grounds of the school to expand learning and

stewardship opportunities for students without having to leave the school site.

6. School gardens are engaging spaces for children to foster a relationship with nature, community, and one another through

exposure to new experiences and student bonding and teamwork.

7. School gardens should cultivate environmental awareness and stewardship and educate students about healthy lifestyle

choices.

8. Students should be provided with simple and culturally relevant take home messages and practical skills to put what they’ve

learned into practice at home and in their broader community.

9. School gardens and programs should serve as training spaces and models for others interested in developing a similar

program at their school facility.

10. School garden programs are inclusive by design, should promote a respect for all backgrounds and points of-view while

providing each student an opportunity to participate.


Who?

Establishing a team that can work together to plan, create, maintain, and sustain your garden is important for a garden’s short term

and long term success. To help identify key players for your school’s garden team, ask some of the following questions: Who will be

our leadership support? Who will be involved in the garden daily? Who will be responsible for garden maintenance and operation?

Who will secure garden funding? Who will be responsible for the garden if one or more of your key players exit the garden team?

Who will be involved from the community- parents, volunteers, a third-party program?

Defining who will be involved in a garden is equally as important as defining a garden’s purpose. Make sure to include all of the key

players that will be involved in your garden on the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) submission. A checklist for submission is

provided in the Appendices. If one of your school’s key players is a third-party organization or program that plans to operate

maintain, or primarily support a garden on your school grounds, they must submit a Garden Program Proposal to CCSD for approval

for operation at your school’s facility before your garden program can begin. Criteria and submission guidelines for the Garden

Program Proposal Process are located in the Appendices at the end of this document.

Key Players

Administrators

An engaged and supportive administrator such as a principal or assistant principal is key to the development of your school garden.

From involvement in the garden team formation to approval and arrangement of teacher training and development, your school

administration should be an integral part of your garden planning and operation process. Principals and vice principals can also help

with fundraising, influence and draw community and parental support, reach out to local officials and non-profits for support, and

fulfill other important leadership responsibilities. Additionally, approval from your school’s principal is a requirement for any grounds

modifications such as the installation of raised beds, greenhouses, sheds, sheltered learning spaces, or rain barrels. Make sure to

always involve someone from your school’s administrative team to help guide your project and assist with the required submission

forms for your school’s garden project.

Teachers

No matter the number of involved parents, community members, administrators, or volunteers, a core group of teachers must be

actively involved in garden planning and use to fully connect the internal and external garden support to the students served each

day. This group will work with other teachers, students, and staff members to determine what the garden will look like, how it will be

utilized, and what resource, materials, and instruction will be needed to achieve garden goals and purpose. Typically, schools should

have more than one “champion” in order to more effectively collaborate on garden use, share responsibility of garden management

and planning, support relationships and communicate with community partners and parents, create related academic curriculum for

students, and evaluate program success.

Parents and PTO/PTA

Parental involvement in a school garden project can be greatly beneficial to the parents themselves, students, and a school. By

engaging in a school garden project, parents have the opportunity to be more connected to student learning and reinforce skill sets

learned in the garden at home. Additionally, school gardens can provide an opportunity for parents to learn lessons about nutrition,

wellness, food preparation, and self-sufficiency alongside students, while having the ability to supplement produce to families for

taste testing or meals. Parents can also help organize and steer fundraising campaigns, coordinate and communicate information on


community events for the garden, and provide resources, supplies, funds, and assistance with the coordination and maintenance of a

garden. Engaging parents is key to sustaining a garden’s operation and success.

Volunteers

Volunteerism in a school garden project can not only help identify and leverage community resources to assist with the maintenance

and operation of a school garden, but can also provide a mentorship opportunity between active community members and students

in a school. Volunteers can often provide gardening knowledge, supplies, and maintenance on school breaks and during after-school

hours in addition to engaging in a mentor/mentee relationship with the students involved in the garden project. A volunteer is

defined as any individual who is freely-giving of their time to work on something at a CCSD facility or on CCSD grounds that is not a

CCSD student, staff, or contracted vendor (i.e. parent, community member, Clemson Extension Master Gardener, etc.). All volunteers

must go through the CCSD Volunteer Application process for formal screening and approval prior to commencing work at any school.

The CCSD Volunteer Application process is digital and can be found on the CCSD Community Education webpage.

Make sure to schedule time to meet with your volunteers to discuss important items such as your garden’s purpose, goals, daily

process, and safety procedures in order to prepare them for the specific tasks they will be doing. Additional training may be

necessary depending on the size and scope of your garden operation.

Community Partners

Community Partners, while similar to volunteers in practice, are defined as any third party organization or individual specializing in

school gardens or gardening techniques who operates or manages a school garden in partnership with school personnel (i.e. Green

Heart Project, KidsGrow!, Lowcountry Street Grocery, Slow Food, Charleston Area Children’s Garden, etc.). Community Partners can

provide core support to a garden physically, financially, and operationally in many cases. Often times, these organizations can

provide the necessary volunteers, garden supplies, maintenance hours, and awareness with the surrounding community needed to

sustain and effectively operate a garden. Because time and resources can be finite in a school setting, Community Partners can and

should be utilized when possible to support your garden. All Community Partners involved with a school garden must submit a

Garden Program Proposal to CCSD prior to beginning work at any school facility. Depending on the level of ownership of a garden

project and its related assets at a school facility, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or facility use agreement (FUA) between

the Community Partner and the District may need to be developed as part of the program proposal process. Additional information

on the Garden Program Proposal submission process is provided in Appendix A at the end of this guide.

Students

Ideally, students should be actively involved in all stages of the garden process in order to gain the most benefit from school

gardening. The more students are involved in the planning and building of an outdoor learning area, the greater sense of ownership

they will feel towards the endeavor. Simple activities such as measuring and stake out the garden area, drawing a site map, making

gardens signs, or determining sun patterns are ways students can assist the school’s garden team or Community Partner in the initial

planning for a project. Additional information on ways to engage students in garden is provided in the Academic Integration and

Physical and Social Wellness portions of this guide.

http://www.ccsdschools.com/Community/Volunteers/index.php


Partnership Model

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Risk Management•Food & Nutrition Services

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What?

Reflecting back on “Why?” create a garden, what is your garden’s purpose? What are your garden’s goals and what is the plan to

achieve them? What kind of support do you have? What type of garden do you want to create and what plants will be grown? What

subjects to you want to be able to teach in the garden and what will you do to link them to state standards? These are all important

questions to ask as you move forward with the garden planning process. To start, determine what type of garden is best for your

school and whether or not your garden will have a theme.

Types

There are several options for the type of garden a school can develop within CCSD. Organizationally, a school can choose one of three

options for a garden project/program at their facility:

School-only garden: garden plots and areas for a school that are solely operated and managed by school personnel; these

gardens are not accessible to non-CCSD personnel, community gardeners, families, or third-party organizations

School-only garden with volunteers: garden plots and areas for a school that are solely operated and managed by school

personnel; while not operated or managed by a third-party organization, volunteers provide supplemental labor to help

support the garden’s operation and maintenance

Program-supported garden: garden plots and areas for a school that are operated and managed by school personnel in

partnership with a third party organization or group; these gardens are assessable to non-CCSD personnel such as

community gardeners, families, or third-party organizations only where a CCSD-approved contract, partnership agreement,

or MOU (memorandum of use) is in effect for the facility in which the parties physically operate

Physically, there are different ways to garden such as container gardening, use of raised beds, or in-ground plots. Due to concerns

with soil safety and student health and well-being, only container gardening or raised bed gardening is permitted for edibles within

the District for outdoor gardens. Non-edibles may be planted in- ground, but only in the top 12 inches of soil. It is preferred that in all

instances of in-ground installation, extra soil is added above the ground level to help minimize intrusion into the soil profile.

Additionally, it is preferred that raised beds and containers are situated on top of the grass or soil and do not require digging or

anchoring into the ground. All beds requiring anchoring or digging into the ground will necessitate more time, coordination, and

review to determine if there are any conflicts with existing utilities or cabling in the ground beneath the desired project site.

Regardless of in-ground of above ground installations, all gardens must go through the site approval process. More information on

the site approval process is provided in Appendix A of this document.

Greenhouses, Sheds, Rain Barrels, and Other Structures (Garden Assets)

If your school desires to garden with the use of a greenhouse, storage shed, or rain barrel system, the school’s on-site administrator

must provide a written description of the garden project, the required structure or asset, the structure or assets physical

specifications, all parties involved in its installation and maintenance, any utility needs, funding sources, and removal plan (if needed)

on the District’s Resource Allocation Request (RAR) for the school’s garden. All rain barrels and rainwater harvesting systems should

be designed, built, and installed in accordance with best practices provided by Clemson University Cooperative Extension. All

structural assets such as tool sheds, storage bins, and/or greenhouses should be able to be secured by lock and key. Review the

information provided below to help determine if a greenhouse or rainwater harvesting system are the right fit for your school.


Determining Use:

Is a greenhouse the right fit?

o How your school plans to use a greenhouse will affect the type of greenhouse your school should build or purchase.

Greenhouses provide a controlled environment for growing a variety of plants. It is important to pick a location for

your greenhouse that will give you adequate sunlight. Other important factors to consider include the need for a

shade screen in warmer months to prevent overheating, access to water, ease of access for students, proximity to

potting and planting areas, and ability to maintain the greenhouse and its contents during school breaks and

summer months. What to grow inside the greenhouse should be based on your students’ interested and curricular

plans. Non-CTE related greenhouses in the District will not be provided power or water. All greenhouses, regardless

of size are subject to the South Carolina Office of School Facilities (OSF) regulations and requirements which may

require additional time, effort, and resources to properly execute a project. Consider all of these factors when

determining whether or not a greenhouse is the right choice for your school. As a result, please do not purchase a

greenhouse, apply for grant funding, or place a greenhouse on a donor’s website unless you have submitted a

RAR (Resource Allocation Request) and received approval to have the specific greenhouse requested at your

school or facility. A school may also consider other options such as a high tunnel, low tunnel, and/or hoop house

system which do not require the provision of water, power, or structural engineering. For more information on

alternative systems, contact the District Sustainability Coordinator.

Is a rainwater harvesting system the right fit?

o Rainwater harvesting has many benefits including reducing stormwater runoff, minimizing use of water for

irrigating landscape, and helping manage flooding and erosion around building foundations. While diverse in its

benefits, harvested rainwater can only be used to irrigate non-edible plants and landscapes in a school setting. This

recommendation comes from Clemson Extension Services as a best management practice after much research and

consultation with other higher education universities and agricultural programs. If your school has a wildlife, native

species, butterfly, shrub, or flower garden, then a rainwater harvesting system may be the right fit for you. Consider

this information when determining use and consult the Clemson Extension Services Rainwater Harvesting Best

Practice Guide for Schools for more details.

Information on the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) submission process and the Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice Guide for

Schools can be found in the Appendices at the end of this guide.

Themes

Butterfly Garden

Create a fun research activity for students to determine what butterflies are native to our region and what plants are needed to

sustain their habitat in order to identify the types of plants needed to establish a butterfly garden at your school.

Herb Garden


If space is an issue or if your students are interested in discovering more about their sensory smell, perhaps try herb gardening. Most

herbs are relatively easy to grow, are drought-tolerant, do not need very fertile soil, and are naturally resistant to insects and

diseases. A variety of herbs such as basil, cilantro, thyme, dill, chives, lavender, oregano, rosemary, and sage can be grown in

containers, raised beds, or planter boxes at your school to provide students with a fun and educational gardening experience.

Native Garden

Native species gardens are easy to maintain and require little resources. Native plant species play a crucial role in the local ecosystem

through their provision of resources such as nectar, pollen, and seeds which serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds, and

animals. Additionally, students can learn about why certain plants are considered native and how they have adapted to the local

climate and soil conditions where they naturally occur.

Ecosystem Garden

Take a new approach to gardening and use your school garden as a means to investigate what your school area looked like before

the school was built on the property. Encourage students to research the history of the area and local landscape and use that

knowledge to re-create what the area once looked like before. Students could also try modeling other ecosystems such as a prairie

garden, chaparral garden, woodland, or meadow.

Literature Garden

Have students create lists of plants mentioned in popular children’s books. Take that list and grow a garden where students can use

their imagination to immerse themselves in their favorite books and engage in creative inquiry.

History Garden

Pick a period in time for students to study and investigate what kinds of gardens were grown during that era in different locations.

Choose one or multiple types depending on your garden size to study and design your garden similarly. Examples include Victorian

English Cottage, Colonial America, and Native American. Additional easy items to plant mentioned in history include dill, mint, and

barley.

Colonial America Garden

o Learn about rice and indigo cultivation in colonial South Carolina by growing rice or planting an indigo plant in your

garden.

Native American Garden

o Learn about Native American culture by planting native crops such as maize (corn), squash, and beans.

Heritage or Heirloom Garden

Use your school garden to learn about the importance of preserving biodiversity. Collecting and growing heirloom vegetables

provides your students with the opportunity to research old varieties of vegetables and their growing requirements. Heirloom

vegetables are defined in several ways ranging from any vegetable cultivars that have been frown for a certain length of time to only

vegetables that have been passed down by a family or group of preservationists. Join a seed-saver’s group or contact Clemson

Extension Services to learn more about where you can obtain local heirloom vegetables. Heirloom varieties exist for many different

kinds of beans, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, potatoes, okra, peppers, peas, squash and pumpkins, tomatoes, and watermelons.


Multi-Cultural Garden

Engage students in learning about the various cultures of the world by growing plants from around the globe such as soybeans,

yams, ginger, jicama, cassava, bok choy, or Chinese cabbage.

Nutrition Garden

In addition to wellness and academics, a school garden is a great place to help students, staff, and parents learn more about where

their food comes from and how to become more self-sufficient. Students can plant items in the garden that can be used in simple

recipes at home while learning how to make healthy food choices and eat seasonally to reduce costs. A cookbook with recipes that

use items grown in the garden would be a great supplement to a garden program. Additional learning opportunities include

discussion of geography and history as it related to produce in the garden.

Pizza or Salsa Garden

o Grow fun toppings for pizza or ingredients to make salsa such as tomatoes, onions, and peppers in your garden.

Rain Garden

Interested in helping divert stormwater runoff and help protect water quality in our area? A rain garden might be a good fit for your

school. Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that allow water to pool and infiltrate the soil, thus reducing the amount of

stormwater runoff. The plants and microbes in the soil do the heavy lifting of removing pollutants from stormwater runoff to help

keep our groundwater and surface waters clean. To learn more about rain gardens, visit www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear and

download a free copy of the Carolina Clear Rain Garden Manual.

Size and Scale

Important to all gardens is determination of size and scale. In general, gardens should initially be as limited in size as possible to

reduce unnecessary work and maintenance and to allow a school garden team to determine the level of gardening manageable at

their location. Some of the most successful gardens started with just a 10- by 10-foot plot. In this case, smaller is better. Additional

expansions and phasing can be incorporated into the garden design to be constructed at a later date is desired. Make certain to

select a location with enough room for your desired plans when considering siting. More information on Site Selection criteria can be

found in the “Where?” section of this guide.

Other important factors to consider:

Age, size, and number of students involved in the garden per use

Number of individuals responsible for operation and maintenance

Desired garden area components such as tool sheds, compost tumbler, benches, shelter, greenhouses, signage, etc.

For most gardens, a 12- by 16-foot plot is typically large enough to grow a variety of herbs and greens, some tomatoes and peppers,

beans, and cucumbers. Raised beds can be as long as desired, but only as wide as can be easily worked from either side. If your

school grounds are limited in space, container gardening, vertical gardening, and hydroponic gardening are three alternatives to

consider. A variety of fruits and vegetables can still be grown in smaller stand-alone pots and pallets both indoors and out.

http://www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear


To begin, plan your garden on paper first. Draw a site map marking the location of the garden on your school’s grounds,

followed by a more detailed map of the bedding or container system showing arrangement and spacing of desired crops.

Students can also participate in the design process through creating drawings and measuring the physical space to be used

on the school grounds. If the garden is to be used in all seasons, you will need a Spring, Summer, and Fall garden plan as

well.

Academic Integration

While science seems to be the most commonly taught subject with school gardens, gardens can be used to teach a variety of subjects

ranging from math to art to English to social studies. Identifying ways to integrate lessons in the classroom with outdoor inquiry-

based learning opportunities in the garden will provide your school with a way to use your garden as a living laboratory.

Specific examples of standards-based lesson plans using the scientific inquiry method to study an array of subjects can be found in

Appendix C. The following are examples of ways to integrate a school garden with different academic subject areas at your school

provided in Eat Smart, Move More SC’s Toolkit for Starting or Enhancing a School Vegetable Garden:

Earth Science

Create a garden weather station. Record daily measurements and compare conditions with plant growth.

Compare and contrast the properties of different types of soils (density, air space, presence of living organisms, composition,

texture, smell, appearance).

Life Science

Observe the life cycles of plants using fast-growing plants in your classroom.

Investigate food chains and webs.

Demonstrate how plants are the primary source of energy for all food chains.

Physical Science

Use litmus paper or a test kit to test the pH of different soils. Investigate how plants respond to soils with different pH levels.

Simulate the water cycle in an indoor garden by covering it with a dome or clear plastic. Study and observe the

transpiration, evaporation, and condensation of water.

Mathematics

Measure the growth rates of plants and display results on different types of graphs. Make predictions regarding future

growth.

Tally cricket chirps to estimate temperature.

Social Studies/History

Study the contribution of Native American foods and other cultures’ food to our history and diet. Grow samples in different

cultural foods in the school garden.

Trace the path of a fruit or vegetable from the field to the table. Discuss farm to table practices and the importance of

sustaining local economy.

Expand on entrepreneurship by designing a student market place and outlining basic components such as revenue,

expenditure, profit, production, and marketing

English Language Arts


Keep daily garden journals documenting observations, weather conditions, and classroom activities.

Write compile, and illustrate a collection of garden poems and stories.

Music & Drama

Make musical instruments from gourds and learn how to play them.

Learn a collection of songs that related to food, gardens, and the environment.

Arts & Crafts

Design signage for the garden and labels for plants to mark plantings.

Paint rocks to use as garden borders.

Health & Nutrition

Conduct a blindfolded taste test using school garden grown vegetables and supermarket vegetables.

Create a classroom or school recipe book that features produce grown in the school garden.

Physical & Social Wellness

Social Wellness

School gardens provide a variety of benefits outside of the classroom in the form of interpersonal and life skill development for

students. According to several school garden and farm to school studies, students who participate in garden-based learning benefit

from increased levels of team work, positive environmental attitudes, school attendance, positive nutritional attitudes, motivation,

enthusiasm, self-identity, self-esteem, positive attitudes toward school, and positive behavior. Additionally, school gardens provide

students with the ability to make better lifestyle choices through increased self-sufficiency, educational empowerment, and

environmental stewardship as a result of participation. Other important skills sets that can be developed through garden program

participation include organization, management, conflict resolution, and more.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness and social wellness go hand-in-hand when evaluating a child’s overall well-being. Equally important to social

wellness is physical exercise and engagement in a school garden project to keep students involved and actively participating. The

following are examples of ways you can engage your students in physical activity in the garden at your school.

Planting: Students can help plant seedlings in the garden or start seeds in trays in the classroom.

Mulching: Once planting is complete, students can spread 2-3 inches of shredded wood, leaves, or straw on the soil in the

garden to slow water loss and decrease soil erosion. Mulch can also be spread around the raised beds or containers on top

of the soil or grass as a week control mechanism to reduce maintenance needs.

Watering: In place of a timed or drip irrigation system, students can water plants by hand with a watering can or hose.

Slowly water plants at their base early in the morning, making sure that enough water reaches the base of their roots.

Weeding: Educate students on what plants look like that you want to grow and engage them in pulling out unwanted weeds

in the garden area. Make sure students pull the weeds out by their roots to ensure the plant is fully removed.

Thinning: If plants grow too close together, students can cut the tops off of the least healthy plants to create more room for

growth of the healthy ones.

Composting: Students can help build compost piles of garden waste and organic matter in the garden to add nutrients to

the soil. Compost piles can be supplemented by uneaten food waste from the cafeteria as well in some school settings.


Harvesting: When plants are ready, engage students in carefully digging up, plucking, or snipping plants in the garden to

prepare for consumption.

Plant Lists

See Appendix E for Vegetable Planting Charts with Dates, Spacing, Depth, and Days to Harvest from Clemson University Cooperative

Extension.


Where?

After determining your garden’s purpose, team, goals, and size, it is important to choose a site that will best support the type of

garden your school desires to have and what your school would like to grow in the garden space. It is also important that your garden

works with your school’s master plan. It is CCSD’s best management practice to not site gardens in the front entrance or area of a

school.

Additionally, school gardens should always be planted within a school’s security fencing to help deter theft and vandalism, and to

protect student and staff safety while working in the garden. While a minimum three foot clearance for pathways between gardens is

an American Disability Association (ADA requirement), it is preferred that gardens have a five to eight foot clearance on all sides to

allow for movement of Grounds and Maintenance equipment and access by emergency or utility vehicles. Also, be mindful to not

place your garden in an area that will cover or obstruct access or flow to a stormwater drain or an above ground utility box as well.

Site Selection

When choosing a site for your garden, consider the following:

Sunlight: Most vegetables grown in South Carolina need a minimum of six hours of full sun. Check your garden site for sun exposure

at different times of the day. Consider sun orientation in all seasons if garden is to be used during different times of the year. Make

note of shady areas and use them for shade gardens or an area for students to receive instruction when working outside on hot and

sunny days.

Water: Watering the garden is one of the most important maintenance items. Gardens should be sited in close proximity to an

available water source such as an outdoor water faucet or rain barrel system for non-edible gardens. Watering through the use of

hoses, water wands, or watering cans is preferred. Timed and/or temporary irrigation systems that can be operated in the absence of

a person are not permitted due to concerns about the potential for leaks or system malfunctions which can go unobserved if no one is

in attendance.

Drainage: Slope and soil type both affect drainage in a garden and its surrounding area. In general, avoid siting your garden in an

area that has steep slopes or low spots where water pools. Do not place gardens up against buildings, paved pathways, or sidewalks

in order to allow proper drainage and stormwater flow. Additionally, gardens should not be placed near downspouts, wall-hung air

conditioning units, storm drains, waste receptacles, or electrical equipment.

Accessibility: Gardens should be placed within the school’s secured perimeter in visible areas easily accessible by children. Siting

gardens near the classroom(s) of the students involved or in a commons area visible by building occupants on the school grounds can

potentially increase teacher involvement, student participation, convenience factor, and incorporation of the garden into daily

curriculum and instruction.

Security: When possible, locate your garden within sight of classrooms or in a common area such as a courtyard where students and

staff will have access to and visibility of the garden. Always place your school garden within the school’s perimeter fencing when

present, and/or behind natural borders such as trees, plants, shrubs, etc. Make sure to avoid siting your garden in areas that obstruct

visibility or hide intruders in an effort to keep garden and building occupants safe at all times.

Visibility: In addition to education and wellness, gardens can add beauty to a school’s grounds. While gardens should be somewhat

shielded from outside view from unwanted intruders, they should remain visible to students and building occupants in order to help

deter the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when it comes to participation and maintenance.


Materials

Raised bed gardens should be constructed out of rot-resistant, non-leachable materials such as untreated wood, bricks, or concrete

blocks. Beds may be constructed using treated wood only when accompanied by the installation of a plastic pond liner to keep the

soil separated from the wood. Materials used for bed construction should allow for a minimum eight-inch soil depth with ten to

twelve-inch depths preferred in order to provide enough room for root growth. Materials most commonly used include cedar wood

boards or cinder blocks.

List of Suggested Gardening Tools and Equipment

Spades

Rakes (hard and soft)

Hoes

Watering cans

Hose(s)

Nozzle or watering wand

Hand trowels

Twine/string

Hand pruners

Garden gloves

Rain gauge

Tool cleaning brush

Spading forks

Shovels

Harvest

baskets

Clipboards

First Aid kit

Tool storage

Plant signage

Thermometer

Wheelbarrows

The quantity of each will depend on the numbers of students working in

the garden per use, available funds, and the overall scale of the garden

program. While gardening tools are not particularly dangerous when

used properly, it is important that all garden participants be instructed

in their proper use and storage.


When?

When planning your school garden, timing is essential in order to ensure support, funding, required approvals, and timeliness with

planting during each growing season. Submission requirements and checklists have been provided in this guide to help define required

processes and outline general timeframes of when and how the garden siting and approval process will occur within CCSD.

Submission Requirements

Before you get started, make certain the following items are secured during the applicable time frames noted below:

On-sight administrator identified as the sponsor

School Garden Team members are identified

Source of funding identified

Principal approval and submission of Resource Allocation Request (RAR) via SchoolDude for garden project siting o Should be submitted at least 1-2 months prior to execution of garden project for basic garden projects with no

garden assets o For projects with garden assets such as greenhouse, sheds, shelters, rain barrels, and other structures, submission

should occur at least 3-6 months prior to desired construction date to allow for site approval, plan review, OSF submission and review is applicable, and coordination of construction and management services if approved

1

Garden Program Proposal o For all Community Partners participating in a garden project or program on school grounds prior to involvement

with the school garden project or program o Should be submitted at least 3-6 months

Detailed information on the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) and Garden Program Proposal Process can be found in Appendix A at the end of this guide.

Suggested Checklists

Meetings Round 1: Exploration, confirming interest, partners and support

Attendees: garden team leaders(s), administrators, facilities representative, community garden partners representative (if

applicable)

At the meeting:

Assign two garden co-leaders (at least one CCSD staff member with another staff member or parent, community member, etc)

Choose garden type (school-only, school-only with volunteers, or program-supported)

o MUST have Garden Program Proposal for the community partner approved by CCSD before starting a program-

supported garden on a school site

Discuss potential programs (see menu under Themes and Additional School Garden Program Components)

Source of funding

After the meeting (for school-only and school-only with volunteers gardens):

1 Applies to only fully-funded requests. Projects in need of funding will follow the normal out of cycle budget request process within the

District.


Principal approval, Associate Superintendent signature, and development of required documents to Facilities Maintenance and

Asset Management (FM&AM) Department:

o Resource Allocation Request (RAR)

On-sight administrator identified as the sponsor

Program-Supported Garden Steps:

School must partner with a community garden partner organization

Community garden partner must have the following:

o An approved Garden Program Proposal from the CCSD Office of Planning and Development

Even if the partnering organization has received approval previously to operate in a CCSD school, the

proposal must be resubmitted for partnership at the school in which the garden is going to be sited

o Liability insurance (Certificate of Liability)

o Volunteer screening compliance through the CCSD Volunteer Screening Application Form

o Organic gardening practices- no chemicals allowed

Engage community members for support and organization

Secure community input and support via at least one collaborative meeting between the school and all associated community

stakeholders

Complete required contracts/agreements paperwork as applicable

Meetings Round 2: Site locations, Facilities approvals, planning

Attendees: garden team leaders(s), administrators, facilities representative, community garden partner representative (if

applicable)

Submit Resource Allocation Request (RAR)

o Resource Allocation Requests (RARs) must be submitted for all gardens and related fixed assets such as rain barrels,

greenhouses, or storage sheds

o Create a drawing and/or site map with project’s location on school site: include site’s master plan and identify all

potential garden phases

o Place work order in SchoolDude for the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) specifying garden siting and approval

Call the FM&AM Department for work order assistance at (843) 566-8151

Review information from the FM&AM Department including guidelines for site managed projects and District policies

Conduct site visit and determine initial approval for garden by FM&AM representative

Ongoing meetings: Planning, fundraising, programming, etc.

Attendees: garden team leaders(s), facilities representative, administrators, community garden partners representative Add

additional team members: community members (master gardeners, farm owners etc.), students, parents, teacher

All information developed during this phase should be included in the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) work order

o School break and summer maintenance plan

o Garden team leader succession plan

o Garden removal plan in the event of changes to funding, leadership, or long-term sustainability

o Funding sources and funding sustainability plan


District Level Facilities and Construction Requirements

Obtain final approval from Facilities after approval of Resource Allocation Request (RAR) and Garden Program Proposal (if

applicable) and conduct a site visit with the garden leader, school administration, and any applicable community garden

partner

Ensure compliance with CCSD School Gardens, Greenhouses, and Rain Barrel Construction and Operational Process standard

business procedures and CCSD best practices for irrigation, fencing, planting, ADA access, benches, and structures

If approved, Facilities will notify the school via work order with a status update from Waiting for More Information to

Complete

When the school receives approval notification, they should verify the installation schedule with the Facilities representative.

o If the project is not approved, the school’s administration and garden leader will receive a written explanation for

non-approval in the work order via SchoolDude and will be presented with alternative plans if possible.

If project is not approved, schools should submit a new work order with proposed alternative plans separately from original

work order containing the non-approved plan for re-evaluation.

Work orders submissions that do not respond to requests for additional information within 15 days from the original work

order submission date will be closed.

Pre-Construction and Design Phase

For gardens containing outdoor classroom structures such as greenhouses, storage sheds, or teaching shelters which may require

architectural and engineering (A&E) services and construction management:

Attendees: CCSD Project Manager (from Facilities), garden team leader, administrator, community garden partner

organization representative (if applicable), CCSD Sustainability Coordinator, architect and engineer service representative (if

applicable)

Pre-Construction Meeting must occur prior to building the garden

All architectural plans and drawings for any garden structures should be stamped by engineers for each area of construction

(i.e. electrical for power & water, mechanical for HVAC, civil for siting, etc.) and submitted to OSF (Office of School Facilities)

for approval. Once approval is received by OSF, general contracting services should be acquired by the A&E firm with the

District’s approval.

o General contractor requirements:

Licenses and Bonding

Liability insurance

o If A&E firm is not managing construction, CCSD will contract the District’s construction management firm to manage

the project for a fee billable to the school.

Locate utilities for any underground digging

All permitting and inspections:

o OSF approved A&E drawings and any required on-site inspections

o City or county zoning permits

Submission of work schedule and all contracted vendors to CCSD Facilities Project Manager

Required Paperwork (see Appendix A)

Resource Allocation Request (RAR) (all garden types)

Volunteer Application Form on CCSD website (school-only gardens with volunteers and program-supported gardens)


Additional Requirements for Program-Supported Gardens

Garden Program Proposal Approval

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between community garden partner and school district for use of property and

facilities

Copies of liability insurance for participating outside program(s)

Funding Paperwork

Intent to Apply for Grants (required for any CCSD employee applying for grants by the CCSD Grants Office)

Gift/Donation Paperwork (if applicable)


Additional School Garden Program Components

Each school garden program is designed to meet the unique needs of its school community. Depending on the site, the garden team

and partners will work with the school community to develop garden programming. The following are programs that a school

community may consider when deciding how to incorporate the garden into the culture and programs of the school.

Mentee Mentor Sessions

Pairing older students with younger students as “garden helpers” and mentors can be a great way to create bonds of friendship and

respect between students within a school while participating in fun and interactive learning. During mentor/mentee sessions, students

can participate in a wide range of activities including planting and growing, working with soil and plants, simple cooking/food

preparation, vegetable harvesting and tastings, and more. These activities can address the development of experience-based reading

and language skills, food preferences, fine and gross motor skills, math skills, and socio-emotional wellness.

Student Farmers Markets

Selling produce to the school teachers and staff, PTA, and the broader community can provide an excellent opportunity for students to

build pre-vocational skills while also establishing a sense of pride, success, ownership, and teamwork related to participation in a school

garden. Student farmers markets can be executed at any school or community event. During these events and in preparation for the

market, students can learn how to weight, price, and sell produce, public presentation skills, math, reading, language and

entrepreneurial business skills, and more.

Community Harvest Events & Family Dinner Night Series

Community Harvest Events and Family Dinner Night Series can provide a school with the opportunity to showcase their school garden

efforts and building on the model of “school as the center of the community.” During these events, members of the community can

enjoy produce from the school garden, interact with students, purchase additional produce from the garden through a KidsMarket, and

take tours of the garden area. Often, these events are great opportunities to provide participates with presentations on education

topics of concern to families including family life, financial literacy, boosting careers and job prospects, health cooking, supporting child

academic success, and good nutritional and health habits.

Afterschool Garden Helpers

Partnering with afterschool program providers is a great way to get a smaller group of students in the garden or working on garden-

related projects on a regular basis. Most groups meet once or twice a week in the spring and/or fall, using garden-related curriculum as

the foundation for learning. Contact your school’s Community Education Coordinator or Kaleidoscope Program manager to determine

the best program for your school. The Youth Farmers’ Markets programs are often times operated by students from the school garden

club as well.

Summer Garden Camps

Participating in the complete growing season through spring, summer and fall, deepens the educational experience for students. This

allows the youth to follow the entire seed to harvest experience, along with making sure the garden is cared for during the summer

months. Partner with existing summer programs or, if funds allow, create a new summer program that focuses on the care of the

garden. Most groups meet once a week starting in June. Contact your school’s Community Education Coordinator or Kaleidoscope

Program manger to see what options are available for your school.


BackPack Buddies

Schools can team up with local food banks such as the Lowcountry Food Bank or Rotary Clubs to send home bags of produce from the

garden along with non-perishables and healthy recipes to children in need. This is typically done on a weekend basis, and/or during the

summer.


Maintenance Requirements

School gardens and garden assets are not a CCSD Facilities Maintenance responsibility. A school’s garden team and/or Community

Partner is responsible for maintaining the garden, its surrounding area, and any associated program assets such as tool sheds,

greenhouses, rain barrels, compost piles or tumblers, benches, pathways, and tables. If a garden project or program is discontinued, it

is the school’s responsibility to efficiently and effectively remove the garden and restore the area back to its original state with

guidance from the CCSD Department of Plant Operations. Gardens that fail to be properly maintained or create safety hazards will be

subject to removal and closure at a school for an undetermined period of time.

The District requires that garden team keeps their garden sites clean, attractive and orderly at all times, especially during the winter

and summer months. The garden must have a year-round unified appearance to landowners, city officials, and the general non-

gardening public. The benefits of a well-maintained garden are at minimum threefold:

1) The use agreement for the garden remains in good standing with the district

2) Owners, neighbors and non-gardeners enjoy and recognize the garden as a community asset

3) Your garden will harbor fewer pests and weeds, and will be healthier from season to season

School Break Garden Management

Each school must have a maintenance plan in place for breaks/summer. Options include planting a cover crop, covering the beds and

letting the existing plants go to seed, or assigning maintenance shifts to different garden team members or students for tasks such as:

Weeding

Watering

Harvesting any produce

Checking in on the garden

Any other items as deemed necessary by garden team/school

Additionally, all rain barrel harvesting systems must be emptied and cleaned before departing for summer break. Rain water

harvesting systems may not be used over summer break unless an active maintenance and management plan for a school garden is

in place and on file with a school’s administrative sponsor. Additionally, all water to greenhouse and garden irrigation systems

(where permitted) must be turned off and disconnected before leaving for any school break.

If a school garden asset is directly tied to a CCSD curricular program such as a high school culinary, agricultural, or horticultural

career technology education (CTE) program, it can be maintained by the CCSD Facilities Maintenance and Asset Management

(FM&AM) Department. Maintenance provided by the FM&AM Department will include repairs to greenhouses, sheds, utilities, and

other assets. Maintenance service will not include weeding, mulching, watering, thinning, or harvesting of garden beds. A school’s

garden team will still be responsible for maintenance of the garden area and its contents.

Regardless of maintenance responsibility, garden assets can create unintended maintenance issues and/or financial burdens if they

are not constructed, sited, operated, or maintained according to industry standards and CCSD best management practices. As a

result, minimum garden system design criteria, technical specifications, approval processes, safety practices, physical and financial

sustainability information, and accountability expectations have been developed in this manual in an effort to establish sustainable

and effective guidance for District garden stakeholders.


Garden Safety

Volunteer Training

Volunteers are an essential asset to school gardens. All volunteers in CCSD must go through the Volunteer Screening process prior to

beginning work with any school facility or students. Instructions on how to complete the Volunteer Screening process can be found in

Appendix A at the end of this guide. Additionally, all volunteers must abide by the District-wide check-in procedure at each facility

which includes checking in at the school’s front desk and displaying a Visitor’s badge/tag while on the school’s campus at all times

during the school day.

Volunteer training on school and District safety and emergency response training is a recommended best practice for all school

garden teams. To learn more information on safety procedures and policies within the District, contact the CCSD Department of Risk,

Safety, and Environmental Management’s Office of Security at (843) 308-6580.

Construction Safety

All work must comply with the State of South Carolina Office of School Facilities (OSF) provisions, International Building Code,

National Electric Code (NEC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Any plumbing or electrical work will require

permits and must be performed by licensed Charleston County plumbers and electricians. Plans for structures or shelters over a

certain size or those requiring foundations or utilities must also provide engineer-stamped architectural plans for each engineering

component required to CCSD and the Department of OSF for review and approval at least three to six months in advance of planned

construction. Examples would include civil-engineer stamp for site design, mechanical-engineer stamp for HVAC or heating/cooling

systems, electrical-engineer stamp for water and sewer lines, etc. All structures and shelters will be evaluated on a case-by-case

basis through the Resource Allocation Request (RAR) approval process to determine all construction and submittal requirements.

If any labor is provided for your project (other than District support), the contractor must supply proof of the appropriate license(s),

liability insurance ($2,000,000.00 minimum) listing Charleston County School District as an additional insured and workman’s

compensation insurance. This is a District requirement and documentation must be presented to the Departments of Facilities

Maintenance and Asset Management and Risk Management before any work starts.

Contractors and volunteers must at all times follow safe work practices while on CCSD property. Contractors working on school

property are subject to OSHA regulations. Volunteers may engage in the simple assembly of raised beds, compost bins, and general

set-up of gardens, but should not perform construction work on any structural assets without consultation with and approval from

CCSD prior to beginning any work.

Operational Safety

No running in the garden

Children will be encouraged to use their hands (as opposed to tools) as much as possible when gardening.

Children will be provided with gardening gloves if exposed to thorns or other dangerous plant material.

Shoes must be worn at all times.

All participants will be instructed as to proper handling of tools, including no running and carry tools face downward at their

side.

Children must be supervised when gardening.

Participants who do not follow safety rules will not engage in gardening.


Certain natural hazards may exist such as periodic presence of insects. It is recommend that schools modify garden-related

lessons to include students with known bee or insect-related allergies, keep epinephrine-pens on site, monitor the insect

concentration, and try and maintain separation from kids. Parents should make decisions accordingly if their child has any

related allergies.

Food Safety

Site Selection, Materials, and Water Use

Locate gardens away from potential contamination sources (garbage, utilities, animals, water runoff, flooding, septic

systems, etc.).

Use raised beds, containers, or hydroponic systems to garden only. This will eliminate the issue of contaminants such as

chemicals, pesticides, lead, etc., that could be present in ground soil or leaching into soil from other sites away from your

school’s campus.

Create reasonable barriers to keep wild animals away from the garden. Examples include fencing or cages over produce

items such as strawberries, leafy greens, etc.

Consider purchasing soil that has been commercially packaged and labeled for growing food crops. Soil purchased from a

commercial source ensures traceability.

Use non-toxic, non-leachable materials for raised-bed gardens, containers, stakes, or trellises. Do not use pressure-treated

wood, used tires, single use plastics, old railroad ties, etc.

Select non-allergenic and non-toxic plants.

Check with the local Clemson Extension office if you need assistance determining plant safety or toxicity.

Do NOT use water collected in a rain barrel harvesting system to water edible plants.

Use food grade containers to transport water.

Chemical and Fertilizer Use

Do not use any pesticides or herbicides due to potential health hazards to children.

Check with the Clemson Extension office for the best non-chemical method of control for local pest problems.

No use of non-organic fertilizers in the vegetable garden.

No use of raw manure as fertilizer.

Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using fertilizer.

Secure all fertilizers in a safe and locked location when not in use.

Allow only adults to handle fertilizers.

Check with the CCSD Department of Risk, Safety, and Environmental Management about applicable Occupational Health

and Safety Administration (OSHA) hazard communication requirements. Maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) as required. More information is available at: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html.

Maintain information on safe use and potential hazards that is available on product labels or from the manufacturer, for all

fertilizers.

Label the container with the common name of the fertilizer if transferring fertilizers into a dispensing container. Never use a

food container.

Dispose of fertilizer and its containers according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Compost Use


Compost can be obtained from Charleston County Environmental Management (CCEM) at no cost to a CCSD school.

o Contact the CCEM Greening Schools Representative at (843) 720-7112 with requests for product.

Use of composting manure in school gardens is not allowed due to increased risk of contamination from pathogens that are

not completely destroyed.

Consider using worms to form vermicompost. More information about vermicomposting is available at:

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/ topic/vermicomposting/

For on-site composting, add only plant products, such as fresh fruit and vegetable culls from food production (apple and

pear cores and vegetable trimmings), to a school compost pile. Other plant material, such as grass clippings, leaves, and

twigs also can be added to fruit and vegetable clippings.

Wear gloves when handling compost material.

Locate the compost pile in a secure location away from potential contamination, such as garbage, water runoff, etc.

Restrict access by animals as much as possible.

Growing and Harvesting Produce

All participants must wash hands before working in the garden. Ensure that all harvesters wash hands thoroughly in warm,

soapy water for at least 10 to 15 seconds, and then rinse with potable water. Ensure that all open cuts or wounds on hands, arms, or legs are properly covered prior to participating in the harvest.

Participants must be healthy to work in the garden. Do not allow anyone to work in the garden while sick, or until 24 hours after symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea, have subsided.

All participants will wash hands, using proper hand washing techniques, after being in the garden

Ensure that all persons, including staff, students, and volunteers receive basic food and gardening safety training instructions according to local health regulations. The following topics are recommended:

Hand washing and personal hygiene

Cleaning and sanitizing garden equipment and containers used to hold produce

Handling produce during harvest, washing, and transportation

Glove use

Consider signed permission slips for all student gardeners. Permission slips should list potential hazards of working in a school garden and identify any allergies the child may have.

Ask harvesters to wear closed-toed shoes to prevent cuts, stings, or other injuries if it is not already required by the school’s dress code.

Harvest the garden regularly and remove any rotten produce.

Use cleaned and sanitized food grade containers, such as plastic bins or buckets, to hold harvested produce. Do not use

garbage bags, garbage cans, and any container that originally held chemicals. These types of containers are made from

materials that are not intended for food use.

Clean harvesting tools, such as knives, scissors, etc., with soap and potable water immediately before and after each

gardening session.

All produce will be washed before being eaten or sold.

Liability waivers may be issued on a site-by-site basis for selling food from garden.

GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) programs are encouraged in CCSDs. Participating schools MUST follow GAP protocols and

procedures including obtaining principal permission, official certification by the USDA, kitchen manager approval, required

equipment and tools, and any additional required trainings in order to participate in the program. For more information on how

to certify your school, contact the local Clemson University Cooperative Extension.


Funding & Garden Sustainability

At some schools, the Parent Teacher Organization/Association (PTO/PTA) may have fundraising mechanisms in place to help support the garden programming as part of their larger goals. Children grow up, and with their parents, move on to new schools; teachers and administrators sometimes change schools or retire, and through these changes the garden remains. Thus, long-term planning is critical to the success of any garden project. School gardens require planning, fundraising, community organizing, and maintenance, and therefore are not to be rushed into, but rather developed over time. A more deliberate, intentional process supports the garden in gradually becoming part of the culture of the school, its goals and programs. Likewise the garden needs to be built into the long-term vision of the school site. For this to happen, the visions for the garden must be shared by the school administration, teachers, parents, volunteers and cafeteria staff alike. CCSD will not cover the cost of building, maintaining or reclaiming school gardens. Seeking funds for a new school garden project is typically a shared effort among project partners including the garden team, PTA, community and any other participating organizations. Depending on the size of the garden, costs can vary significantly. Community members can use their skills to apply for grants, seek donations, hold school fundraisers, or use their skills to offset the cost of construction labor. These efforts also encourage ownership of the garden. For labor and materials paid for with District funds, standard purchasing procedures must be followed, including the requirement for

three (3) qualified sources of supply for requisitions between $2,500 and $10,000 and (3) three competitive bids for requisitions

between $10,000 and $50,000. For additional information on District purchasing procedures, visit the CCSD Procurement website on

the Intranet.

Donations

Donations are a valuable resource for school gardens. Parents, teachers, community members, and businesses are often willing to

donate supplies to a school garden program. Donations can be more than just monetary. Other forms of donations include supplies

such as seeds, tools, lumber, etc. Any donation valued in excess of $10,000 and any donation of land must be reported to the District

board when offered. Each quarter, contributions in excess of $5,000 and all contributions rejected shall be reported to the Board

pursuant to Policy KCD Public Gifts/Donations to Schools.

Grants

Several grants are awarded on an annual basis which directly supports school gardens and outdoor classrooms. If you plan to apply

for grants to help fund your garden, please complete the required Intent to Apply for a Grant form and follow the associated CCSD

Grant Writing Guidelines found on the CCSD Grants Page. The following are examples of some of the most commonly awarded grants

which support school gardens and associated learning:

Whole Kids Foundation

Scott's Miracle-Gro

State Farm Service Learning

YSA.org (multiple grants)

Katie's Krops

Annie's School Garden

DHEC Recycling Education

DHEC Champions of the Environment

Keeping America Beautiful/Coca-Cola

Palmetto Pride

Fiskar's Project Orange Thumb

EPA Region 4 Environmental Ed mini-grant

Lowe's Toolbox for Education

KidsGardening.org (multiple grants)

Wild Ones - Seeds for Change

http://www.ccsdschools.com/Grants/index.php


Fundraising

Fundraising can be a successful tool for gaining community involvement and resources for your school garden. It can also provide a

positive learning experience for students. Examples include selling produce and/or small bunches of flowers from the garden through

a Kids Market at PTA meetings or school events, putting on a volunteer-based kids summer program to help provide garden funding

for the next school year, or selling potpourri or paper made from pressed flowers form the garden.

Garden-related educational programs can be as simple or involved as a school community would like to make them, which in turn varies the costs needed to sustain garden programming. Some programs have the potential to be fundraising opportunities for educational purposes. There are also resources offered by community partners that have the potential to help provide tools, plants, seeds, and other supplies for the garden. For example:

Schools can participate in Clemson Extension’s “Seed Fairy” Seeds and Transplants program.

Some schools are able to markup produce sold at the Youth Farmers’ Markets, and therefore make a modest profit that can be funneled back into school programs.

Crowdfunding Resource Guide for Schools

Local garden centers and hardware stores may be willing to donate to school garden projects.

Businesses and restaurants near to the school make great partners in school garden fundraisers. Consider asking a business close to the school to donate a percentage of their proceeds for a day to your school garden.

http://www.ccsdschools.com/Grants/documents/edutopia-crowdfunding-guide.pdf


Appendices

Appendix A: Required Forms, Submissions, and Processes

Resource Allocation Request (RAR)

With the development of gardens, any phase, ranging from initial siting to existing garden expansion, or related garden

structure/asset needs to be submitted for approval through the CCSD Resource Allocation Request (RAR) process. This process exists

for several reasons. The first being so that CCSD Facilities and Operations division personnel are aware of the size and extent of a

school's garden and can provide adequate support to all aspects of the project. By informing CCSD Facilities and Operations

personnel of your intent to establish and/or expand an existing garden, gardens can be sited in areas for students and staff that do

not have future plans for development, pose health or safety risks, obstruct utility or fire access, have poor drainage, etc. This process

serves to protect the interests of all parties involved by facilitating open communication about garden projects which require time,

resources, maintenance, establishment, removal, etc. affecting both CCSD personnel and school/community personnel involved in the

garden program. An additional reason for this process is so that anyone seeking to establish and/or expand a garden goes through

the same process and the discretion of what is considered a large enough “modification to the grounds” to merit putting in a

Resource Allocation Request (RAR) is eliminated.

NOTE: Any and all gardens, no matter the size, are considered a modification to a school’s grounds regardless of whether they are

placed on top of the grounds and/or in the ground as they will utilize space and resources at the facility in which they are installed.

This same process applies to greenhouses, sheds, wooden or metal structures, outdoor classroom areas, rain barrels, etc.

When in doubt as to whether or not an outdoor project is considered a garden project or qualifies as a "grounds

modification," submit a Resource Allocation Request (RAR) to receive clarification.

Garden projects without approved Resource Allocation Request (RAR)s on file will be subject to removal and/or closure by

CCSD Facilities and Operations.

Resource Allocation Request (RAR)s can be found on the intranet under the Maintenance Department page. The Resource Allocation

Request (RAR) submission is an internal CCSD process and as such, can only be submitted by a CCSD staff member who has completed

training on RAR submissions in PALMs. To properly complete the RAR process, the following information below should be provided by

the submitter into SchoolDude as a work order under Operational Services (problem type). Once the RAR is submitted, it will be

routed to the District’s Sustainability Coordinator for evaluation and inclusion of other applicable personnel when necessary. If a

school is working with a Community Partner, the RAR submission will not be approved unless the Community Partner has an

approved Garden Program Proposal on file for the school location for which the RAR is being submitted. Instructions on the Garden

Program Proposal submission process can be found at the end of Appendix A.

Checklist of required information for Resource Allocation Request (RAR):

Garden purpose

Garden type/theme

Funding amount and source

Grade levels to be served or number of students to be involved on average

Desired site location on grounds

Dimension or size of plot(s)

Existing or required assets for garden project (i.e. sheds, greenhouses, rain barrels, etc.)

http://intranet.charleston.k12.sc.us/0180/ResourceRequest/index.php

http://intranet.charleston.k12.sc.us/0180/index.php#maintenance


Utility needs (i.e. power, water, etc.)2

Name of primary on-site administrative sponsor (i.e. principal or assistant principal)

Name of primary on-site garden coordinator (i.e. CCSD teacher or staff member responsible for garden project)

Name of who will install garden

Name of who will be responsible for maintenance and removal of garden in the event of project/program discontinuance3

Community Partners or volunteers involved in garden project4

Volunteer Screening Process

The volunteer screening process is a requirement for any and all individuals freely giving of their time at a school facility who are not

parents of students at the school or CCSD staff. All volunteers must submit and receive approval of their volunteer application prior to

commencing work at any school.

The volunteer screening application process is completely digital and can be found on the CCSD Community Education webpage on

the CCSD website. Volunteers will need to submit their information annually for approval.

Required information includes:

First & last name

Gender

Date of Birth

Social Security Number (SSN)

Address

Phone number

Email

o If an individual applying does not have access to email, enter [email protected] and a district

administrator will call the volunteer regarding their status. For questions about the process, please contact CCSD

Security Office at the email address above.

2 Utility requests requiring the provision of new power or water lines may significantly delay the approval process depending on the

availability of funding, time, and resources in the CCSD Department of Facilities Maintenance and Asset Management (FM&AM). Requests will be fulfilled in the order in which they are received District-wide for the same utility needs. 3 School gardens are not a CCSD Facilities Maintenance responsibility. A school’s garden team and/or Community Partner is

responsible for maintaining the garden, its surrounding area, and any associated program assets such as tool sheds, greenhouses, rain barrels, compost piles or tumblers, benches, pathways, and tables. 4 Must have an approved Garden Program Proposal on file with the Department of Planning and Operations before garden

construction or operation can begin.

http://www.ccsdschools.com/Community/Volunteers/index.php

mailto:[email protected]


Garden Program Proposal Submission Process

For any outside organization or entity participating in a garden project/program or running a garden project/program at a school, a

Garden Program Proposal must be submitted to Bob (Robert) Olsen for review in the Department of Planning and Development. The

Department of Planning and Development has published guidance on this process in the form of an informational packet

entitled Proposals for After School, Instructional, Behavioral, or Professional Development Programs.

For questions regarding Program Proposal contents, or for clarification as to whether or not your program needs to submit a

proposal based on its scope, size, level of involvement, etc., contact Bob Olsen directly via the link above. Program size and level of

involvement may necessitate the provision of liability insurance by the third-party organization and a signed MOU or FUA with the

District for each program location. The organization will be notified of additional requirements upon program proposal review by

CCSD personnel.

NOTE: This process should be followed even when teachers and outside organizations/entities are communicating and working

together in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved on our campuses and protect the interests of all parties participating.


http://www.ccsdschools.com/Community/documents/USPPacket201415.pdf


Appendix B: Rainwater Harvesting Best Practices Guide for Schools

Rainwater Harvesting Systems Guidance for Schoolyard Applications

Kim Counts Morganello, Clemson Extension Water Resources Agent

August 2015 Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rainwater from roof surfaces for use in both potable and non-potable applications, and for stormwater, erosion and flood control. Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice and is still widely used throughout the world, becoming more popular in residential yards and schoolyards in the United States. For the purpose of this guidance document, the focus is on the collection and non-potable use of rainwater in schoolyard landscapes. Why Harvest Rainwater?

Irrigation: Harvested rainwater can be used to irrigate landscape beds, butterfly gardens, rain gardens, and container plants, as well as to create wildlife features such as birdbaths or butterfly puddling areas.

Stormwater runoff: Rainwater harvesting manages polluted runoff by decreasing the volume of stormwater that moves across the landscape, transporting pollutants such as fertilizers, pet waste, sediment, and litter, to nearby waterways.

Flooding & erosion issues: This practice can also be used to manage flooding and erosion around the foundation of a building. How much water can be collected? As a general rule of thumb, for every one-inch of rain and every one-square foot of roof surface, the potential exists to capture over half of a gallon of water. To put this into perspective, for a one-inch rain event, a 1000 square foot roof can capture more than 600 gallons of water. Rainwater harvesting provides an excellent tool to teach students about local rainfall patterns, water conservation, impervious surfaces and watersheds, as well as the volume of water that falls on a property when it rains. Use of Harvested Rainwater in the Schoolyard: Bacteria and other pollutants (such as fecal matter from a visiting squirrel or bird, or heavy metals from roofing materials) can accumulate on roof surfaces. Because harvested rainwater is collected as water flows off roof areas, these pollutants can be washed off the roof and end up in the collection tank. Due to these potential health concerns, application of harvested rainwater on edibles can only be safely done by following specific protocols (for additional information visit www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic). FOR THE PURPOSES OF SCHOOLYARD APPLICATIONS, HARVESTED RAINWATER SHOULD ONLY BE USED ON NON-EDIBLES (BUTTERFLY GARDENS, NATIVE PLANT GARDENS, RAIN GARDENS, ETC.) TO AVOID RISK OF USING POTENTIALLY CONTAIMINATED WATER ON GARDEN EDIBLES. STUDENTS SHOULD WASH THEIR HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER DIRECT CONTACT WITH HARVESTED RAINWATER. I. Rain Barrels Rain barrels are commonly used to collect rainwater as they are typically easy to find and relatively inexpensive. Rain barrels, which are sized to hold up to 100 gallons of water, are used for small-scale rainwater harvesting.

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic


Getting Water to the Barrel Rainwater is directed into the barrel using a downspout, rain chain or simple sheet flow from the roof. The point where water enters the rain barrel, typically the top, must be screened to prevent mosquito breeding and to restrict debris such as leaves, twigs and small animals from entering the barrel. This screened entryway should be cleaned regularly to ensure water flow is not restricted. It is very important to securely fasten the lid as a safety precaution; this will prevent small animals from becoming entrapped in the barrel. Moving Water from the Rain Barrel Regardless of whether a school has one rain barrel or multiple barrels, the total volume of water is generally too small for a conventional pump; therefore, the rain barrels should be elevated to allow for gravity feed (i.e., using the force of gravity to push water out of the barrel). For every 1 foot of elevation, approximately 0 .4 pounds of pressure (PSI) is created. Typically, rain barrels are elevated 12 to 36 inches above the ground, which allows for enough pressure to push water through a spigot to fill a watering can, hose or drip irrigation. Note: Elevated barrels rarely have enough pressure to force water through a soaker hose, unless the soaker hose “O-ring” is removed or if a low pressure soaker hose is used. Drip irrigation or hose application is recommended. The end use for the water should be located as close as possible to the rain barrel system; as this will encourage the use and maintenance of the rain barrel. For example, if the water is being used to irrigate a butterfly garden, it is best to have the rain barrel(s) adjacent to the butterfly garden, and not 40 feet away! And remember, rain barrels work best when used! Building Storage Capacity Rain barrels can be connected or “daisy-chained” to increase storage capacity. For example, linking two 50-gallon rain barrels can create a 100-gallon capacity system. See Figure 1. Elevating Rain Barrels As previously mentioned, elevating a rain barrel increases the water pressure coming out of the spigot or hose. A raised barrel also allows for easier access to the spigot, which can be beneficial when students are filling a watering can or bucket. It is imperative to make sure the barrel is stable and secure regardless of the anchoring method. A 55-gallon rain barrel weighs over 450 pounds when full; therefore, elevated rain barrels need to be secured to prevent injury. Techniques for elevating rain barrels include creating a cinder block or paver base, or building a platform that elevates the barrel off of the ground. Anchoring the rain barrels to the stand using metal strapping can also be used to stabilize the barrel. See Figure 2. Key Features of a Rain Barrel

Spigot that can be turned on and off.

Emergency overflows that allow water to escape when barrel is full; typically flexible pipe or PVC that directs water overflow away from the foundation, doorways, sidewalks, etc.

Dark color to prevent sunlight penetration and algae growth.

Recycled barrels should be food grade and have never been used to transport chemicals.

Secure point of water entry.

Screened entry and exit points to limit mosquitoes. To learn more about rain barrel maintenance and construction, visit www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear and download a free copy of the Rainwater Harvesting for Homeowners Guide produced by Clemson Extension Carolina Clear.



Figure 1: Area elementary school students painted these colorful rain barrels located at the College of Charleston Grice Marine Laboratory. The four rain barrels are “daisy chained.”

Figure 2: Both of these rain barrels are elevated using a wooden stand to provide head pressure so that water will move from the barrel to the point of use. The barrels are strapped to the wooden stand using metal tape for stability and safety purposes. II. Cisterns Rainwater can be harvested on a larger scale through the use of cisterns. A cistern is a storage tank that can hold 100 gallons or more. Cisterns come in all shapes and sizes and can be made of a variety of materials including plastic and metal. Cisterns can be installed either above or below ground. Getting Water to the Cistern Cisterns tend to be more complex than rain barrels because additional emphasis is placed on filtering the water. This pre-filtration can be done by including downspout, basket, or vortex filters and/or a first flush diverter. The “first flush,” or the initial rainfall coming off a roof, is the dirtiest water produced during a rain storm; using a first flush diverter simply diverts this water away from the cistern before it has a chance to enter the tank. Maintaining the pre-filtration devices is critical to assuring the integrity of cisterns, as cisterns cannot be cleaned as easily as rain barrels. For best results, use the water regularly and ensure baskets and screens are cleaned (typically once a month) and empty first flush diverter basket filters (typically once a month). Moving Water from a Cistern Water in a cistern can be distributed using gravity feed or a pump, and can be set on a timer. When using a pump, pressure will resemble that of municipal water supplies and water can be transported over greater distances than when relying on gravity feed. If the system is set to run automatically, it is important to include an automatic shut-off, typically a float switch; otherwise, the pump may overheat if the tank is empty. To learn more information, including potential training opportunities, visit the American


Rainwater Catchment Systems Association www.arcsa.org or visit the Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence at www.clemson.edu/watershed

Figure 3: A 1,100-gallon cistern located at the Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC. This system is set on a timer to deliver water to a drip irrigation system that waters adjacent landscaped beds.

Figure 4: A 900-gallon cistern located at PACE Academy in Charleston, SC. The first flush diverter depicted on left hand side of photo diverts the first flush of water, which contains the most debris and potential pollutants. III. Maintenance: Routine system maintenance is recommended at a minimum of twice a year for both rain barrels and cisterns. Maintenance needs should be communicated to appropriate individuals. The best maintenance is regular use of the rainwater harvesting system allowing for optimal water quality and system function. Maintenance Check List Rain Barrels:

Clear debris from gutters and downspouts Check rain barrel is secure Check top is secure Check water for algae, insects and other forms of life and drain if needed

http://www.arcsa.org/

http://www.clemson.edu/watershed


Check spigot function Clear any debris from entry way screening Check overflow pipe for signs of erosion and redirect away from building if needed

Cisterns:

Clear debris from gutters and downspouts Clear debris from pre-filtration devices (downspout filter, first flush diverter, etc) Check cistern is secure Check cistern top/access is secure Check water for algae, insects and other forms of life and drain if needed Check spigot function Check overflow for signs of erosion and adjust (ex. add river rock) if needed

IV. Rain Gardens Regardless of the size of the collection tank, ideally overflow can be directed to an adjacent landscaped area or rain garden. Rain gardens should be considered part of the rainwater harvesting system. Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that allow water to pool and infiltrate, thus reducing the amount of stormwater runoff. The plants and microbes in the soil do the heavy lifting of removing pollutants from stormwater runoff. To learn more about rain gardens, visit www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear and download a free copy of the Carolina Clear Rain Garden Manual.

Figure 5: Small cistern with overflow directed to an adjacent rain garden-located at SC Department of Natural Resources Fort Johnson Marine Center, James Island, SC. Harvesting rainwater is a fun and educational way to conserve water and practice good watershed stewardship. Although this water is not treated, thus not drinkable, it may still be safely applied in a schoolyard setting by following these recommended application, design and maintenance guidelines. To learn more, visit clemson.edu/carolinaclear. Kim Counts Morganello, Clemson Extension Water Resources Agent, provided photos and text for this guidance document to assist with design and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems on school properties. The Clemson University Extension Water Resources Team (specifically Katie Buckley, Dr. Amy Scaroni, Cathy Reas Foster, Karen Jackson & Rachel Davis), the Clemson University Extension Horticulture Team (specifically Zack Snipes and Amy Dabbs) and the Charleston County School District’s Office of Risk, Safety and Environmental Management (specifically Maggie Dangerfield) reviewed this document. Please contact [email protected] with questions.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.




Appendix C: KidsGrow! Inquiry-Based Elementary Lesson Plan Examples for Outdoor Classrooms and School

Gardens

SAMPLE LESSON PLANS GRADES 1-6

Grade 1: Unit 1: Scientific Inquiry and Investigating Plants

Lesson 1 Plants

Standards 1.S.1A.1 Ask and answer questions about the natural world using explorations, observations, or structured

investigations.

1.E.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data from observations and measurements to compare the properties of Earth materials

(including rocks, soils, sand, and water).

Sequence:

1) Last week we were introduced to the garden classroom and discussed what it means to be a scientist and what we do

as scientists here in the garden.

a. Review Behaviors for Garden Scientists

i. Listening

ii. Focused and on task

iii. Cooperating and sharing iv. Following directions v. Thinking and asking good questions

2) Today we are going to make mystery bags to find out how soil is made from decomposing matter. a. Ask students what they think soil is made up of, expect answers like dirt, rocks, plants, etc.

i. Tell them that soil is made of different types of particles called sand, silt, clay, and humus (organic matter that came from living things). Today we are going to try and make humus in our mystery bags.

b. Tell students that we will break up into small groups and each group will have a set of objects at their table. We will observe our objects before putting them into our mystery bags. Each student will have an “It’s in the Bag” worksheet. They are to illustrate their objects and answer the questions on the front side, the back side is for the second part of this experiment when we observe our mystery bags in a few weeks.

i. Place a small amount of soil from the garden into black plastic bags, one bag per group. Do not use potting soil, as it is sterile and will most likely not contain the organisms required to decompose the objects.

c. Break into small groups. Have students observe the objects at their stations. There should be a mix of biodegradable objects like fruit and plant parts as well as at least one piece of “litter” to show that some things do not break down over time.


i. Place all items in the bag with the soil from the garden.

3) Back in a big group, tie up the mystery bags for each group. Write the date when they will open the bags again (needs

several weeks to decompose). Act like what happens to the objects will be a big mystery and that we will not know until we

open them again to observe in 4 weeks and then again for a second observation in 8 weeks. a. Ask students to think about what they predict will happen to the objects that they put in their mystery bags.

i. Will the objects look the same as they do today? ii. Will the objects look different then they do today? iii. Will all of the objects change or not change in the same way?

b. Tell students to pick one object, for example a banana peal, and make a prediction about what it will look like when we open the mystery bags in 4 weeks.

i. Explain that a prediction is a guess about what will happen in the future based off what we have

observed and what we already know (prior knowledge)

ii. Ask students what they know about bananas or banana peels when they are left out too long.

Students should say something about how they get black spots or start to rot.

iii. Tell students to use that knowledge of what they know about bananas to make a prediction about

what the banana peels in our mystery bags will look like when we make our first observation and

our second observation. Have students share their predictions and discuss why they made those

predictions.

4) Review what we did today and why we have to wait to open up and observe our mystery bags (objects need time to break

down).

5) Snack and dismissal.

Materials: Clipboards, pencils, hand lenses, objects (fruit peels, leaves, stems, plastic wrapper, etc.), black trash bags, soil

Print out: “Its in the Bag” worksheets.


Grade 2: Unit 1: Scientific Inquiry

Lesson 1 Will Seeds Germinate Without Water Experiment: Set Up

Standard 2.S.1A.1 Ask and answer questions about the natural world using explorations, observations, or structured

investigations.

2.S.1A.2 Develop and use models to (1) understand or represent phenomena, processes, and relationships, (2) test devices or

solutions, or (3) communicate ideas to others.

2.S.1A.3 With teacher guidance, conduct structured investigations to answer scientific questions, test predictions and develop

explanations: (1) predict possible outcomes, (2) identify materials and follow procedures, (3) use appropriate tools or

instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an appropriate form. Use

appropriate safety procedures.

Sequence:

Pre-Assessment: What is a seed? What does it need to grow? How do you plant a seed? How does it change after it has been

planted?

Activity: 1st

experiment. In small groups, students plant seeds, (and set up an experiment to test a question) set a single variable

and make predictions. The question “will sunflower seeds sprout or germinate without water?”

1) Set tone: “This is our first week of official second grade science classes in the garden science lab. That means that every

Thursday you will be coming to the garden science lab to conduct experiments, record data and make scientific discoveries,

if you already know you are a scientist please raise your hand.”

a. “Being a scientist will require each one of us to work together, stay focused, follow directions and stay on task. If

every scientist in here is ready to do those 4 things, then we can set up our first experiment. Please sit up and nice

straight with your eyes on me and your hand raised high to show me you are ready for our first experiment.”

2) Set up experiment:

a. In our first scientific experiment, we will plant sunflower seeds. Let’s talk about what we already know about seeds.

Raise your hand if you have ever planted and grown a plant from a seed. How do you plant a seed? What are the

basic things a seed needs to grow?

b. In this, our first experiment, we are going to find out if seeds will start to grow (sprout) without water. So our

question that we want to know the answer to is…….

c. Will the seeds grow without water?


d. Raise your hand if you have an idea about how we can set up an experiment to test this question. Make prediction,

guess what will happen.

3) Ok, because we are scientists, conducting a scientific experiment, we have to be very exact how we do them. We must

plant all of our seeds the same way, and water them the same way. I am going to demonstrate how to plant the seeds,

then you are going to plant the seeds with a partner at your table.

a. Step 1: Write your name on a red or blue popsicle stick and put it on the pot. Put the red stick in the pot with the dry

soil; put the blue stick in the pot with the wet soil.

b. Step 2: Place 5 seeds on top of the soil. Spread them out.

c. Step 3: Add one level scoop of soil to carefully cover the seeds.

d. Step 4: Scoop 2 tablespoons of water and water the seeds in the pots with the blue sticks. Should we give water to

the pots with the red sticks?

e. Step 5: Put scoops and tools away Those are our 5 steps. Once everyone at your table has them finished, please

return to the benches with your group and teacher.

4) At the benches, fill in the Our First Experiment Worksheet: Part 1

a. Ask: How many seeds did each person plant? If every seed germinates, how many seeds will germinate in all?

(count by fives)

Materials: At stations: pots, seeds, pop sticks, markers, small bucket of soil, scoop, small bucket of water, planting steps.

Print out: Prediction sheet, planting steps


Grade 3: Unit 1: Earth Materials

Lesson 3 Soils

Standards 3.S.1A.3 Plan and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions, test predictions and develop explanations:

(1) formulate scientific questions and predict possible outcomes, (2) identify materials, procedures, and variables, (3) select and

use appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an

appropriate form. Use appropriate safety procedures.

3.S.1A.4 Analyze and interpret data from observations, measurements, or investigations to understand patterns and

meanings.

3.S.1A.6 Construct explanations of phenomena using (1) scientific evidence and models, (2) conclusions from scientific

investigations, (3) predictions based on observations and measurements, or (4) data communicated in graphs, tables, or

diagrams.

3.E.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data from observations and measurements to describe and compare different Earth materials

(including rocks, minerals, and soil) and classify each type of material based on its distinct physical properties.

Sequence:

1) Last week we talked about soil and the four different types of particles that make up soil: humus, sand, silt, clay. We

studied soil samples using our hand lenses. Then we made our mudshakes by shaking up soil samples in jars of water and

predicted what they would look like this week. a. Ask students what they predicted would happen. b. Ask students if they learned anything new about soils this past week that might help them make a better

prediction.

2) Demonstrate how to look at your soil sample to learn more about soil particles. Ask students what the 3 main soil

particles are (sand, silt, clay)

a. Compare sizes and weights of each and illustrate them on the board. Sand is the largest and heaviest, clay is the

smallest and lightest, and silt is in between.

i. Tell students that you have two soil samples for them to observe, sand and clay. First we are going

to observe using our sense of sight. Walk around the room and show each student the cup of sand

and the cup of clay. Ask students to give a thumbs up if they can see the difference in particle size.

It is ok if not all of the students see the difference as this is difficult with the naked eye.

ii. Now tell students that we are going to use our sense of touch to try and feel the difference in the

particle size. Tell students to hold their hands out, palms up. Demonstrate how to rub fingers

together to feel the soil samples in each hand without mixing the samples. Have students close their

eyes. Place a small amount of sand in one hand and a small amount of clay in the other hand for

each student.


iii. Give students a minute to feel their samples. Tell them to raise the hand containing the sand

sample and to lower the hand containing the clay sample. Then have them open their eyes and see

if they were correct. Students should be able to accurately feel the size difference.

b. Hold up a mudshake for the class to see. Walk it around the room slowly so that each student has an opportunity

to observe the mudshake. Draw a blank mudshake on the board. We will fill this in and label it with the different

soil layers as a group.

i. Point to the bottom layer of soil in the mudshak.e. Ask students to use what they learned about the

particle sizes as well as what they know about how large, heavy objects behave in water to

determine which of the four soil types that layer is: sand. Draw this layer and label it on the board.

ii. Point to the next layer in the mudshake. It should be thinner and darker than the layer of sand. Ask

the students which type of soil they think this one is: silt. Draw this layer and label it on the board.

iii. Point to the top layer in the mudshake. It might be a red or orange color. Ask students which type

of soil they think this top layer is: clay. Draw this layer and label it on the board.

iv. Finally, point to the dark object floating at the top of the mudshake. Ask students which type of soil

they think this must be: humus. Draw this layer and label it on the board.

3) Break into small groups and have students observe their mudshakes from last week. They are to draw and label their

mudshakes on the Mudshake worksheet.

4) Back in a big group, ask students if the mudshakes looked the way that they had predicted. Ask them if we were to shake

the mudshakes back up again and mix the layers back into loam (a mixture of all four particle types) do they think they

would get the same results and why? The answer should be yes because the particles will settle the same way with the

heaviest on the bottom and the lightest on the top.

5) Snack and dismissal.

Materials: prepared mud shakes from last week, sand sample, clay sample, clipboards, pencils

Print out: Mudshakes worksheets


Grade 4: Unit 1: Sun, Light, Lenses

Lesson One: “The Power of Sunlight” Experiment Set Up

Standards 4.S.1A.1 Ask questions that can be (1) answered using scientific investigations or (2) used to refine

models, explanations, or designs.

4.S.1A.3 Plan and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions, test predictions and develop explanations: (1) formulate

scientific questions and predict possible outcomes, (2) identify materials, procedures, and variables, (3) select and use appropriate

tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an appropriate form. Use

appropriate safety procedures.

Sequence:

1) HW Review

2) Last week we made observations at stations around the garden. Today we’re going to classify the types of observations

and understand that scientists use different types of observations as they learn about the world and as they conduct

scientific investigations or experiments.

3) Direction: Take notes-make chart in notes section of notebook (have objects such as plants available for example)

4) Discussion:

a. Observations can be Scientific (fact) or Unscientific (opinion)

ii. Draw oval/write observations: draw 2 boxes leading from oval put in scientific and unscientific

iii. Observations can be Quantitative (use numbers or measurements) or Qualitative (use diagrams,

words, pictures)

iv. Draw a second oval/ put in observations, put in 2 boxes leading from oval/put in quantitative and

qualitative

1. Good device to help remember quantitative has an n in it n=numbers, qualitative has and l in it

l=letters,

2. Teacher gives examples of each, students give examples of each

5) First Experiment of the Year! Tell the class: You are beginning to study the sun and the properties of light. Our first

experiment will be about the importance of the sun on earth and how it affects plants. Let’s call it the “Power of Sunlight

Experiment”

6) Discussion: How important is the sun to plants? What would happen if we grew a plant in sunlight and a plant in darkness?

(show plants) How could we test what will happen to know for sure how important the sun is to plants? (set up a fair test

where only one variable is changed)

a. Show 2 plants; put one in a box and one in the sun. What do you predict will happen if we leave them for 1 week?

For 2 weeks? What if we did this and gave 1 no water and 1 water (not a fair test because we are changing 2

variables)

7) Activity: Break into small groups. Materials 2 plants per group/box/labels for names of kids. Keep in pots do not transplant

in the garden. Optional: do a baseline observation of height in cm from base of stem to the end of the stem, count the

number of leaves on each plant, record the color of the leaves from both plants, write this baseline data on the box for both

the plant in darkness and the plant in sunlight. Use popsicle sticks in both to label, “darkness”, “sunlight”, insert pop sticks in

soil in pot.


8) Activity: Hand out Investigation Planner. Ask and fill out questions. Highlight all terms: fair test: manipulated and

responding variables, testable question, prediction Our question: In 4

th grade, how we word our questions is very important. Our question should ask how our manipulated

variable (amount of sunlight) affects our responding variable (growth and health of the plant). So a correct way to word our question is “how does the amount of sunlight a plant receiving affect its growth and health?” This question will allow us to make both qualitative and quantitative observations as we look at our plants. (We can measure how tall they are and describe how they look)

Discussion: Next week we will observe our experiments, record qualitative and quantitative data and graph our results. Materials per group:

2 plants

2 labels

2 markers

2 popsicle sticks

1 tray/box lid to set it on Clipboards, pencils, colored pencils or highlighters Printed Materials: Experiment Planner


Grade 5 Unit: Forces and Motion Lesson 14 Designing an Experiment

Standards: 5-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry, including the foundations of technological

design and the processes, skills, and mathematical thinking necessary to conduct a controlled scientific investigation.

5-1.3. Plan and conduct controlled scientific investigations, manipulating one variable at a time Sequence:

1) HW Review: PASS 5; read pages 32-35 and 45-56 and write Inference about friction experiment

2) Experiment Design Example: ruler/clips experiment. Break into 3 groups and complete worksheet and IP on this (copies needed)

3) Homework: With a partner (I assign), come up with a question you’d like to answer by designing an experiment. Next week you

will work on designing it, including making a list of all materials needed, steps, etc. -By the END of next week’s class, you’ll be

ready to conduct the experiment after spring break, make a poster display, etc for the Science Fair on 4/29.

Use the experiment format poster (provided) for our broad outline and description of the experiment.

ALSO FOR HOMEWORK: COMPLETE CHAPTER 1 REVIEW QUESTIONS ON PAGE 36-40. WE WILL REVIEW THESE NEXT WEEK -

VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMPLETE THESE ON YOUR HOME AND TAKE YOUR TIME.


Worksheet below (to be printed and given out)

Name and your partner’s name_______________________________________Date_____________

EXEMPLARY NEWTON SCIENTISTS -HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT -DUE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9

BRING THIS COMPLETED FORM TO CLASS ON APRIL 9!!!

With a partner, reach agreement on a question you’d like to answer by designing an experiment. Next week you will finish work on

designing the experiment, including making a list of all materials needed, steps, variables, etc. By the END of next week’s class, you’ll

be ready to conduct the experiment after spring break, make a poster display, and be prepared for the Science Fair on 4/29.

Use Your PASS 5 Workbook for ideas for an experiment from any chapter. You may also choose to conduct an experiment using

anything in the Garden Classroom (seeds, plants, greenhouse, water collection, composting, red worms, solar energy, etc.)

Use the experiment format poster (provided) for the broad outline and description of the experiment.

ALSO FOR HOMEWORK FOR NEXT WEEK: COMPLETE CHAPTER 1 REVIEW QUESTIONS ON PAGE 36-40. WE WILL REVIEW THESE

NEXT WEEK -VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMPLETE THESE ON YOUR OWN AND TAKE YOUR TIME.

Question we will explore:

Independent Variable:_____________________________________________________________________

Dependent Variable:______________________________________________________________________

Controlled Variables:____________________________________________________________

Description of your set-up and steps in the experiment

Materials List___________________________________________________________________________


Grade 6: Unit 1: Scientific Inquiry

Lesson One: Kale Seed Germination Experiment Set Up

Standards 6.S.1A.1 Ask questions to (1) generate hypotheses for scientific investigations, (2) refine models, explanations, or

designs, or (3) extend the results of investigations or challenge claims.

6.S.1A.2 Develop, use, and refine models to (1) understand or represent phenomena, processes, and relationships, (2) test devices

or solutions, or (3) communicate ideas to others.

6.S.1A.3 Plan and conduct controlled scientific investigations to answer questions, test hypotheses, and develop explanations: (1)

formulate scientific questions and testable hypotheses, (2) identify materials, procedures, and variables, (3) select and use

appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and record and represent data in an appropriate

form. Use appropriate safety procedures.

Sequence:

1) Collect scientific study assignments.

2) Today we are going to begin work on Scientific Investigations or Experiments.

a. Question: What does an experiment begin with? What causes us to design an experiment (a question). There is a

special kind of question that scientists use for experiments (testable question).

3) Our seed packet provides information for planting seeds inside and planting seeds outside, we want to know where the

best place to start our seeds is. How can we design an experiment to find out and how should we start?(start with a

question)

4) What is a testable question? **Only 1 variable is tested AND the relationship between the independent (manipulated) and

dependent (responding) variables is stated.

5) State our problem: Here is the scenario that we want to address by conducting an experiment. We want to grow kale in

the garden room so that we can make kale chips. The seed packets lists instructions for planting kale inside and planting

outside, how can we set up an experiment to find out where the most kale seeds will germinate successfully?”

6) Next ask: what will we measure and what tools will we use? Specify these before doing the experiment. What variables will

we need to control ( the number of seeds we plant (100) the amount we water the seeds, measure, the depth we plant the

seeds)

7) What data do we need to record, what will our data table look like? Provide a data table and have students decide the row

and column headings-draw it on the board and ask students to copy it down.

8) Review planting procedures from week 1-using a handmade popsicle stick measuring tool to ensure that each plant is

planted at 1/2” depth and tweezers to ensure that only one seed is planted in each grid square. Instruct that one student

will need to keep track of each square as it is planted. . Demonstrate that at the tables-students need to tape off the grid,

write group names, use a ruler and popsicle stick to make a measuring tool, fill tray with soil, lay down grid, plant one seed

in each square. Put tools away when finished, bring planted trays to the benches when


finished.

9) At the tables, plant in three groups, one group plants 2 trays.-50 seeds per tray, two trays will stay inside, two trays will go

outside. Label tray with the date planted and inside or outside label the crop and class section (depending on size of class).

10) Return to group: assign homework-complete data table for plants that are inside and outside everyday-be sure to count

seedlings from both trays in both locations. (ask teacher assistant to bring out one student per day to collect outside data

and report back to the class or record it on a dry erase board in the scientific study area in the classroom.)

Materials: 1) Binders/pouches for students 2)Investigation Planners/work sheets 3) setups for 4 groups to germinate (seeds, soil,

locations, tweezers, trays, grid, tape, graduated cylinder)

Next Week: Fill in investigation planner and calculate a percentage for one day of data. Looking at trays, color in one square on the

diagram per seed that germinated.


LESSON PLAN FOR LOWER ELEMENTARY MONTESSORI GRADES 1-3

Grade 3: Unit 1: Earth Materials: Soils

Lesson 5 Which soil do plants prefer?

Standards 3.S.1A.3 Plan and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions, test predictions and develop explanations:

(1) formulate scientific questions and predict possible outcomes, (2) identify materials, procedures, and variables, (3) select and

use appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an

appropriate form. Use appropriate safety procedures.

3.S.1A.4 Analyze and interpret data from observations, measurements, or investigations to understand patterns and

meanings.

3.S.1A.6 Construct explanations of phenomena using (1) scientific evidence and models, (2) conclusions from scientific

investigations, (3) predictions based on observations and measurements, or (4) data communicated in graphs, tables, or

diagrams.

3.E.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data from observations and measurements to describe and compare different Earth materials

(including rocks, minerals, and soil) and classify each type of material based on its distinct physical properties.

Sequence:

1) Review key experiment vocabulary and identify them within our experiment. a. Testable question (which soil do plants prefer) Name and review what we know about the 3 types of soils being used. b. Prediction (Plants will grow best in loam) c. Materials (3 identical pots, same type of seeds, 3 types of soil, sand, clay, and loam) d. Data collection (color of plant, height)

2) Today we are going to make our first observations. Review what to look for during our observations. Students should be looking at the health of each plant. Plant color, height/growth, number of leaves, and signs of wilting will determine this. Review how to properly handle the plants during observations. Have students split into small groups, make observations and record their data.

3) Back in big group, review the observations made and discuss. Ask students to think back on the predictions that they made last week. Were any of them correct?

4) Introduce the “Does it Hold Water” experiment. Set up 3 funnels with the different types of soils. Set the soil filled beakers over 3 measuring cups.

a. Tell students that next week we will pour equal amounts of water through each funnel to see how quickly the water passes through each type of soil.

b. Have students predict which one the water will pass through the quickest, why? c. Which one will the water pass through the slowest, why? Use what you know about the different soils to make your

predictions 5) Snack and dismissal.

Materials: student clipboards, pencils, crayons/colored pencils, 3 funnels, soil samples

Print out: observation worksheets


Appendix D: Middle School Lesson Plan Examples for Outdoor Classrooms and School Gardens

All lesson plans written by Katie Schmenk, Seventh Grade Science Teacher, Haut Gap Middle School

Garden and Seasons

Duration: 50 Minutes

Prior Knowledge: Students should have been taught the movements of the Earth: rotation and revolution around the Sun

Subject/Grade Level: 8th

/Science

Materials: 1. Copy of Article “Despite Small Farming Profits, Alaska Has Texas-Size Veggies” Sam Howe, LA times 2005 2. Power point pictures of vegetables from Alaska 3. Animation clip “Earth orbit and daylight” (just Google)

Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives: Standard 8.E.4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the universe and the predicable patterns cause by Earth’s movement on the solar system 8.E.4B.3: Develop and use models to explain how seasons, caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun, affects the length of the day and the amount of heating on Earth’s surface.

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. Identify how the tilt of the Earth affects the amount of sunlight that hits and heats the Earth in different position. 2. Students will understand because of the tilt is the main cause of the seasons.

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 1. Read the article out loud to whole class 2. Pair share what they have read to ensure understanding of all students.

ENGAGEMENT: Teacher will ask students “where do you think the largest vegetables grow and why” Class discussion takes place. Next, show pictures of large vegetable from Alaska power point (do not tell students where these vegetables are from). Again discuses where these vegetable could be found.

EXPLORATION: Student will read the article “Despite Small Farming Profits, Alaska Has Texas-Size Veggies”. Then the teacher will ask why do you think that vegetables grow larger in Alaska? Next, show animation clip of “Earth orbit and Daylight”

EXPLANATION: Teacher explains that since that Earth revolves around the Sun and is tilted. This is what causes the seasons. Using the animation clip to help explain this concept. Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the amount of daylight in Alaska (use for an extreme example) in the summer Alaska has long days with sunlight and in winter dark most of the day. Tie this concept back into why Alaska has such large vegetables due to the extreme sunlight in the summer which allows the vegetables to grow. Ask students “What if the tilt of the Earth was more extreme? What if the tilt was less? How would this affect the seasons?” Explain where on Earth do we see little season change and why?”

ELABORATION: Students will then fill out a diagram of the Earth revolving about the Sun and identify the seasons taking place. On the back of the diagram student will answer the following questions:

1. Where you surprised that Alaska could produce large vegetables? 2. Predict when would be the best time to grow flowers or vegetables and explain why.

Vocabulary needed: Rotation, Equator, Revolution, Axis, Students can observe the change in amount of daylight by looking up when the sun rises and sets this could be done by the teacher or students could chart on their own for any given amount of time.


***Extension- Could intro into the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and how the seasons switch.

EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated based upon filling out the diagram and answering the questions on the back of the worksheet.


Garden Tools & Safety

Duration: 1 – 60 minute class period

Subject/Grade Level: Science – 6th, 7th, 8th

Materials: 1. Pointed Shovel 2. Hand Trowel 3. Rake 4. Hoe 5. Gloves 6. Hand Shear/Pruners 7. Wheelbarrow

Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives:

6.S.1A.3

7.S.1A.3

8.S.1A.3

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. Properly identify and use a variety of garden tools.

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 3. Lesson material will be presented in a variety of ways to teach content to all learning styles. 1. Individual directions given to IEP/ESOL students. 2. GT students can use the knowledge they have learned about the tools to make a matching game that can be given to lower

level students for review purposes.

ENGAGEMENT: (In the classroom) Teacher will play a video on YouTube using the following link that shows and explains the tools that are most commonly used in the garden. Digs Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhsausInmiI

EXPLANATION: (In the classroom) 1. Teacher will pose question to the class about why we have rules in the garden for safety. Teacher will lead students through

a class discussion and compile a list of safety rules. 2. Working in pairs, students will fill out a vocabulary sheet where they define the term, give an example, and draw a picture of

the tool.

ELABORATION: 1. Vocabulary Terms for Students to Know

a. Pointed Shovel b. Hand Trowel/Shovel c. Hand Shear/Pruner d. Rake e. Hoe f. Gloves

EXPLORATION: (In the garden) 1. Students will gather around the teacher in the garden. Teacher will show students how to properly use each of the garden

tools. 2. Students will break off into small groups and each group will receive a tool. 3. Students will take turns practicing how to properly use the tool and an explanation of the tools importance. 4. Student groups will switch tools until all students have been given a chance to use the tool. 5. Teacher will circulate and monitor students to oversee proper use of the garden tools for safety practices.

EVALUATION: Teacher will give students an exit question to answer such as “Lucy notices a weed growing in the garden. She knows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhsausInmiI


that she needs to pull it but doesn’t remember which tools to use. She asks Juan for help and Juan tells her she will need ______________________ tools.”

EXTENSIONS: 1. Matching game by GT students. 2. Write A Narrative: Have class write a narrative where each person is assigned one specific tool from the garden. The class

decides on the main characters and the theme of the story is “how to use tools safely in the garden”. Each student then writes how to use their tool using the characters decided upon in class. Students then illustrate their narratives.

English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.A-C



Compose a narrative about how to properly use garden tools safely.


Reproductive Parts of a Flowering Plant Lab

Duration of lesson: 60 minute (lesson can be broken up over two days, have students save flowers in plastic baggies, label with their names to finish the lab).


Science

Ensure that there are enough flowering plants in your garden to complete this activity. Materials:

1. Reproductive Parts of a Flower worksheet 2. Pencils 3. Blank paper 4. Fresh flowers for dissection (lilies or Pervurian lilies are great for male and female parts/ovule is small and needs to be cut

with a scapel; Columbine are great for observing ovules) 5. tape or glue 6. colored pencils 7. Projector (SMARTboard/Prometheus board) 8. Mr. Parr Song Video – Parts of a Flower 9. scalpel or knife to cut ovaries

Optional:

1. Clipboards


6.L.5B.3 Develop and use models to compare structural adaptations and processes that flowering plants use for defense, survival and reproduction.

6.S.1A.3 (3) select and use appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an appropriate form. Use appropriate safety procedures

SWBAT understand the reproductive parts of a flower.

SWBAT develop models to compare reproductive structural adaptations.

SWBAT select appropriate tools to perform tests

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. identify the female and male reproductive parts of a flowering plant 2. draw and explain the female and male reproductive parts

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 1. Partner pairs for research for Tier 1 learners 2. ESL adaption - Diagram of flowering plant with labeled parts

ENGAGEMENT: (in classroom) 4 minutes

Watch the Parts of a Flower Song from Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qKWw7JcXCY

EXPLORATION: (in garden/however, if needed buy flowers and complete in classroom) 45 minutes 1. Students need pencils, colored pencils, and a copy of the Flowering Plant Dissection Lab sheet 2. Explain to the students that most flowers have both female and male parts. Today each flower we will observe has both

male and female parts. 3. SW complete Flowering Plant Dissection Lab sheet 4. Assist students who need support completing lab.

*** ovary and ovule part of lab can be completed in classroom to supervise students cutting flower part.

EXPLANATION: 5 minutes (classroom)


1. Students explain how the female and male reproductive parts are similar and different.

ELABORATION: 5 minutes (classroom) 1. Students elaborate on ways that the female and male reproductive parts could adapt and change in a colder environment. 2. Think-pair-share – Do you think that flowering plants have other structures that have adapted due to climate? What kind of

plants?

EVALUATION: Teacher can assess the explanation of their reproductive parts in the students’ lab reports.

EXTENSIONS: (in classroom) 1. Students create rap/county/relevant music type songs that teach the reproductive parts of a flowering plant.

RESOURCES: 2013 Edible Schoolyard Berkeley Mr. Parr video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qKWw7JcXCY

English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information

through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are

appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qKWw7JcXCY

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/6/2/





“Friend or Foe?”

Duration: 1 Class period can be extended into 2 classes periods if desired

Prior Knowledge: Students should have been taught the definition of Adaptations and Natural Selection- this lesson will help reinforce these concepts


and 7th

/Science

Materials: 1. Power point – Friend or For (see attached) 2. Computer lab or Smart Board to demo games to whole class 3. Web Sites- http://www.brainpop.com/games/invasion!!/ and

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/invasive-species-game.htm 4. Website for Article to follow up on:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/green-invaders.html

Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives: Standard 7.EC.5B.3: Analyze and interpret data to predict how a change in the number of organism of one species affects the balance or an ecosystem. Standard 7.EC.5B.4: Define problems caused by introduction of new species in an environment and design devices or solutions to minimize the impact(s) to the balance of an ecosystem.

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. Explain the negative effects of introducing a new species into an environment and the consequences to the native species. 2. Infer data from graphs and make predictions to how populations change in numbers when the ecosystem is out of balance.

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 1. Play the “Invasion” game as a whole class 2. The article could be assigned as homework and or as a whole class discussion

ENGAGEMENT: Teacher shows power point of native invasive species to South Carolina. Teacher can conduct a class discussion. Teacher brings up school garden and ask students what might be some invasive species that could invaded the garden. Or use a KWL chart to start conversation about invasive species and noninvasive species in the school garden.

EXPLORATION: Teacher will show video clip on invasive species and there is a matching game on NOVA: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/invasive-species-game.html Student will read and learn about how this invasive species impact a balanced environment.

EXPLANATION: *This game has two parts – the first part is more elementary based but could be used. The second and primary portion of the game is a simulation where the player is introduced to the complex global dilemma of managing invasive species. This portion of the game requires some advanced reading skills and an appropriate level of systems thinking to appreciate the socio-political aspects of the game. The objective is to stop carp from progressing through the waterways to Lake Michigan. The style of game play is a mix of a turn-based tower defense game and a simple card game to gain resources to build more towers. To win the game, the player needs to keep the carp out of the lake for 25 turns. There are random events the affect the system each turn, so the player will have to often adjust strategies.

ELABORATION: Read article on Invasive Species: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/green-invaders.html Students can create their own plant (drawing) -Name your super plant species

EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated based upon their participation in class discussion. Filling out the KWL Chart (if choose to

http://www.brainpop.com/games/invasion!!/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/invasive-species-game.htm

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/green-invaders.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/invasive-species-game.html


implement).

EXTENSION- Students could choose to research an invasive species that could be found in their school garden and present on it. Going further they could brainstorm ways to prevent invasive species from invading their garden (in a natural way – no chemicals or pesticides)


Food Prep 6th Grade

Duration: 2 – 60 minute class periods


Health Class

Materials: 1. Cook Books and/or computer to search for recipes 2. Garden Journal


N-6.7.1 Create and implement a nutrition plan that meets the federal dietary guidelines for Americans

N-6.8.1 Describe ways to encourage family and peers to choose healthy foods and increase their physical activity

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. Demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and/or avoid health risks

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 1. Material presented in various ways to reach all learning styles 2. Pair Tier 1 and Tier 2 students

ENGAGEMENT:

Teacher will display their own weekly menu and explain the choices they made with recipes and the items used from the garden as well as including the dietary facts

EXPLORATION:

Students will plan a menu for the week that can be made at home for dinner using cook books or by finding recipes on online using available items from the school garden

Students will record the serving size, calorie count, fat and carbohydrate grams, sugar levels, etc for each recipe according to the federal dietary guidelines

Students will write an explanation of why they choose that recipe and how they can share with their family the healthy recipes they chose

EXPLANATION:

Teacher will actively monitor students and give input with recipe choices when needed

ELABORATION:

Students will follow the federal dietary guidelines and recall information they have learned previously about good eating habits

EVALUATION:

Students will turn in their prepared weekly menu

EXTENSION:

Food Day: Have students prepare one of the recipes at home and bring it in to share with the class

4-H Challenge: If your school has a 4-H program, check out the following attachment for contest rules


Farm to Table Bags and Recipe Exchange

Duration: 3 – 60 minute class periods plus homework


/7th

/8th

Grade ELA

Materials: 1. Old solid color t-shirts from thrift store or lost and found (one per student) 2. String/twine 3. Markers or puffy paint to write on t-shirts 4. Scissors 5. Fruits and veggies obtained from the school garden 6. Access to Internet for research 7. Digital cameras (optional)


Visual Arts Standards o VA6-1.3, VA7-1.3, VA8-1.3 Select and apply the most effective materials, techniques, and processes to

communicate his or her experiences and ideas through the artworks. o VA6-1.4, VA7-1.4, VA8-1.4 Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

ELA Standards o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2, 7.2, and 8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,

concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.7, 7.7, and 8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several

sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Health Standards o P-6.8.1 State a health-enhancing position on a health-related topic and support it with accurate information. o N-6.1.3 o N-6.1.4 o N-6.3.1 Access accurate information on healthy eating and physical activity. o N-7.8.1 Demonstrate ways to advocate the benefits of choosing healthy foods and increasing one’s physical

activity. o N-8.7.1

Science Standards o 6.S.1.B.1, 7.S.1.B.1, 8.S.1.B.1 Construct devices or design solutions to solve specific problems or needs: (1) ask

questions to identify problems or needs, (2) ask questions about the criteria and constraints of the devices or solutions, (3) generate and communicate ideas for possible devices or solutions, (4) build and test devices or solutions, (5) determine if the devices or solutions solved the problem, and (6) communicate the results.

Lesson Objective(s): Students will be able to… 1. Create a reusable bag with artistic illustrations and words to capture the essence of the farm-to-table mission. 2. Write a friendly letter to inform parents/guardians/family about farm-to-table mission and request participation and

engagement. 3. Describe a selected fruit and veggie using science vocabulary. 4. Explain how a selected fruit and veggie can be used in a healthy recipe. 5. Engage family members and community in farm-to-table mission through fruit/veggie sharing and recipe exchange. 6. Prepare healthy meals using fruits/veggies from school garden. (optional if accessible)

Differentiation Strategies to meet diverse learner needs: 1. Partner pairs for assistance with making bag. 2. Word lists and sample phrases available for use on bags. 3. Friendly letter template for Tier 1 learners


ENGAGEMENT: To launch the lesson, show students a sample bag (teacher created) that has a friendly letter and fruit or veggie inside. Explain to the students that they will each be making a bag, decorating the bag, and then selecting a fruit or veggie from the school garden to place inside the bag. Read the sample friendly letter that explains the purpose of the bag. The purpose of the bag is to take a fruit or veggie home and prepare a healthy meal with the item, plus any other food items that are needed to make the meal. Explain to the students that they will be bringing photos of the meal and a copy of the recipe back to school to share and explain.

EXPLORATION: 1. Students use the t-shirts and twine to create a reusable bag to hold their fruit or veggie (steps are outlined below). 2. Students then brainstorm artwork and words that could be placed on the outside of the bag to communicate the mission of

the farm-to-table program. 3. The class goes out to the garden and each student selects a fruit or veggie for their bag (optional – teacher can pick the

items ahead of time and have them in the classroom for selection). Make sure the students know that the item they select will need to be part of a recipe they will prepare/make at home.

EXPLANATION: 1. Students research their fruit/veggie so that they can accurately describe their fruit/veggie in their friendly letter, being sure

to include nutritional information. 2. Students then search for recipes that use their fruit/veggie and then select one healthy recipe that they would like to try at

home. 3. Students then write a friendly letter to their parents/guardians/family to explain the purpose of the bag, describe their

fruit/veggie including nutritional information, and explain the steps for the recipe exchange. It might be helpful to go over key concepts that should be in their letter such as cooking as a family, meal must be healthy, record the recipe, take pictures, etc.

ELABORATION: (When students return from cooking with families) Students add illustrations to their recipes and then share their recipes in small groups. Students then reflect in their journals on their overall experience and discuss the recipes that were shared by the other students.

EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated on the quality of their reusable bag, the content of their friendly letter, and the nutritional content of their recipe.

EXTENSION (OPTIONAL): 1. Students can create a cookbook using the recipes that have been provided from home. They can add artwork for the cover,

photos of the meals, and even add poems to the cookbook. 2. Students can bring in meals that they’ve made using the fruits and veggies from the school garden and have a mini-

restaurant in the room. This extension activity can go so far as to have the students design menus for the food items using sensory details (writing) and artwork, determine menu item prices based on the costs of ingredients and prep materials (math), and if meals span multiple cultures the students can prepare a poster or flyer provide information about their culture (social studies). This would be a great activity to follow PASS Testing to engage the students.


Steps for making t-shirt bags

Step 1 – Turn the shirt inside out and gather the bottom of the shirt together in a bunch and tie with twine.

Step 2 – Cut the sleeves of the shirt off, being careful to leave the loops of the sleeve in tact (these will be the handles of the bag).

Step 3 – Place the t-shirt flat on the ground and cut a “U” shape from the top of the shirt to 1/3 of the way down the shirt.


Step 4 – Turn the shirt right side out, and start to decorate.


Appendix E: Vegetable Planting Charts

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Clemson Home & Garden Information FactSheet #156 “Planning a Garden”

Table 1. Planting Chart – Dates to Plant in South Carolina Coastal Region

Coastal

Vegetable Spring Fall

Asparagus Early Jan.- Late Feb.(crowns) —

Beans, Snap Mar. 15-30 Aug. 15-30

Beans, Pole Mar. 20-30 Aug. 1-10

Beans, Half-runner Mar. 15-30 Aug. 15-30

Beans, Lima Mar. 20-30 Aug. 1-10

Beans, Pole Lima Mar. 20-Apr. 15 July 20-30

Beans, Edible Soy May 10-July 15 —

Beets Dec. 15-Jan 30 Aug. 1-20

Broccoli1 Feb. 15-Mar. 1 Aug. 10- Sept. 15

Brussels Sprouts — Aug. 1-15

Cabbage1 Dec. 1-Jan 15 Aug. 1-15

Cantaloupe & Honeydew Mar. 10-Apr. 10 —

Carrots Dec. 15-Jan 30 Aug. 1-20

Cauliflower1 — Aug. 1-20

Collards Feb. 20-Mar. 15 Aug. 1-25

Cucumbers Mar. 20-30 Aug. 1-20

Eggplant1 Mar. 25-Apr.10 July 20-25

Garlic — Oct. 1-Nov. 30

Kale — Aug. 15- Sept. 15

Lettuce Dec. 20-Feb. 5 Aug. 15-25

Mustard2 Jan. 1-Feb. 25 Aug. 15-Oct. 1

Onion, Sets Feb. 1-Mar. 1 Oct. 1-Nov. 30

Onion, Plants Feb. 1-Mar. 1 —

Onion, Seeds — Oct. 1-Oct. 30

Okra Apr. 1-20 June 15-June 30

Peanuts Apr. 25-May 15 —

Peas, Garden Jan. 10-20 —

Peas, Southern Mar. 25-Apr. 15 Aug. 1-10

Pepper1 Mar. 25-Apr. 10 July 20-25

Potatoes, Irish Feb. 1-15 July 15-303

Potatoes, Sweet Apr. 15-July 1 —

Pumpkins — July 1-15

Radish2 Jan. 1-Mar. 1 Sept. 1-Nov. 1


Rutabaga — Aug. 1-20

Spinach2 Jan. 1-Feb. 25 Sept 15-Nov. 10

Sweet Corn2 Mar. 10-Apr. 30 —

Squash, Summer Mar. 20-Apr. 10 Aug. 10-25

Squash, Winter Mar. 20-Apr. 10 Aug. 10-25

Tomato1 Mar. 25-Apr. 10 July 25-30

Turnips2 Jan. 1-Mar. 1 Aug. 25-Oct. 15

Watermelon Mar. 25-Apr. 20 —

¹Transplant plants.

²For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates. 3Seed potatoes for July planting and fall harvest may have to be mailed-

ordered (usually unavailable from local garden supply stores).

Table 2. Vegetables Planting Chart—Spacing, Depth, and Days to Harvest

Vegetable Seed (100-foot row) Spacing Between-

row x In-row (inches) Planting Depth

(inches) Approximate Days

to Harvest

Asparagus — 36 x 18 4 crowns 2 years

Beans, Snap ¾ pound 36 x 2 1 50-60

Beans, Pole ½ pound 36 x 4 1 60-70

Beans, Half Runner ½ pound 36 x 2 1 55-65

Beans, Lima ¾ pound 36 x 3 1½ 65-75

Beans, Pole Lima ½ pound 36 x 6 1½ 70-75

Beans, Edible Soy ½ pound 36 x 3 1 60-70

Beets ½ ounce 30 x 2 ¾ 50-60

Broccoli ½ ounce 36 x 18 ½ 60-70

Brussels Sprouts ½ ounce 36 x 18 ½ 90-100

Cabbage* ½ ounce 36 x 12 3 60-80

Cantaloupe 1 ounce 60 x 24 1 75-85

Carrots ¼ ounce 30 x 1 ¼ 60-70

Cauliflower ¼ ounce 36 x 18 ½ 60-70

Collards ½ ounce 36 x 8 ½ 60-70

Cucumbers 1 ounce 60 x 12 1 50-60

Eggplant* — 36 x 18 3 70-80

Kale ½ ounce 36 x 1 ½ 50-55

Lettuce, Leaf ¼ ounce 30 x 2 ½ 40-70

Lettuce, Head ⅛ ounce 30 x 12 ¼ 30-50

Lettuce, Mustard ½ ounce 30 x 2 ½ 40-60

Onions, Green 1 quart 30 x 2 1½ sets 35-45

Onions, Bulb ½ ounce 30 x 3 ½ seed 100-120


Okra 1 ounce 36 x 9 ¾ 60-70

Peanuts ¼ pound 30 x 4 1½ 100-120

Peas, Garden 1 pound 36 x 1 1½ 65-80

Peas, Southern ½ pound 46 x 4 1½ 75-85

Pepper* — 36 x 18 3 60-70

Potatoes, Irish 12 pounds 36 x 12 3 90-110

Potatoes, Sweet* — 36 x 8 3 120

Radish ½ ounce 24 x 1 ½ 25-30

Rutabaga ½ ounce 36 x 12 ¾ 100-110

Spinach 1 ounce 30 x 2 ½ 50-60

Sweet Corn 4 ounce 36 x 10 1 80-95

Squash, Summer 1 ounce 36 x 15 1 50-60

Squash, Winter ½ ounce 60 x 48 1½ 90-120

Tomato* — 60 x 24 4 70-80

Turnips ¼ ounce 30 x 2 ½ 60-70

Watermelon ½ ounce 60 x 60 1½ 80-100

*Transplants


Appendix F: Related District Policies and Protocols

Policy ECB Buildings and Grounds Maintenance

Issued 8/05

Purpose: To establish the basic structure for maintaining and repairing district property.

The board is aware of the significant investment in school facilities. Therefore Charleston County School District must establish a

continuing program for the maintenance of all district property.

An effective educational program requires clean, healthful, safe, businesslike and attractive physical facilities. An efficient

maintenance program requires the cooperation of the students, teachers and operational staff.

All employees shall promptly report any defects in the building, furniture, playground apparatus or other equipment that might prove

injurious to the comfort, health and safety of teachers, students or other persons.

The executive director of facility services is responsible for the overall maintenance of buildings and grounds. Charleston County

School District shall maintain buildings and equipment in first class condition and in compliance with state safety regulations through

a continuous program of repair, reconditioning and remodeling.

The board, acting on recommendations from the superintendent, must approve the remodeling, reconditioning and improvement of

school buildings.

Adopted 3/22/82; Revised 9/28/87, 8/8/05

Charleston County School District...... in this document on Charleston County School District grounds. ... during in-school or after-school hours or ... If one of your school’s key

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