Educator Resources
The toolkits listed below primarily focus on integrating gardens and environmental aspects into school curriculum. There are grade-specific prompts and activities which contribute to eco-friendly lessons.
School Gardens
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Soil is an important factor in gardening. This activity provides instructions for a hands-on lesson geared towards second or third grade
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This guide covers a vast introduction on gardening in schools. Topics like indoor versus outdoor gardens or preparing and maintaining gardens are emphasized.
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School’s out for summer (usually). This guide helps garden champions figure out a summer maintenance plan.
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This guide is designated for kindergarten through second grade classrooms, answering questions like, “Why does our school have a garden?”
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This guide is designated for third through fifth grade classrooms, answering questions like, “What can we learn from the garden?”
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This guide is designated for sixth through eighth grade classrooms, answering questions like, “What can I learn about plants/seeds in the garden?”
Rain Barrels & Gardens
Rain barrels are beneficial for collecting stormwater to be used later which saves hundreds of gallons over time. Rain gardens absorb and filter water in the ground without unnecessary sediments or chemicals.
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A rain barrel is a storage container used to reuse storm water. When stored correctly, the storm water can then be re-used to water rain gardens or plants, wash cars, or be used in times of emergency. Depending on the roof size a rain barrel can save around 1,300 gallons of water during the summer months every year.
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A rain garden is a landscape created to absorb and filter runoff from storms. Depending on the size of your rain garden, it can reduce up to 80% of sediment and 90% of chemicals from storm water runoff, and will soak up 30% more water than a lawn.
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Rain gardens can be designed and implemented in your own yard. This guide answers questions about the purpose, benefit, and some beginner knowledge about constructing your own.
Gardening Guides
Gardening is a valuable process and assists in the development of various skills in students. These toolkits are designed to encourage sustainable practices and learn some basic skills of gardening that can be used in the real world.
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This chart provides detailed statistics for common vegetable planting.
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Divided into two parts, this guide explains both the basic information to maintain a raised garden bed and further explanation on how to plant, tend, harvest and prepare each vegetable, herb and flower.
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Seed spacing, depth, watering, and harvest time are included for common spring, summer, fall, and cover crops.
Legislation & Safety
These toolkits consist of resources about law creation and processes. This is valuable in environmental sustainability as legislation is oftentimes necessary in order to implement change.
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“A climate recovery resolution creates a record of commitment that establishes a framework and a timeline for climate action projects to succeed in a city, county, or state. A resolution is a promise, whereas an ordinance is law.”
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A diagram depicts the path a bill follows to become a law. An explanation for how bills pass and fail is given.
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Recent testing has shown lead in more than half of Indianapolis' schools and child care facilities, sometimes at levels more than 500 times the amount that federally requires corrective action. Learn some tips on Lead Safety and if you are an Indianapolis school seeking to test for lead please check out our Thriving Schools Lead Screening Program.
Farming
Farming with sustainable practices ultimately benefits the quality of production and assists in environmental protection. Factory farming exhibits health risks and rapidly declines the goodness of resources.
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A Citizen Guide to Achieving a Sustainable, Equitable & Humane Food System That is Good for the Planet, People, and Animals.
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“Plants can be classified by the temperatures which produce optimum growth. The two broadest categories of plants based on temperature are cool-season and warm-season crops.”
Monarch prairies are areas of wildlife provided to help monarchs thrive. They supply necessary nutrients and areas for breeding which help maintain and restore this native ecosystem.
Monarch Prairies
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“Cardno Native Plant Nursery has teamed up with an experienced environmental science teacher to create a simple kit with the plants, tools, and lessons to help you grow and utilize a native plant prairie on your school grounds. This prairie will not only beautify your school landscape, it can become the foundation for a variety of engaging lessons in math, language arts, science, history, art, and more.”
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This guide incorporates necessary instructions to plan, prep, plant, and maintain a prairie. Additionally, it incorporates teacher tips and important notes to mention when using in a school setting. This resource could be valuable to individuals looking to create an at-home monarch prairie as well.