{"id":717,"date":"2019-02-27T05:24:07","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T05:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/?page_id=717"},"modified":"2025-09-07T23:23:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T23:23:52","slug":"first-steps","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/first-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"First Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Take Advantage of Available Resources<\/h4>\r\n<p>You can use already prepared garden related lessons that are aligned to NGSS Performance Expectations and Common Core Standards. Other resources include:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Master Gardeners&#8217; handouts available from your Master Gardener Consultant.<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifelab.org\/?s=The+Growing+Classroom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Growing Classroom (opens in a new tab)\"><em>The Growing Classroom<\/em><\/a> Garden Based Science and Nutrition Activity Guide Fourth Edition from Life Lab.<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lifelab.z2systems.com\/np\/clients\/lifelab\/product.jsp?product=23&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sowing the Seeds of Wonder (opens in a new tab)\"><em>Sowing the Seeds of Wonder<\/em><\/a> from Life Lab.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1868\" src=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-the-growing-classroom-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-the-growing-classroom-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-the-growing-classroom.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1867 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-Sowing-the-Seeds-of-Wonder-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-Sowing-the-Seeds-of-Wonder-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Book-Sowing-the-Seeds-of-Wonder.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/div>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CCDPHP\/DCDIC\/NEOPB\/CDPH%20Document%20Library\/FarmtoPreschool.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Harvest of the Month (opens in a new tab)\">Harvest of the Month<\/a> nutrition lessons.<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/captainplanetfoundation.org\/resources\/library\/\">Project Learning Garden<\/a> Curriculum from Captain Planet Foundation.<\/li>\r\n<li>Other books providing garden based lessons. See our list of books in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastergardenersd.org\/school-resources-books\/\">Gardening Books<\/a> section of our website.<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastergardenersd.org\/school-gardens-curriculum\/\">Lessons<\/a> organized by grade level in the Curriculum section of our website.<\/li>\r\n<li>Internet searches. Search for a desired topic (e.g., lessons on plant germination, soil lesson) and choose from a number that are appropriate for your grade level. NOTE: Use only reliable\/credible sources. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsta.org\/\">NSTA<\/a> National Science Teachers is an example of a well vetted list.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Be Creative<\/h4>\r\n<p>Adapt your regular classroom lessons to be taught in the garden. Review your lesson plans to find opportunities for using the garden to:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Provide hands-on learning experiences.<\/li>\r\n<li>Add interest and enjoyment.<\/li>\r\n<li>Make lessons more relevant.<\/li>\r\n<li>Associate lessons with the garden for retention of new concepts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Create a School Garden Calendar<\/h4>\r\n<p>To avoid conflicts in schedules when your school garden is being well used by more than one class, set up a calendar (online, in the office or teachers&#8217; work room) to sign up for class or small group times.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"pl-gb717-6a2790339f332\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-gb717-6a2790339f332-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb717-6a2790339f332-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb717-6a2790339f332-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-button panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-button so-widget-sow-button-atom-dacfcddb2534-717\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div class=\"ow-button-base ow-button-align-left\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/integrating-curriculum-with-the-garden\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"sowb-button ow-icon-placement-top ow-button-hover\" \t>\n\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPrevious\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-gb717-6a2790339f332-0-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb717-6a2790339f332-0-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-button panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-button so-widget-sow-button-atom-6d886a62161e-717\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div class=\"ow-button-base ow-button-align-right\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/language-arts\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"sowb-button ow-icon-placement-top ow-button-hover\" \t>\n\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNext\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Take Advantage of Available Resources You can use already prepared garden related lessons that are aligned to NGSS Performance Expectations and Common Core Standards. Other resources include: Master Gardeners&#8217; handouts available from your Master Gardener Consultant. The Growing Classroom Garden Based Science and Nutrition Activity Guide Fourth Edition from Life Lab. Sowing the Seeds of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/first-steps\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">First Steps<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-717","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2063,"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/717\/revisions\/2063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastergardenerssandiego.org\/schools\/plant-a-seed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}