Azarian, Mary. A Gardener's Alphabet. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. Using her unique artwork, Azarian shares with the viewer her love of gardens, both vegetable and flower.
Bull, Jane. The Gardening Book. DK Publishing, 2003. Over fifty activities for the garden are offered in this colorful book.
Bunting, Eve. Sunflower House. Voyager Books, 1999. A young boy creates a summer playhouse by planting sunflowers and saves the seeds to make another house the next year.
Carrots This book is one of four in the Plants: Lifecycle Book Series. Detailed photographs cultivate young readers as they follow the lifecycle of the carrot. Supports the standard "The Living Environment: Diversity of Life" as required by Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061. The four-book series also includes the titles Apple Trees, Beans, and Sunflowers. Grades Pre-K -2, $11.95 plus shipping and tax, 4-book set, $41.95 plus shipping and tax. Insect Lore P.O. Box 1535 Shafter, CA 93263 Toll Free: 800-LIVE BUG Fax: 661-746-0334 email: livebug@insectlore.com Website: www.insectlore.com
Cherry, Lynne. How Groundhog's Garden Grew. The Blue Sky Press, 2003. Little Groundhog loves to eat the fresh vegetables he finds in his neighbor's garden, until one day he makes a friend who teaches him the joy of planting a garden of his own.
Cole, Henry. Jack's Garden. HarperTrophy, 1997. Shows what happens in Jack's garden after he plants seeds.
Darian, Shea. Grandpa's Garden. Dawn Publications, 1996. On Saturdays, Grandpa and grandchild work side by side in the garden. Among the radishes and rhubarb, they share their deepest feelings and wishes.
DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. City Green. HarperCollins, 1994. In the middle of a city block, Marcy converts a vacant lot into a community garden.
Ehlert, Lois. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z. Voyager Books, 1993. An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini.
Ehlert, Lois. Planting a Rainbow. Voyager Books, 1992. A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden.
Ford, Miela. My Day in the Garden. Greenwillow Books, 1999. In this whimsical picture book, one little girl makes friends with various critters she finds in her garden.
Gariand, Sarah. Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2004. Learn how plants need soil, sun and water to make Eddie's garden grow and learn some specifics about garden pests and flowers.
Gibbons, Gail. From Seed to Plant. Holiday House, 1993. Learn the science of seeds and how they grow into flowers, trees, and other plants.
Guest, C. Z. Tiny Green Thumbs. Hyperion Books for Children, 2000. Tiny Bun uses things in the garden shed to grow a vegetable garden with Granny Bun.
Hardesty, Constance. Grow Your Own Pizza: Gardening Plans and Recipes for Kids. Fulcrum Publishing, 2000. For gardeners and food connoisseurs of all ages, this fun yet practical resource takes you step-by-step from dirt to the dinner table. Organized by easy, medium, and advanced level garden plots.
Harrison, David L. Farmer's Garden, Rhymes for Two Voices. Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Farmer's dog is a curious dog. He wanders through Farmer's garden greeting each creature, fruit, and vegetable he meets with a question.
Hart, Avery and Mantell Hart. Kids Garden. Williamson Publishing Co., 1996. Using black and white illustrations, this book provides over 100 activities children and their families or classmates can do to learn more about plants.
Heller, Ruth. The Reason for a Flower. Putnam Publishing Group, 1999. Brief text and lavish illustrations explain plant reproduction and the purpose of a flower. Uses unique flowering plants as examples.
Herd, Meg. Learn and Play in the Garden: Games, Crafts, and Activities for Children. Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1995. Hands-on activities for parents, children, and teachers to do together.
Hickman, Pamela and Heather Collins. A Seed Grows. Kids Can Press Ltd., 1997. This book with fold-out pages describes a watermelon plant's life cycle from seed to harvest.
Hoberman, Mary Ann. Whose Garden Is This? Harcourt, Inc., 2004. Mrs. McGee explores that the garden really belongs to the insects, the gardener, and the mammals.
James, Felix. From Field to Florist. National Geographic, 2001. This nonfiction primary reader shows how flowers get from the field to the florist shop.
Kalman, Bobbie. How a Plant Grows. Crabtree Publishing Company, 1996. Through nonfiction text and colorful photographs, learn how plants grow, and then try a couple of experiments that are listed.
Kite, Patricia L. Gardening Wizardry for Kids. Barron's Educational Series, 1995. History and folklore associated with common fruits and vegetables and the methods for raising, eating, and crafting with them.
King, Elizabeth. Backyard Sunflower. Dutton Children's Books, 1993. Text and color photos follow the life cycle of sunflowers from seed to products.
Krudwig, Vickie Leigh. Cucumber Soup. Fulcrum Publishing, 1998. This counting picture book, full of whimsical insects, introduces the students to many garden critters.
Lin, Grace. The Ugly Vegetables. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2001. A little girl and her mother grow vegetables rather than beautiful flowers like their neighbors, and she learns to appreciate the tasty soup her mother makes with them.
Llewellyn, Claire. What's for Lunch? Peas. Franklin Watts, 2003. This book reveals how peas are grown, and how people all around the world eat them in a variety of ways.
Lovejoy, Sharon. Sunflower Houses. Workman Publishing, 2001. Garden discoveries, tips for growing plants, folklore, and crafts for children of all ages.
Lucca, Mario. Seeds Grow into Plants. National Geographic, 2001. Observe seeds and what they grow into through colorful photographs and simple text.
Pallotta, Jerry. The Victory Garden Vegetable Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge Publishing, 1992. From A to Z, this colorful book with simple text educates youth about how certain fruits, vegetables, and other plants grow in the garden.
Peck, Jan. The Giant Carrot. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1998. Little Isabelle's family decides to plant a carrot seed, and each will do their part to make it grow.
Perkins, Lynne Rae. Home Lovely. Greenwillow Books, 1995. A lonely young girl living in an isolated trailer makes new friends and gains knowledge by growing flowers and melons. Along the way, she beautifies her home.
Rock, Maria. Mimi's Garden: It's a Kid Thing. Maria Ink, 2004. Colorfully illustrated guide for teachers, parents and children encourages people to garden from the heart.
Royston, Angela. Life Cycle of a Sunflower. Heinemann Library, 1999. Learn what a sunflower does as the sun moves and other interesting facts.
Saunders-Smith, Gail. Carrots. Capstone Press, 1997 This primary reader describes carrots from growing to processing to eating.
Saunders-Smith, Gail. Flowers. Capstone Press, 1998. Learn the anatomy and function of flowers through colorful photographs and primary text.
Saunders-Smith, Gail. Seeds. Capstone Press, 1998. Learn the functions of seeds through colorful photographs and simple text.
Saunders-Smith, Gail. Stems. Capstone Press, 1998. Learn the functions of stems through colorful photographs and simple text.
Saunders-Smith, Gail. Sunflowers. Capstone Press, 2000. Learn the life cycle of the sunflower in this primary reader that has color photographs.
Schuh, Mari C. The Vegetable Group. Capstone Press, 2006. Using the USDA's MyPyramid, learn how vegetables should be a part of your diet.
Smith, Cathy. Plants on My Plate. National Geographic, 2001. See photographs of the plants from which vegetables on your plate come.
Stewart, Sarah. The Gardener. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000. A series of letters tells a girl who, when forced to leave the country, takes her love of gardening with her.
Tunkin, David. How Does My Garden Grow? National Geographic, 2003. Learn that plants in the garden need sunlight, water, and soil to grow.
Unearthing Garden Mysteries, Experiments for Kids This 96-page book puts the garden under a magnifying glass and lets students explore its wonders. Ideal for schools with instructional gardens or hands-on life science units. More than 20 classroom-tested projects. Grades 3-adult. Fulcrum Publishing 16100 Table Mountain Parkway, Suite 300 Golden, CO 80403 Phone: 303-277-1623 Fax: 800-726-7112 Website: www.fulcrum-books.com
Massachusetts Horticultural Society Department of Horticultural Education, Research and Outreach 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Phone: 617-536-9280 Fax: 617-262-8780 Website: www.masshort.org * School programs, curriculum guides and teacher training.
America the Beautiful Fund 725 15th Street NW, Suite 605 Washington, DC 20005-2109 Phone: 202-638-1649 Fax: 202-638-2175 email: katie@america-the-beautiful.org Website: www.freeseeds.us * Booklet with nutritional information for dozens of vegetables. Gardening tips and best practices and other health and gardening information.
California Cut Flower Commission 135 Maher Road Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 831-728-7333 Fax: 831-728-7337 email: ccfc@ccfc.org Website: www.ccfc.org * Learn from and enjoy cut flowers. A variety of information is on this Website that is especially useful for floriculture classes.
California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Post Office Box 15949 Sacramento, California 95833 Phone: 800-700-AITC Fax: 916-561-5697 Website: www.cfaitc.org * "The Mysterious Plant Caper," Pre-K to K, 29 activities for $8. * "What Do Plants Need to Grow," multi-lesson Unit, Grades 2-4, $8. * "How Much is Too Much? How Little is Too Little?" Grades 5-8, $8. * "There Are Sunflowers at My School," school garden packet for Grades K-12, $2. * "Inter-relationship of Soil, Water and Fertilizers and How They Affect Plant Growth." Multi-lesson unit for grades 10-12, $8.
Easy Garden Raised Planting Beds, Cold Frames and More Easy Garden P.O. Box 177 Carl Junction, MO 64834-0177 Fax: 417-649-7278 email: eb@surgi.com Website: www.easy-garden.com * The raised planting bin, made of heavy gauge aluminum, is 4' wide, 5' long and 13" high. Comes complete with all hardware and instructions for easy assembly. Cold frames, screen covers, vermicomposters, and portable poultry shelters are also available. Great for self-contained school gardens.
Junior Master Gardener 225 Horticulture/forest Building College Station, TX 77843-2134 Phone: 979-845-8565 Toll Free: 888-900-2577 Fax: 979-845-8906 email: programinfo@jmgkids.us Website: www.jmgkids.us * Growing Good Kids(SM) The Junior Master Gardener Program - is an internation youth gardening program that ignites a passion for learning success and service. JMG teaches horticultural and environmental science concepts as well as leadership skill development through novel, hands-on activities. This program uses horticulture as a vehicle to enhance science, mathematics, language arts and social studies. To culminate their learning, students can participate in service projects and earn certification as Junior Master Gardeners or in a specific content area. This program was developed for classroom use and is very successful in other youth outreach programs including 4-H, Scouts, and after-school programs. * Literature in the Garden - Cultivate the connection between children's gardening experiences and great books by using Literature in the Garden. This curriculum utilizes six Growing Good Kids Book Award-winning titles to inspire learning through outdoor activities, creative expression and open exploration. It will enhance youth's understanding of the messages and powerful illustrations conveyed in these stories. Literature in the Garden is an integrated curriculum that will strengthen skills in math, science, language and social studies. * Wildlife in the Garden - This curriculum is a resource to help youth understand wildlife and their needs while learning to appreciate the contribution and their asthetic value to a garden habitat. Multiple lessons and activities.
Life Lab Science Program 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, California 95064 Phone: 408-459-2001 Fax: 408-459-3483 Website: http://lifelab.ucsc.edu * "The Growing Classroom" garden-based science, grades K-5, $27. * "The Growing Teacher" newsletter. * "Let's Get Growing" catalog of resource materials.
National Sunflower Association 4023 State Street Bismarck, ND 58503 Phone: 701-328-5100 Fax: 701-328-5101 email: info@sunflowernsa.com Website: www.sunflowernsa.com * This eight-page activity booklet contains planting, growing, and nutritional information on sunflowers. Grades K-6. Free, available online only.
UMass Extension Bulletin Distribution Center Draper Hall, Box 32010 Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-2010 Phone: 413-545-2717 Fax: 413-545-5174 email: nates@umext.umass.edu * UMass Extension Garden Calendar, useful for classrooms that have plant projects. Includes sun rise and set times, daily tips and yearly educational theme. Cost $8.
Museum of Science Science Park Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 800-722-5487 Fax: 617-589-0474 email: kits@mois.org Website: www.mos.org * Wide variety of classroom kits on plants, soils and other science curriculum topics for grades K-8.
The National Gardening Association 180 Flynn Avenue Burlington, Vermont 05401 Phone: 800-538-7476 Fax: 800-863-5962 Website: www.garden.org * "Growing Ideas," - a journal of garden-based learning, $5 per year. * "Grow Lab - Activities for Growing Minds" curriculum, $24.95 plus shipping and handling. * "Guide to School Greenhouses", a 28 page teacher's guide, $7.95 plus $3 shipping and handling. * "Native American Gardening", $15.95 and "Native American Plant Stories", $12.95.
Potash & Phosphate Institute Suite 110 655 Engineering Drive Norcross, Georgia 30092-2843 Phone: 770-447-0335 Fax: 770-448-0439 Website: www.agriculture.com/contents/pti * "Micronutrients the Activators" * "Phosphorus the Energizer" * "Potassium the Regulator" * "Nitrogen the Superstar" * "Fun with the Plant Nutrient Team" booklet and teacher's guide as well as other resources.
Soil and Water Conservation Service 7515 N.E. Ankeny Road Ankeny, Iowa 50021-9764 Phone: 800-THE-SOIL Fax: 515-289-1227 Website: www.swcs.org * "Plants: Improving our Environment" with teacher's guide for grades 4-6, 50 cents.
The Arnold Arboretum 125 The Arborway Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130 Attn: Diane Syverson Phone: 617-524-1718 * Plant and life science materials and Arboretum field studies.
America the Beautiful Fund 1511 K Street N.W. Suite 611 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 800-522-3557 * Surplus seeds and bulbs available at no cost except shipping fee.
Common Ground Garden Program 21615 South Grand Avenue Suite 400 Los Angeles, California 90007 * "Children's Gardens: A Field Guide for Teachers, Parents and Volunteers." Grades 1-12 and teacher's guide. $12.50 paid to LA Harvest.
Food Works 64 Main Street Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Attn: Joseph Kiefer Phone: 802-223-1515 Fax: 802-223-8980 * "The Three Sisters Garden" about Native Americans. * "The Community Heritage Garden." * "The Organic Kitchen Garden." * "The Sustainable Garden Ecosystem." * "Raised Bed Gardens of Past, Present and Future."
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company 4050 Westmark Drive P.O. Box 1840 Dubuque, Iowa 52004-1840 Phone: 800-228-0810 * "Bottle Biology: An idea book for exploring the world through soda bottles and other recyclable materials, Univ. of Wisconsin, $15.95. * "Exploring with Wisconsin Fast Plants" elementary and middle school resource manual, $19.95. * "Using Fast Plants and Bottle Biology in the Classroom."
Primarily Plants AIMS Education Foundation P.O. Box 8120 Fresno, CA 93747-8120 Phone: 559-255-4094 Toll Free: 888-733-2467 Fax: 559-255-6396 email: aimsed@aimsedu.org Website: www.aimsedu.org * Engage primary students in a study of plants with this series of hands-on investigations. Explore four major areas: plant growth; seeds, spores and more; plant needs; and plant parts. Grades K-3. $24.95 plus shipping and handling; request item #1105. Primarily Plants Lab also available, $113.95 plus shipping and handling, tax; request item #1983.
Botanic Garden of Smith College Smith College Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 Attn: Madelaine Zadik Phone: 413-585-2740 Fax: 413-585-2744 email: mzadik@jessie.smith.edu * Teacher workshops, guided tours and grants for bus transportation.
