History/Social Studies in the Garden

Plants are an important part of world history. They have influenced human civilizations and economies since the beginning, and as the base of all food chains and supplier of oxygen for our air, they will always be essential to our survival. Gardening activities can be used to teach students about specific historical events

and cultures, and also to introduce current events like the impact of biotechnology. Some gardening activity ideas:

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• Research and report on cultural or ethnic differences in food consumption and gardening practices.

• Research agricultural history and create a timeline of important events.

• Visit some local farms and interview farmers about choice of crops, growing practices, marketing, and farm history.

• Study the contribution of Native American foods and other cultures’ foods to our history and diet. Grow samples in the school garden.

• Research the histories of classroom garden plants. Discover where they originated, the impact they’ve had on our diets, and how today’s varieties differ from the original plants. Locate their origin on a map and then trace their movement around the world.

• Use the Thanksgiving holiday to explore meals throughout history and the different crops grown and harvested at that time of the year.

• Complete a site analysis of the school garden and create a garden map noting important features, including a north arrow.

• Trace the path of a fruit or vegetable from the field to the table.

• Use the classroom garden to complement a study of the influ- ence of climate on food production.

• As a class, develop garden rules and then vote on them.

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​Source: California School Garden Network: Gardens for Learning