LEAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLINTERACTIVE GARDEN PROGRAM

Manual for Teachers and Parents

Bridgette MoenDepartment of Landscape Architecture

Children and Nature: Spring 2013

http://www.usd116.org/leal/

IntroductionThe Leal School Interactive Gardening Program is a design build project that utilizes the existing resources of Leal Elementary school to encourage stu-dents and their families to interact with natural phenomena. The goals of this project are as follows: -promote stewardship -engage children with a restorative activity.The children at Leal School will repro-gram the chain-link fence with upcycled vertical gardening units.

STEWARDSHIPAlthough a simple gardening activity may seem like a recess activity, promoting an interaction with nature can help children develop a stronger bond with nature. According to Capra in the book Ecologi-cal Literacy, engaging with hands-on ac-tivities such as gardening “fosters both an intellectual understanding of ecology and emotional bonds with nature” that will promote environmental stewardship later in life (Capra 2005).

Stewardship

Leal Elementary School312 W. Oregon Urbana, IL 61801

Fence -- appropriate for garden programLeal elementary playground

Engaging with nature at a young age is as vital to environmental learning as science classes because it has the po-tential to not only provide information, but to change behaviors. According to Sobel, engaging with nature is similar to learning to save energy. Teaching chil-dren to save energy in the classroom will help them learn about energy usage, but teaching them to turn off the lights will help develop positive behaviors re-garding energy usage (Sobel 2008, 145).

Not only will children who participate in the interactive garden program develop positive environmental behaviors, but they are also more likely to have a future in environmental field. Louise Chawla, through both her own research and compiling the research of others, has found that many current environ-mental stewards and leaders can trace their passion for the environment back to their childhood bond with natural set-tings or activities (Chawla 2007).

RestorationParticipating in a gardening program will help alleviate mental fatigue. Mental fatigue occurs when usage of directed attention is high. Directed attention is essentially the attention used to focus on a task, such as writing, reading, lis-tening to presentations, etc. (Kaplan, Kaplan, and Ryan 1998, 16). It might seem unusual, but children, as well as adults, can suffer from mental fatigue (Faber Taylor 1998).

ATTENTION RESTORATIONOne of the core goals of the Interactive Garden Program is to facilitate restor-ative activities. Just as certain activi-ties and environments cause mental fa-tigue, other activities and environments serve as a source for relief from mental fatigue. Mental fatigue is relieved by allowing directed attention to take a break through the use of fascination (Kaplan, Kaplan, and Ryan 1998, 18).

http://www.chatterblock.com/blog/victoria-bc/�les/2012/08/little-boy-gardener.jpg

ProgramFASCINATIONFascination allows people to rest their directed attention. For example, it does not take much directed attention to watch a campfire or watch the squir-rels running through the yard (Kaplan, Kaplan, and Ryan 1998). There have been a multitude of activities that sup-port fascination, gardening included (Kahn 1997). The Interactive Garden Program will relieve mental fatigue by participating in a “fascinating” activity: gardening.

VERTICAL GARDENINGVertical gardening, a somewhat recent phenomenon in both design and vernacu-lar landscaping, is a good alternative to extensive gardening because it requires less land area. Incorporating a restor-ative green space or activity should be a crucial part of school yard design (Moore, Cooper Marcus 2008). Because most of the area at Leal School is cur-rently programmed, the existing fence offers a unique opportunity.

MaterialsPROGRAMDuring art class, fourth and fifth grad-ers will prepare their milk cartons for planting (and decorate them if they choose).[1 hour]

While in science class, students attach their carton to the fence. Once at-tached, they will fill the carton with compost from the garden and then add their seed.[1 hour]

Every day, students will be asked to visit their plant during recess, and ensure that it has enough water.[daily]

At the end of the school year, students may either plant their plants in the school garden, or take their plant home care for it all summer.[extended]

Cut the top of the milk carton with scissors.

Puncture four small holes on one side of the milk carton for fence attachment with a hole punch. And viola! You have a vertical garden!

Start with a stan-dard milk carton from the school cafeteria. Rinse the milk carton.

ResultsWhile constructing their carton contain-ers, students will get a hands-on lesson on upcycling. Although not as effective as experience in a natural area, stu-dents will potentially lead to positive attitudes regarding nature (Wells 2006).During the planting phase, students will have the chance to rest their directed attention with the restorative activity.

As students care for their plants at home and at school, they will engage with natural phenomena, allowing them to connect with ecology (Bucklin-Sporer & Pringle 2010).Perhaps most importantly, as students take a break to watch their plants grow daily, their attention is restored and they are better able to concentrate on their courses (Faber Taylor & Kuo 2009).

Additional ResourcesBucklin-Sporer, A and Pringle, R. K. (2010). Why School gardens? How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc.

Capra, F. (2005). “Preface: How Nature Sustains the Web of Life.” Stone, M. K., & Barlow, Z. (Eds.) Eco logical Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World (p. xiii-xv). San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

Chawla, L. (2007). Childhood Experiences Associated with Care for the Natural World. Children, Youth and Environments, 17(4), 144-170.

Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S., Ryan, R. (1998). With people in mind: Design and management of everyday nature. Wash. DC: Island Press.

Kahn, P. (1997). Developmental Psychology and the Biophilia Hypothesis: Children’s Affiliation with Nature. Developmental Review, 17, 1-61.

Faber Taylor, A. (1998). Effects of the natural environment on children’s attention: Implications for children with attention deficits. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation Proposal, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign.

Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2009). Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12, 402-409.

Moore, R., & Cooper Marcus, C. (2008). Healthy planet, healthy children: designing nature in to the daily spaces of childhood. In S. R. Kellert, J. Heerwagen, & M. Mador (Ed.), Biophilic Design: The theory, science, and practice of bringing buildings to life.

Sobel , D. (2008) "Global Climate Change meets Ecophobia" Childhood and Nature, Portland, ME: Sten house.

Wells, N. & Lekies, K. (2006). Nature & Life Course. Children, Youth and Environments, 16(1), 1-24.

IMAGESUrbana Park District. “Leal School.” Retrieved 03 April 2013 from http://www.usd116.org/leal/.

Chatterblock. “Little Boy in Garden.” Retrieved 18 April 2013 from http://www.chatterblock.com/blog/victoria- bc/files/2012/08/little-boy-gardener.jpg

All other images and diagrams produced by the author.