Growing+a+Garden

How does your garden grow? Andrea Cooper I collected these resources to teach a unit about growing a garden. It includes resources about growing gardens, plants in general, and insects and other animals found in a healthy garden. This unit is designed for K-1 students. This is a large unit consisting of many different topics: plants and how they grow, insects and how they interact with plants, other animals found in gardens and why they visit gardens, and planning and creating a garden. The variety of topics helps interest all different students and also shows how things are interconnected in nature.


 * BOOKS: **

Bernard, R. (2001). //A tree for all seasons//. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society ;. Lexile: 420

Bishop, N. (2009). //Butterflies and moths//. New York, NY: Scholastic Nonfiction. Lexile: NC890

Day, J., & Barlowe, D. (1975). //What is a flower?// New York: Golden Press. Lexile: unknown

Ehlert, L. (1988). //Planting a rainbow//. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Lexile: 170

Ehlert, L. (1991). //Growing vegetable soup//. San Diego: Harcourt Brace &. Lexile: 140

Gibbons, G. (1991). //From seed to plant//. New York: Holiday House. Lexile: 660

Heller, R. (1984). //Plants that never ever bloom//. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexile: 690

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Levenson, G., & Thaler, S. (1999). //Pumpkin circle: The story of a garden//. Berkeley, Calif.: Tricycle Press. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexile: AD420

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Merrians, D., & Nodel, N. (1977). //I can read about insects//. Mahwah, N.J.: Troll Associates. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexile: unknown

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Swope, S., & Riddle, S. (2000). //Gotta go! Gotta go!// New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexile: AD390

Chasek, R. (2000). // Essential gardening for teens //. New York: Children's Press. Lexile: unavailable Grade Equivalent: 5.1

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cole, H. (1997). //Jack's Garden//. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexile: unknown Age level: 4 - 8 years (Donica Goodwin)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">When looking at the cover, this book would appear to be fiction but it is actually an informational book and would be good to use when working with vocabulary words in this unit.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">WEBSITES: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">There are MANY videos resources on this website, but two in particular “Saving Worms” and “The Dirt on Dirt” that are from familiar shows that support the unit topic.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resource for teachers with lots of lesson project ideas for classroom gardens.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resource for teachers and interactive for students for learning about, planning, creating and planting a garden.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resource for teachers with lots of lessons and printables for learning about insects, including cross content activities.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Interactive website with information about insects, including videos, vocabulary links, question and answer section.