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The Joy of a Garden (3rd Grade)

Lesson 1:

From Unit The Joy of a Garden (3rd Grade)

Lesson

Handouts

Academic Standards

Philanthropy Framework

3rd-5th Grade

Subjects:

Library / Technology, Philanthropy, Science and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

ELA:	Gardener (The); Brainstorming; Group Discussions; Listening
PHIL:	4 lesson genOn; Environmental Stewardship; Philanthropist; Time/Talent/Treasure
SCI:	Environment; Garden

Focus Question(s):

What is each person's responsibility for environmental stewardship?

NOTE: Prior to this lesson, use the Blue Sky Activity in which students envision a better world. If you already have a Blue Sky display, revisit it before beginning this lesson.

Purpose:

Through the use of literature, students will see that a garden is a place where an individual can go for inner peace and solitude. They will learn environmental responsibility by sharing a garden within a community.

Duration:

One 45 Minute Class Period

Objectives:

The learner will:

respond to the story The Gardener by describing the main character's actions and motivations.
define philanthropy as giving of time, talent, and treasure for the common good.
brainstorm ideas for volunteering to make the world more beautiful for the common good.

Materials:

Copy of the book The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Venn diagram

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:
Ask students to raise their hands if they have a garden or have worked in a garden. Ask the students who raise their hands to describe some of the work involved.

Show the cover of the book The Gardener (see Bibliographical References). Ask what they think the book is about. Allow a few minutes for discussion, then tell the students that this is a story about a young girl named Lydia Grace Finch who has to leave her grandmother's lovely farm with a garden to go and live with her Uncle Jim in the city.
Read the story once, allowing the learners to enjoy the story.
Read the story a second time, stopping periodically to ask the students to describe Lydia (e.g. brave, creative, smart, selfless, etc.).
Create a Venn diagram to compare her life in the city with her life on the farm. Label one circle The Farm and the other The City. Ask the students to tell you what to write in each circle and in the part where the circles overlap. Encourage the students to think about how Lydia acts in each place, what she does each day, who she sees, and what she feels in each place.
Discuss the following questions:
- Why do you think Uncle Jim never smiles?
- How did Lydia Grace's grandmother inspire her?
- What is the definition of philanthropy? (Giving time, talent, or treasure or taking action for the common good.)
- How did Lydia Grace share her time, talent, and treasure for the common good? (She shared her time by growing flowers, her talent of gardening, and her treasure of her seeds.)
- How did she show commitment to her work of making the world more beautiful?
- In what ways do you think we can be like Lydia Grace?
Tell the students about Earth Day. Earth Day is a day to take action and raise awareness about taking care of the Earth and keeping it beautiful. Tell them they will brainstorm ideas for projects they can do.
- Ideas may include planting flowers in a garden or in pots, taking care of a community garden, picking up litter, or making posters and writing letters to raise awareness about an issue.
- Ask the students to think of someone who has inspired them. Maybe it was a class visitor who taught them something new. Maybe it is a grandparent or uncle. Encourage the students to recall the feeling of excitement they get when someone inspires them to action. This may spark an idea of something they can do to make the world more beautiful.
- Ask the students to think of people who might need cheering up or who would appreciate seeing a beautiful garden. This may give them ideas of people they could serve.
Brainstorm ideas together and write them on the board or chart paper. For this Earth, come to a consensus to choose something the class can do to make the community more beautiful.

Assessment:

Teacher observation of learner's participation in class discussions will serve as the assessment.

Learning Link(s): (click to view)

Have an idea for a Learning Link?

Submit your idea here.

If your Link is accepted for publication on the Web site you will be credited with your name, school, and city.

These Learning Links provide ten quick-and-easy, five-minute mini-lessons to promote student thought and dialogue about service and civic engagement. You may use as many of them as you wish, and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of time, talent, and treasure for the common good) and to reinforce the lesson focus. These Learning Links also promote the development of character traits, civic engagement, and student leadership. As appropriate to your grade level, it is recommended that students play an active leadership role in presenting these mini-lessons to their classmates.

1. READ: Stella made a furrow in the dirt of the school garden. She dropped in some carrot seeds. She covered up the seeds with dirt. Then she picked up her watering can and wet down the soil.
Lucy said to her teacher, “Ms. Wilson, Stella is planting all wrong! She planted the seeds too deep, and she's drowning them with water.”
Stella looked up to see Lucy standing next to their teacher. Stella and Lucy were planning partners. They were working together on the root vegetable section of their garden. (Root vegetables are ones that grow under the ground.) But, Lucy spent most of the time complaining about Stella and her classmates. Stella wanted to like Lucy, but it was really hard.
Ms. Wilson looked at their work. There were neat rows marked with signs that read Carrots, Beets, and Potatoes.
“This looks good to me, girls. Lucy, remember that everyone does things differently. It doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as everyone is helping, I am happy. We can do a lot by working together.”
DISCUSS: How do you think the other students in the class felt about Lucy's comments? When we volunteer our time during Earth Day, why is it important for everyone to do his or her part?

2. READ: Ramone's class helped create a community garden in their neighborhood. Here's what Ramone had to say about it:
The garden we made was kind of cool to work on because we got out of doing other stuff in school. I like to dig in the dirt, and we found some cool old stuff like some bottles and marbles. Planting was okay too. I got to use a hose. I never get to do that at home because we live in an apartment.
Now that the plants are growing, our teacher says we can get extra credit if we go after school and help pull up weeds and water plants. I think this is totally lame. I would much rather be playing b-ball or using my PlayStation. And, what's the big deal about a garden? It's not doing anything special except making more work for people. I don't think I'll go. I'd rather just get a bad grade than have to go there every day after school.
DISCUSS: Can you understand why Ramone doesn't want to help out any more? Do you think he understands why they worked on the community garden in the first place? How can you tell that? What are some benefits of a community garden you can tell Ramone about to inspire him to share his time, talent, and treasure?

3. READ: Philanthropy means to give time, talent, and treasure for the common good. A community garden can only work if philanthropists take part. Let's look at the two sentences above. The words common and community are similar. They both come from a Latin word that means “common, or shared.”
DISCUSS: What does the meaning of these words tell us about the importance of philanthropy? How are our Earth Day efforts philanthropy?

4. READ: Robin's mom and dad got permission to plant a community garden in an empty lot next to their apartment building. There had once been a store there that had burned down in a fire.
Robin's parents and some of their friends picked up the trash, dug up the dirt, and added some new soil. Her dad printed fliers to tell people in their building about the garden. He wrote that people who helped would be able to share the vegetables and flowers. But, no one in the apartment building volunteered to work on the garden. Robin decided that people needed more inspiration to help out. Maybe if people could picture what the garden would look like, they might want to help out. Robin's mom painted a beautiful mural on the wall of the building next to the garden. It showed a garden path, a bench, a birdbath, flowers, plants, butterflies, and birds.
DISCUSS: Do you think the mural will help inspire people to volunteer to help with the garden? Why might some people have to see what the garden would look like before they want to help out? What else do you think Robin and her parents could do?

5. READ: Aidan lived very close to his elementary school. He volunteered to water the school garden during the summer. The garden needed to be watered for 15 minutes every day. To help him remember, Aidan's mom set an alarm clock for 10 o'clock every day. Aidan remembered that every person had a responsibility to be a good environmental steward. He went to the garden every day to water. When he was sick or couldn't go, he asked someone else to go for him. When school started in August, the plants in the garden were green and tall. There were tomatoes to pick and even some corn. All of the students were really excited that their plants had grown so well.
DISCUSS: What does it mean to be a good environmental steward? How did Aidan fulfill his responsibility? How will we fulfill our responsibility during our Earth Day service project?

6. READ: "As soils are depleted, human health, vitality and intelligence go with them."
-Louis Bromfield, writer (1896–1956). When soil loses its nutrients, it becomes depleted and it is not good for growing. This occurs when farm land is overused or lots of chemical fertilizers are used. We need good soil to grow healthy foods for the people on Earth.
DISCUSS: In what ways can people take good care of soil? How will our Earth Day service project protect human health, vitality, and intelligence?

7. READ: Paige's class was building a classroom garden in one section of the school playground. They planned to plant vegetables and flowers to enjoy in their classroom. Some students volunteered to use their allowance to buy seeds at the garden center. Others volunteered to water the plants on the weekends. Paige didn't know anything about planting, and she didn’t get an allowance. But, she was pretty good at building things. Her teacher asked Paige if she would build some planting frames for the garden. These would be wooden frames they could fill with rich soil to make the best possible place to plant their seeds.
Paige was excited that she could help. She found some old boards in her family’s garage. Her dad helped her cut the boards and drive them to the school garden. She worked after school and on the weekends to nail the boards together into rectangles. When the frames were finished, her classmates filled them with dark, moist soil and planted new seeds.
DISCUSS: How did Paige use her time, talent, and treasure to help her class complete their garden? During Earth Day, how will we share our time, talent, and treasure for the common good?

8. READ: Luke took a gardening class after school at the community center. He learned about all the important parts of planting. First, you need a planting container with holes in the bottom so extra water can drain out and oxygen can get in. Second, you need soft, rich soil to plant in. Next, you need plants that are healthy and strong. Finally, you need to water your plants regularly with clean water.
DISCUSS: Luke learned that all the steps of planting work together to make healthy plants. Why is it important for all of the students in our class to work together to make our Earth Day project a success?

9. READ: For their Earth Day project, Simone's class decided to help a local organization that plants trees, flowers, and bushes in empty spots in the city. The class wanted to help the organization by doing some of the planting. But, the organization often planted near busy streets. Simone's teacher didn't think that was a safe way for the class to help. She asked for other ideas. Simone thought they could raise money to help buy the plants.
The class decided to sell baked goods and flowers to earn money for plants. Some students made cookies, cakes, and other goodies. Other students decorated pots and planted flowers in the pots. They set up a booth in the school hallway to sell goodies and flowers during parent/teacher conferences and also during the school book fair.
Their project was a success. They made enough money to buy ten trees for the organization.
DISCUSS: Simone's class had to use creative thinking to help the organization. They used their special talents to help out in whatever ways they could. How are we using creative thinking and our special talents during our Earth Day service project? Why do you think it's important to use our own talents instead of trying to do things the way others would?

10. READ: Michael was sitting on the patio of a restaurant with his mom waiting for their food to come. He looked out around him and watched all the people. Then he saw one woman pulling a red wagon behind her. The wagon was filled with different sized pots, cups, and cans. Each had one single marigold planted in it. As the woman passed vendors and shops, she handed each worker a flower. She asked the person to take care of it. Some people looked confused. Other people smiled and said thank you. Michael thought that was pretty cool. He wondered if he could do something like that in his neighborhood.
DISCUSS: Often, people are inspired to do good things after they see others doing good work. How do you think our Earth Day service project will inspire others to take care of the environment?

Cross-Curriculum Extensions:

Have students find a local community garden using the American Community Gardening Association website. Go to http://www.communitygarden.org/ and click on the link “Locate a community garden in your area.”
To start a community garden at your school, visit the American Community Gardening Association website: http://www.communitygarden.org/ and click on the link “Start a community garden.”
More lesson plans and gardening information are at National Gardening Association’s Kid’s Gardening.com: http://www.kidsgardening.com/

Reflection: (click to view)

Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service project. Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service and your students.

ACTIVITY ONE:
Provide each student with a cutout of a green, orange, yellow, and blue gum ball (a circle). On each green gum ball have the students write what they did during the service activity. On each orange gum have them write what impact they felt they made because of what they did. On the yellow gum ball have the students write a word that represents how they felt. On the blue gum ball have the students write something that they might do in the future to be helpful. Have students share their “gum balls” with a partner. After their sharing, have the students come to the display area and place their four gum balls inside the outline of a glass topped gum ball machine. (NOTE: Each gum ball should be displayed so that what is written on it can be easily read.) Should the “Gum ball Machine” not be “filled up,” encourage the students to add additional blue gum balls as they think of additional activities they could do to be of service.

ACTIVITY TWO:
Have the students share what chores they are responsible for doing around their home. Record these responses on a display board for all to see. Have the students look for commonalities and differences. Lead the students in a discussion that explores why doing these chores might be helpful to everyone in the family; how they contribute to the “common good” of the family. Now, lead the students in a discussion about the service project and have them explain what it is they did during the project. Record their responses next to their “chores” responses on the display board. Lead the students in a discussion that explores the importance of doing their “chores” as a member of the community; why taking part in the service project might be helpful to their family, school, and/or community.

Ask the students how they feel about doing their “chores” around the house. Record their responses on the display board. Then encourage them to share how they felt while being involved in the service project and have them compare their “chore” feelings with their “service project” feelings. Note similarities and differences and encourage them to draw some conclusions.

ACTIVITY THREE:
Draw a clock face on the display board without its numbers and Label it “What Time Is It?” Randomly, read the statements below and instruct students to raise their hands if they know what time it is (hour)? They are to determine the correct time by the clue found in the statements. Once a student correctly identifies the time (hour) from the clue, they are to share something from their experience with the service project. Capture one or two key words or phrases that “summarize” the student comments and record these key words/concepts, along with the correctly identified number in the appropriate hour position that the number occupies on the clock face. (Note: Use the ‘time cues’ suggested or ones that might be more appropriate to your present classroom academic instruction.

Time Clues:

How many people are flying an airplane when a pilot is flying solo?
(1 o’clock)

How many people are there singing in a duet/How many people does it take to tango?
(2 o’clock)

The minimum number of legs you need on a chair in order for it to stay upright/The right side half of a figure eight/Number of blind mice who ran after the farmer’s wife.
(3 o’clock)

The number of “downs” you get to move the football 10 yards/The number that is called out when a golfer is concerned that someone might be hit by the golf ball.
(4 o’clock)

The number of digits that make up a hand or a foot/Number of players on a basketball team that can be playing on the floor at the same time
(5 o’clock)

A half-dozen/The highest number one can shake on a single die
(6 o’clock)

The number of days in a week/A half of a decade plus two
(7 o’clock)

The figure of some race tracks/The shape of a snowman
(8 o’clock)

Three triples/One year short of a decade/A baseball team
(9 o’clock)

The highest score for an Olympic diver/A decade
(10 o’clock)

The last hour of the morning before noon/The hour before midnight
(11 o’clock)

Eggs are usually sold in this quantity/How old is the oldest pre-teen in the world?
(12 o’clock)

Once the numbers and key words/phrases have been placed on the clock, label the clock “Time for Philanthropy.” Ask the students to summarize what they heard in the way of key words and phrases. Asking “Do you have time for philanthropy?” might be a good question when considering helpful acts of kindness and justice.

ACTIVITY FOUR:
Show the students a variety of pictures of various candy bars (or have a variety of candy bars on display). Ask the students to think about their favorite candy bar. Have them share what it is about their "pictured" candy bar that appeal to them.
For example:

How do they feel while they are thinking about their favorite candy bar?

How do they feel while they are actually eating their favorite candy bar?

How do they feel after they have actually eaten their favorite candy bar?

Do they think that they might eat another of those candy bars in the future?

Do they think they might try a different kind of candy bar in the future?

Have the students think about and share with the class how eating their favorite candy bar and their having been involved in this most recent service project might be alike. Conclude this reflection by having the students share their favorite part about this service project and explain why.

Bibliographical References:

Stewart, Sarah. The Gardener. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1977. ISBN: 0374425183
adapted from the Learning to Give lesson: Sharing the Joy of a Garden
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit11/lesson1.html#instruct_proc

Lesson Developed By:

Clare Friend
Curriculum Consultant
Learning to Give

Heather de Koning Foley
New York City
P.S.132
Brooklyn, NY 11211