Looking forward to outdoor classroom
Inver Grove Heights Parks and Recreation 2011 "I Can Grow" Youth Garden Award Winner
The students and teachers at Salem Hills Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota are looking forward to revisiting their outdoor classroom and garden.
“Last year, the kids had lots of freedom and we kept it simple. This year we’ll have more insight into what to plant,” says Joe Melde, 3rd grade teacher at Salem Hills.
The school is integrating the garden into their curriculum:
- Students will observe the garden scientifically;
- They'll harvest fruit and maintain the garden;
- They'll write in their journals and even compose poetry about their experience.
Salem Hills held a video conference with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, where students learned more about gardening and planting the “three sisters,” the three crops planted by Native Americans – squash, bean and corn.
This year, as recipients of Burpee Home Gardens 2011 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award, Salem Hills’ community garden will receive hundreds of vegetables and herbs; money towards supplies and resources; and they’ve put their Flip™ video camera to good use already!
In the videos below, 3rd grade teachers Lori Gustafson and Joe Melde discuss what this new season brings for the community vegetable garden.
