Carmel’s Garden Curriculum

Carmel’s garden science curriculum reflects their philosophy of inter-connectivity. Students experience in a powerful way how their actions make a tangible difference in the world around them.

Garden activities are integrated with the science curriculum and designed so that students experience “the whole cycle.” Students are divided into three groups of 8 and rotate among three stations.

• Organic garden
• Habitat and ecology
• Native plants and propagation

Each station lasts six weeks, and each class visits the garden once every 10 days. Because their visits are spaced out, students can see a big difference in growth, and are often amazed at how much their plants have grown. Working in small groups is beneficial because it’s so much more “up close and personal.” This way, the kids become very engaged and excited about what they are doing.

6th grade Ecoliteracy Course

All 6th graders are required to take an Ecoliteracy class as a part of their “Wheel” along with computer skills and study hall. Ecoliteracy connects to 6th Grade Life Sciences (Ecology) and introduces students to sustainability and healthy life style choices. Issues having to do with the food we eat, the clothes we wear, our built environments, energy sources, water and the natural environment are all addressed here early in the middle schoolers’ education. This course gives students a base for moving on through 7th and 8th grades when they are in out the garden learning in more depth.

Requiring Ecoliteracy was a radical idea when first proposed, but the staff had the full support principal. In fact, to get this class off the ground, he shifted the schedule by adding a seventh period, and shortening the class periods a bit. It’s like a flex period for the school and is always during 5th period.

A peek at a 6th grade garden activity

• Garden visits typically begin with a short 10-minute lesson connected to their science standards.
• As the student plant lettuce, Tanja discusses microbes in the soil. Students understand that they are “sprinkling the soil with nutrients to feed the new plants” when they add soil from their compost pile and worm bin. They try to identify as many critters as they can. One student finds a millipede.
• These new 6th grade science students plant tender lettuces. First they “amend” the soil, mixing in healthy compost.
• Next, Tanja demonstrates a planting technique where they stagger the plants in rows of 4/3, 4/3 “because things in nature don’t grow in straight lines.”
• Then they dig a small hole and gently place the transplant.
• “See how delicate it is, this little baby? You want to hold it with all the roots together, just like holding your hair up in a pony tail.”

Harvest!