Children seem to be drawn to beautiful and interesting plants, and they enjoy being outdoors. However, despite the most terrific reasons for giving attention to plants, the facts is, many curricula neglect plants, and tend to favor animals. We are, after all, animals ourselves - perhaps some find the subject of animals more interesting, or more easy to approach. But plants are important, and it is critical that children gain both an understanding of plant function, and an appreciation for all that they do for us. We eat them, wear them, live in shelters made from them, breathe oxygen that they have provided - even write on them, fuel our cars and homes from their decaying remains, and use products made from them each and every day.
Gardening is an exciting, approachable way to teach kids about plants.
Interdisciplinary projects enhance young peoples' ability to make connections among isolated facts, and to find meaning among facts. The following are examples of ways to integrate gardening into your program, whether it's a formal classroom situation, home school, or informal education program. In my mind, this is the most fascinating connection of all. Native people discovered that the crops grew well when interplanted, and there are many reasons for this. The corn provides support for the beans, the beans provide nitrogen for the other two crops, and the squash or pumpkin keeps weed populations under control, with its broad spreading habit and large leaves.