Garden Based Learning Theory

1. Garden Based Learning Theory Modified from Cornell Garden-Based Learning Program Department of Horticulture Cornell University www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl/

2. School gardens offer numerous benefits to children List what benefits you know of on the notecard….be as specific as possible. Then discuss with a partner.

3. Our premise: Gardening can bring any aspect of the curriculum to life Gardening isn’t an add on, but rather an integral part of the whole curriculum.

4. Garden-based learning • An instructional strategy that uses gardens as a teaching tool • Pedagogy is based in experiential, project-based & place-based education.

5. Gardening as experiential learning (Kolb, 1975) Using the environment (including gardens) enables learning that is problem-based and interdisciplinary, with significant positive impact on achievement - National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (2000) Students tend to learn more and better when they are actively involved in the learning process. - McCormick et al. (1989) Classrooms (92% of 40 schools) that used the environment as an integrating context had higher test scores, GPAs, and more enthusiasm for learning - Lieberman & Hoody (1998)

6. Why outdoor, experiential learning? • 83% of US population lives in metropolitan areas • Kids between 8-18 spend on average 7 ½ hours of screen time per day • Children tend to have less free time outdoors to explore

7. Benefits of Outdoor Learning • Getting students outside, often, & early • Many benefits: reducing symptoms from ADHD, increasing motor skills, concentration, imaginative play & creativity, observation skills, reduces bullying and stress (White 2004; Taylor 2002; Pyle 2002; Moore 1996; Louv 2008) • Providing positive experiences with the outdoors, instead of just discussing environmental problems • Teaching about the destruction of the rainforest may actually be detrimental for younger students, leading to apathy& biophobia (White 2004; Coffey 2001; Kellert 2002; Louv 2008) • “Knowledge without love will not stick. But if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow” • John Burroughs

8. Purposes of school gardens: to improve… • Content knowledge: science, LA, math, social studies, writing • Personal, social, physical, and moral development (including self-concept, self-esteem, motivation) • Positive environmental attitude and empathy • Food literacy and healthy eating habits • School bonding, parental involvement, and formation of community

9. Content review of the literature • Of the 40 studies that have assessed direct learning outcomes, 83% found positive effects (only 1 study demonstrated a negative effect) • Science had the highest proportion of positive effects • 80% of the direct academic outcomes in math were positive • 72% were positive in language arts • 67% studies were positive for writing • Only one study looked at social studies (positive effect)

10. Science In a review of 15 studies, 93% of students demonstrated positive effects in science learning. Ex: Classrooms using GrowLab indoor gardens and GrowLab curriculum scored significantly higher than control classrooms in students' understanding of key life science concepts and science inquiry skills.

11. Science Third, fourth, and fifth grade students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests compared to students that did not experience any garden-based learning activities. Klemmer et al. (2005)

12. Math • 80% of the direct academic outcomes in math were positive • Most common activities: measuring gardens, planning planting, gathering results of investigations

13. Indirect Academic Outcomes • 36 studies have assessed garden-based learning’s effects on indirect academic outcomes • 80% were positive • Examples: environmental attitudes, social development, motivation, study habits, curiosity, discipline • Only one negative impact (on school bonding)

14. School gardening promotes higher quality learning In a project that involved integrating nutrition and gardening among children in grades one through four, the outcomes went well beyond an understanding of good nutrition and the origin of fresh food, to include enhancing the quality and meaningfulness of learning. Canaris, Irene. (1995).

15. School gardening enhances students’ lives School gardening has been shown to increase self-esteem, help students develop a sense of ownership and responsibility, help foster relationships with family members, and increase parental involvement. Alexander & Hendren (1998)

16. School gardening enhances learning for all students Children with learning disabilities, who participated in gardening activities, had enhanced nonverbal communication skills, developed awareness of the advantages of order, learned how to participate in a cooperative effort, and formed relationships with adults. Sarver (1985)

17. School gardening can meet NYS Learning Standards & be used to meet the Common Core

18. Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences After gardening, children have shown more positive attitudes toward fruit and vegetable snacks. Lineberger (1999).

19. Nutrition benefits • 42% of students in city of Poughkeepsie schools are obese or overweight • 16 studies on nutrition – 81% found positive effects • After gardening, students have shown increased knowledge about nutrition, plant ecology, and gardening. Pothukuchi (2004)

20. Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences Consumption of fruits and vegetables, as a habit in childhood, is an important predictor of higher fruit and vegetable consumption as adults and can help to prevent or delay chronic disease conditions. Heimendinger & Van Duyn (1995)

21. Food Systems Ecology • Gardening teaches kids that food is not just a commodity (Thorp & Townsend, 2001) • Gardens teach how a “plant goes from seed to plate” (Rahm, 2002)

22. Career Development and Occupational Studies Gardening programming positively influenced two constructs: "working with groups" and "self-understanding." Robinson, & Zajicek (2005).

23. English Language Arts In a summer school project that used a whole language approach with gardening as the central theme, the most significant student gains were in self-esteem and achievement in reading, reading comprehension, spelling, and written expression. Sheffield (1992)

24. Social Studies Linking storytelling with garden programs may serve to educate children about the processes that underlie and interweave diverse cultures' seasonal traditions. Bowles (1995)

25. The Arts Gardens are often the most accessible places for children to learn about nature's beauty, interconnections, power, fragility, and solace. Heffernan (1994) Art students show the fruits of their creativity inspired by beautiful outdoor settings.

26. Cultural Appreciation Gardening helps young people understand the value of diversity by exploring historical contributions from cultures worldwide to what we eat today. Gardening can be an ideal vehicle for introducing elements of multicultural education. Eames-Sheavly (1994)

27. Got Gardening?