garden education

Thank you for sharing your time, interests, and gifts with our students!
You do not need to be a teacher or a garden expert to lead a meaningful Garden Education lesson. Come prepared to share, invite students to wonder alongside you, and help them pay attention to God's creation.

Our hope is not simply that students learn facts about the natural world, but that wonder leads them to worship—and worship helps form them into wise people.

Plan a simple lesson around your assigned garden topic. You will have approximately 20 minutes to present your main content, followed by discussion, journaling, harvesting, and a closing circle.
If you need supplies for your lesson, please complete the Garden Supply Request Form at least three days in advance so we have time to prepare everything for you.

You do not need an elaborate lesson! A few well-chosen ideas, something interesting to observe, and good questions are often more memorable than trying to cover too much.

Please arrive at the Main Office at 1:40 PM to check in and gather anything you need.
At 1:45 PM, greet the class and briefly introduce yourself:

“Hi! My name is ______. I'm ____'s mom/dad, and today we're going to learn about ______.”

Before explaining everything you know about your topic, give the students something that captures their attention.
You might begin with a beautiful picture, short poem, unusual object, specimen from the garden, interesting fact, question, short story, or something beautiful from nature.

Think: What could make a student lean in and want to know more?
After your introduction, briefly explain what you'll be doing together that afternoon and give students any instructions they need before entering the garden space.

This is where you get to be creative!

Share the main ideas you want students to discover about your topic. You might demonstrate something, let students closely observe an object, read a short passage, dissect a flower, compare specimens, show pictures, tell a story, or explain something fascinating you've learned.
You do not need to cover everything about your subject. Choose a few interesting ideas and give students time to really notice them.

Prepare one or two open-ended questions that invite students to think rather than simply repeat information.
Instead of only asking questions with one correct answer, try questions such as:

“Why do you think God designed it this way?”
“What surprised you?”
“What do you think would happen if...?”
“What does this make you wonder?”

Allow students to ask their own questions, too. It's perfectly okay if you don't know an answer! Wondering together is part of learning.

Before beginning the rotation, clearly show students what they should record in their Garden Journals (Mentors should have these for you).

You may model this on the classroom whiteboard or take one of our portable whiteboards into the garden. For example, if students are drawing the parts of a plant, draw the plant and demonstrate how it should be labeled.

Anything students need to label, spell, or copy should be written where everyone can see it.

Their journals might include an observational drawing, labels, a diagram, a written observation, something they learned, or a question they are still wondering about.

Remind student that their garden journals should be their BEST WORK and to use all of the time allotted. When finished, remain where you are until rotation begins.

Divide the class into two groups.

One group will remain with you to work in their Garden Journals. The other group will go with the Mentor to harvest from the garden. The Mentor will know what is ready to harvest and will lead this portion.

You will remain with the journaling students to help them observe carefully and complete their work.
Keep an eye on the time! Halfway through, switch groups so every student has an opportunity to journal and harvest.

Before leaving the garden, bring everyone together in a circle. This is a chance to slow down and reflect on what you've experienced together.

Ask one or two simple questions:
What did you notice today?
What do you still wonder about?

Then close your time by pointing students back to the Creator. You might offer a short prayer, say or sing the Doxology together, read a verse of Scripture, or offer another simple closing.

At Redwood, we want students to recognize that God is the Creator of all things. As we learn to pay attention to His creation, wonder can lead us to worship and worship helps us grow in wisdom.

Garden Education ends promptly at 2:45 PM so students can return inside and prepare for dismissal.
Please help leave the garden ready for the next group. Return tools and supplies to their proper places and clean up anything used during your lesson.

At dismissal, please meet your own student(s) in the office so they can be properly checked out.

After your lesson, please post anything helpful in the Garden Group in the RCA app. This might include something that worked especially well, something future volunteers should know, or information Brenda, our Garden Coordinator, needs to be aware of.

You are also welcome to take photos during your garden time and share them in the Garden Group in the RCA app. Please do not post student photos on personal social media or use them for personal purposes.