Hands-On Learning in the Schoolyard

As the school year began, a teacher and doctoral student had a shared vision: to turn a vast, brown landscape of dry grass in the elementary schoolyard into a thriving, productive garden. Together, these two realized that bringing the outside world into the school day could cultivate a sense of environmental stewardship inside their classroom. They wondered: Could a vegetable garden, designed and maintained by elementary students, be an ideal way to bring the outside in?

Although environmental education in lower grade levels is increasing, many students are often only told about—rather than shown—the origination and lives of vegetables and animals, while other students still are not being reached. This article shares how kindergarteners through second graders and their families were empowered in the process of creating a garden as part of a school-wide, interest-based enrichment model. The researchers found that, through the garden experience, students' knowledge of the environment became more nuanced as they collaborated with family members, solved problems, made decisions, and engaged directly with the earth.

During a literature review, the researchers found that many early-elementary-aged students experienced a disassociation between food and its source. Based on this and other evidence, they argue that augmenting environmental education in the primary grades is as important as the teaching of reading, science, and mathematics. These basic “ecoliteracy” components are key building blocks of environmental education. The researchers found that, in elementary schools across the country, teachers and/or community organizations are increasingly introducing school gardens as an avenue toward enhancing ecoliteracy. Connecting students' classroom experiences with their community facilitates a greater understanding of their impact on the world and allows the students to form relationships with each other, family members, their community, and the earth. When ecoliteracy skills are developed, a sense of land stewardship is established; cultivating a garden allows the children to feel as if they are “interacting with the garden.” To strengthen the connection with the garden and a sense of ownership, research shows that children should plan, construct, and cultivate the garden from the very beginning.

The researchers worked with 16 students in kindergarten through second grade, all in the same elementary school. Approximately 70% of the students were of Latino heritage, 25% were African American, and 5% were European American. Ninety-nine percent of these students received free or reduced lunch. Many of their families were Latino immigrants who had gardening experience either in the United States or in their country of origin.

The researchers entered into the garden project intending to collaborate with students and engage in the process of exploration and discovery. Guided by the teachers, the students planned the garden and shared their ideas for what to grow. Over the course of the project, community partnerships formed. The students brought in experts to help construct a low- or no-cost greenhouse that could withstand difficult weather, and the students learned to grow the seedlings necessary for the garden's construction. Community support emerged from grants and individual donations, including the national organization Donors Choose and the local countywide beautification board.

The researchers developed activities, which included a focus on literacy, mathematics, and social studies, aligned with the local standards. During the year, the students led families—many times not their own—into the garden space, explaining seasons of growth, necessary equipment, and various types of local vegetables. The researchers emphasize that the students' depth of knowledge, demonstrated in their vibrant, detailed culminating descriptions, was facilitated through the hands-on experiences provided by tending to their own garden, coupled with the emphasis on family stories and gardening work.

After one year of the gardening program, the formerly barren landscape was now an herb and vegetable garden full of life. Rather than experiencing an empty outdoor corridor, students and teachers enjoyed the rewards of their hard work in the form of ripe fruits and vegetables. From a learning perspective, instead of complaints about brown grasses, researchers documented faculty and young students asking how to become more involved in growing food.