tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48556809495514487372024-02-19T07:15:54.526-06:00GotDirtWITips, suggestions, and advice for ways to integrate school gardens into a classroom or childcare.Bullfroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12968278201177609304noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-12536507194652831102011-09-06T19:00:00.001-05:002011-09-06T19:00:00.473-05:00Tears and CheersIt’s certainly “back-to-school time” in Wisconsin. I can almost feel a buzz, an emotional hum in the community, as parents, teachers, and kids express a mixed-bag of relief, fear, excitement, and dread.Childcare providers must be feeling shifts as well, as youngsters they’ve seen full-time become students, and perhaps enrollment shift as parents become employed and unemployed in this crazy GotDirtWIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10547731491568977765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-82475292747729703032011-08-08T13:03:00.007-05:002011-08-09T08:46:55.874-05:00How can a pebble make a bigger splash than a boulder?The stacks of spotless, crisp notebooks and bright back-to-school accessories are already greeting us at the entrance of stores. I don’t know what it is about school supplies that still draws me - my days of HAVING to have a 5-subject binder with a dreamy picture of Rick Springfield on the cover are long over!
I hope you’re not yet getting caught up in the back-to-school flurry, but rather stillGotDirtWIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10547731491568977765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-32756847373758761502011-07-28T14:30:00.004-05:002011-07-29T09:43:59.446-05:00Great Grant, Great Taste, Great Nutrition!One of the easiest but perhaps most diverse type of gardens for any age gardener is an herb garden. As anyone who has ever planted mint in an outdoor bed can tell you ... there are actually some plants that will grow like crazy, even if you don't want them to! Many herbs are vigorous growers even in small pots, even on a window sill during winter, or under a small grow-light.So it seems usually GotDirtWIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10547731491568977765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-69830029209945754482011-07-21T10:06:00.005-05:002011-07-21T10:20:46.533-05:00Got Dirt? vs. Got a can opener?Can you imagine … if you had only ever tasted commercially canned asparagus, would garlic risotto with roasted asparagus or zucchini and ricotta fritters with roasted garlic aioli sound at all tempting? I’m sure there are some home-canners out there who can do this vegetable justice. However, thinking about the vast differences in texture, color and flavor between fresh vs. canned for this one GotDirtWIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10547731491568977765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-2471054116925724012011-01-19T10:26:00.002-06:002011-01-19T10:29:27.348-06:00Grants Galore!The Healthy Classrooms FoundationThe Healthy Classrooms Foundation is excited to announce that our 3rd annual Grant application cycle is now open. Here is your opportunity to bring a healthy initiative to a classroom and help improve the lives of children in communities throughout Wisconsin.Please visit www.hc-foundation.com and click on "Apply for Grant" to submit your application Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-18288938926613233512011-01-13T10:11:00.002-06:002011-01-13T10:11:00.715-06:00Seed Saving Most schools in Wisconsin follow a traditional September to June calendar. Many of the food crops planted in gardens ripen and become ready to eat during the summer months, when students are not in school. Seeds, however, mature in late August through the fall, allowing for a curriculum to be in place when the school year resumes.With this change in perspective, the garden is not "dead" in the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-76412402666920935472011-01-12T10:40:00.000-06:002011-01-12T10:40:00.731-06:00Activity: Seed TapeHere's a simple and fun way to plant seeds in your youth garden!Supplies:1) Paper towels cut into strips 3in x 12in2)White glue3) Ruler4) Pencil5) Small seeds (ex. lettuce, carrot)Directions:1. With a ruler and a pencil draw small dots every one inch in the center of the paper towel strip.2. Place a drop of glue in the center of the dots.3. Place one seed on each drop of glue4. Allow glue to dry Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-35928205370760874022011-01-11T11:39:00.000-06:002011-01-11T11:39:00.683-06:00Garden Based Learning VideosLife Lab Science Program, in cooperation with the California School Garden Network, has created a Garden-Based Learning Video web site.It is a collection of web-based videos related to garden-based learning, school gardens, and garden-based nutrition.It features School Garden Instructors teaching in their gardens, an effective outdoor instruction handout and much more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-9181927429345697382011-01-10T11:27:00.000-06:002011-01-10T11:27:00.439-06:00Seed RiddleWant to begin a lesson on seeds and don’t know where to begin? Why not get your student’s creative juices flowing with a seed riddle to introduce the lessons they are about to learn!I appear dead before I am aliveAlthough often quite small, inside my skin a tree can liveI can survive hundreds of years without food or waterI can be as small as dust or as large as a footballHumans and animals eat Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-31772346513523715202011-01-06T11:35:00.000-06:002011-01-06T11:35:00.776-06:00Save the Date: Garden WebinarOn February 8, 2011, there will be a web seminar for educators on "Designing, Planning, and Creating Schoolyard Gardens." While pollinators may come in small sizes, they play a large and often undervalued role in the production of the food we eat, the health of flowering plants, and the future of wildlife. A decline in the numbers and health of pollinators over the last several years poses a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-56299058686831852002011-01-05T09:46:00.002-06:002011-01-05T09:46:00.743-06:00Social Studies and GardensGardens are truly a multi-disciplinary project. If you're looking for some new ways to incorporate your school garden into social studies, visit the Kids Gardening website to find some great lesson plans and activities.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-83565704456798812212011-01-04T11:28:00.000-06:002011-01-04T11:28:00.163-06:00Plant the SEED of KnowledgeHere are some simple and fun activities relating to seeds for various grade levels.Place seeds such as sunflowers, beans or carrots on a table. Place the empty seed package on the table and ask the students to guess which seed belongs in each package.Have students arrange seeds in order from smallest to largest.Describe ways in which plants are important to other living things, and the effects ofUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-91375758905654461252011-01-03T11:03:00.003-06:002011-01-03T11:03:00.805-06:00January School Garden IdeasNational Hobby Month: Why not start a new hobby, such as gardening!National Soup Month: Plan for a vegetable soup garden; http://bit.ly/hEQjABNational Staying Healthy Month: Eating healthy foods and getting lots of exercise will help you stay healthy during January and the months to come!Jan. 4: Trivia Day: Create a garden themed trivia quiz to keep your students on their toes for springtime Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-72405282861478464472010-12-29T12:46:00.000-06:002010-12-29T12:46:00.329-06:00Healthy Party TreatsOne of kid's favorite rewards is a party in their classroom. Many teachers reward their students with pizza or popcorn parties, but there are healthier (and tasty) party treat ideas available. Visit the Fresh for Kids website to find out some interesting and simple party treats!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-40284033985411177042010-12-28T13:59:00.001-06:002010-12-28T13:59:00.501-06:00Tricking Mother NatureIt seems gardeners are always looking for ways to outsmart Mother Nature and begin the growing process before it would naturally occur. Cold frames are a great option for extending the growing season, but one garden in California has gone a step further. Love Apple Farm has begun using soil heating cables that heat the area around plants to extend the growing season!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-64841459697621010842010-12-27T11:25:00.000-06:002010-12-27T11:25:00.546-06:00Plants have HistoryThere are so many historical facts and stories that relate to gardening, fruits, and vegetables. It’s very easy and fun to incorporate these stories into your history lesson plans. Visit the Kids Gardening website at Kids Gardening to learn some interesting veggie history. Here are a few snippets of information from their website:~By the time Columbus landed in the New World, corn had already Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-33129797358006000462010-12-23T10:59:00.001-06:002010-12-23T10:59:00.827-06:00Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Got Dirt!http://bit.ly/h4WQrVUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-43942864857504203212010-12-22T11:24:00.000-06:002010-12-22T11:24:00.678-06:00Food MilesHere are some great activities compiled by Falls Brook Centre, a sustainable community education center, located in New Brunswick, Canada.These activities teach your students about where their food comes from and the importance of a healthy diet. All of the activities can be altered for your geographic area.http://bit.ly/h3mc47Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-48221353174228457262010-12-21T14:08:00.001-06:002010-12-21T14:08:00.890-06:00Fed Up With LunchFor the past year, a teacher has sat down and ate the school lunch with students to experience the nutritional (or lack of) value of their lunches. Read about her journey on her blog at Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project for some interesting insights.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-39482556278882990942010-12-20T12:26:00.000-06:002010-12-20T12:26:00.565-06:00ESL ActivitiesWorking with ESL students and don't know how to coordinate vegetables into their lessons? Click on the link below to find some great ideas on the topic!http://bit.ly/9qGCdiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-73533028399393872612010-12-16T12:14:00.000-06:002010-12-16T12:14:00.696-06:00Gardening in AlaskaWe often think Wisconsin's short growing season is difficult to work with, but can you imagine trying to grow a garden in Alaska? Well, it's very possible. There's a great program developing in Alaska called the Schoolyard Garden Initiative. Consider contacting some of the schools that participate in this program to teach your students about different types of gardens and growing seasons!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-48829163095023466222010-12-15T11:22:00.000-06:002010-12-15T11:22:00.314-06:00Worms Everywhere!You can start your very own vermicompost in your classroom! All you need is a bin, some newspaper, food scraps, and worms. It’s a fun exercise that can help your garden grow when spring rolls around.Materials:1) One pound red worms2) Wooden or plastic bin3) Newspaper4) Food scrapsActivity:1) Shred the newspaper and place it in the bin.2) Add food scraps.3) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-48244576210249225002010-12-14T11:46:00.000-06:002010-12-14T11:46:00.309-06:00Pizza Themed HerbsGrowing herbs is so easy, even in winter! Simply start with a pot or window box, as well as some basil, thyme, and oregano plants.Materials:1) Assortment of herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano2) Window box or flower pot3) Gravel4) Potting soilProcedure:1) Have students fill the bottom of the container with pebbles or gravel. This will help the soil drain so that the plants never sit in standing Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-41058156502347970322010-12-13T11:36:00.000-06:002010-12-13T11:36:00.382-06:00Activity: Winter SnowfallThis is a great activity to keep children active and aware in the garden during the winter months. Sticks can be placed throughout the garden so that comparisons can be made as to the depth of the snow. Children can keep journals about their findings, plot or graph the depth of the snow, or note differences on a map of the garden. This activity can provide a wealth of discussion about why and howUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855680949551448737.post-270537432432531062010-12-09T11:33:00.000-06:002010-12-09T11:33:00.863-06:00Activity: Winter Garden VisionOn a cold winter day, when you can’t go outside and don’t know what to do, have your students create their own WINTER GARDEN VISION.Materials:1) Memory and imagination2) Seed or garden catalogs that you can cut up3) Pencils, crayons, markers or paints4) Pictures of your gardenActivity:1)Remember this years’ garden: Make a bulletin board that shows your garden and what happened in it. Use picturesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0