Planning a Garden

LESSON 4

Children learn how to plan a garden through a story, then create plans for their own garden.  

  • The book “A Year in Our New Garden” by Gerda Muller.

  • Paper or nature journal

  • Crayons or colored pencils  

Materials

  • Familiarize yourself with the book “A Year in Our New Garden”.

  • Plan a visit to a local greenhouse or store to purchase seeds. (optional)

  • Gather materials.

  • Prepare an area for children to plan their garden. 

Preparations

  • Read “A Year in Our New Garden” and encourage active listening.

  • Engage children in conversations about the book’s illustrations, promoting comprehension and critical thinking.

  • Facilitate discussion about what the children in the story do to prepare and plan for a garden.

  • Facilitate discussion about what plants the children would like to have in their garden and help with the visual garden plan. 

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children engage in active listening and discussion while reading the book “A Year in Our New Garden”.

  • Children develop their visual literacy skills by observing and discussing the illustrations in the book.

  • Children develop reading comprehension skills as they recall details from the story about planning a garden.

  • Children create a plan of what they want their garden to look like. 

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

Create actions and practice saying the poem “It is Spring” together. 

It is Spring

By H. Henley

Down in the earth,

 In their dark winter bed,

“Someone is calling,”

The crocus said.

In colors bright,

They quickly dressed,

In lavender, purple,

And gold of the best.

Then out in the grass,

They dance in a ring,

And call to the children,

“Come out! It is spring!” 

Activity Flow

  1. Begin this lesson by reflecting on the previous lesson. Check in on bulbs and/or branches to observe any changes. 

  2. Tell your child that as spring approaches many people begin to plan a garden. Today we are going to read the book called “A Year in Our New Garden” which is a story about a family who has moved into a new house and wants to start a garden. The children in this story are named Anna and Benjamin. Let’s see what they need to do to prepare and grow a garden. Depending on your child's age, this story can be told in your own words (recommended for younger children) or read verbatim (recommended for older children who have a longer attention span). 

  3. As you read the story, take time to admire the beautiful illustrations by Gerda Muller and notice the details in the pictures.

  4. After the story, discuss how Anna and Benjamin planned their garden.  

  • What did Anna and Benjamin do first to plan their garden space?

  • What kinds of plants did Anna want to plant?

  • What kinds of plants did Benjamin want to plant?

  • What did they need to do to prepare their garden space?

  • What garden tools were needed to clear away the garden space? 

5. Tell the children that just like Anna and Benjamin, today we're going to plan our garden (potted garden or community garden depending on your resources). To get an idea of what you’d like to grow, start a discussion about what fruits, vegetables, and flowers you enjoy most. Encourage the children to draw what they'd like to grow, just like Anna and Benjamin did. Make a list of the chosen plants and head to the store or an online store to purchase seeds for the garden.