Development of a hands-on gardening curriculum for elementary school students to increase children???s health

Includes bibliographical references (pages 31-36)This project developed a hands-on gardening curriculum manual for teachers of first and second grade students that can be utilized as a guide for elementary schools to implement school gardens. The curriculum was created to support a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded to the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University, Northridge, (CSUN) to address issues of childhood obesity and eating behaviors through nutrition education and gardening, and to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by elementary school children. \ud \ud A total of five lesson plans were created. The lesson plans were developed utilizing Woolly Pockets, which are space efficient hanging planters that are easy to install and move. The five lessons each include the following sections: Objectives, Grade Level, Duration, Materials, Procedures, and References. The lessons allow students to be involved in the gardening project and provide them with an opportunity to understand the link between gardening and the food supply, a concept which many urban and suburban children do not often understand or have the opportunity to experience. The initial lesson plans were originally tested in four first grade classes (96 students total) at Cohasset Elementary School, Van Nuys, California, in the fall of 2011 and modified (including an additional lesson plan) before being taught again in the spring of 2012 at Cohasset Elementary and Anatola Elementary Schools to a total of 192 students.\ud \ud The lesson plans developed were based upon study findings that an experience with hands-on gardening will improve student health. Through the lesson plans students will also be able to utilize their individual learning styles and abilities, learn social skills (such as cooperation and leadership through working together in a garden), and come to appreciate and care for the environment and the animals and creatures that depend on it. Moreover, students will improve their understanding of food production and of the importance of proper nutrition with a resulting positive impact on the trend of childhood obesity