From Garden to Classroom Outreach Program
Program Content
The K-12 From Garden to Classroom outreach program will incorporate
environmental stewardship practices presently promoted and used at
MUN Botanical Garden.
Topics such as composting, Newfoundland ecology, native plant
conservation, climate change, plant taxonomy, habitat enhancement
and protection, alien invasive species awareness, waste reduction,
and environmental monitoring in a format appropriate to each grade
level and curriculum will be presented.
Ongoing input from educators will play a key role in determining
the program content. While the core components of this pilot
program were determined from teacher feedback received at the
Garden during school program presentations (from 1971 to today),
the program content will be modified as the needs and skills of
both students and teachers are assessed.
Activities and depth of content would reflect the intended audience
and curriculum. As an important note, all activities are intended
for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy; the same activities
can be applied from kindergarten to grade 12. Also, these
activities can easily continue in the classroom throughout the
year, engaging students often on a daily basis.
Resources, including information pertaining to local plant and
animal species and their ecology will be highlighted and scientific
techniques and processes will be utilized. Students and teachers
could continue to experiment, discover and learn, long after MUN
Botanical Garden staff have presented the program. The web-based
materials will provide additional support for students and teachers
eager to extend the learning.
From Garden to Classroom Outreach Education Program is supported by
the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
PromoScience funding program.
