It’s been a while, friends, but wintertime garden planning has got me thinking ahead to all the great kid citizen science waiting in the garden this spring! All my seeds for the growing season arrived, and I spent a cozy Sunday indoors creating a cool season garden plan and a growing calendar for 2023.
I’m hoping to grow more of our own food supply at home than ever before this year. This season, we’ll be starting seeds indoors, building healthy soil through composting, and trying some new crops.
As we get back in the garden, I’m looking forward to sharing more resources for teachers, starting with these Next Gen Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned lesson plans for the classroom.
Nature’s Notebook from the National Phenology Network is a great project to get kids observing seasonal changes in plants and animals, helping scientists solve research problems and protect animal habitat. There are also some standards-aligned lessons for garden-based learning and pollinator-themed citizen science.
I’d love to connect with teachers who are introducing citizen science to your students. When you’re out in the school garden, please share your photos and stories! See you in the garden.
