Garden Program

Created for Mrs. Debbie Baileys Class, Pioneer Middle School,

Walla Walla, WA

May 4, 2016

Jennifer Blakeslee, Melanie

Mottern, Mary Dechon, &
Andrew Parker

RCLS 445

Local Edible Plants

This lesson introduces students to local edible plants and teaches them about the basics of
the life cycle of a plant. This lesson plan is intended to be used with middle school students who
are developmentally delayed. Within the lesson, students will learn to recognize different edible
plants at different stages of life that are found in a garden, and be involved in growing some of
these plants.

Learning Goals & Objectives

Goal: The students will be able to identify edible plants and indicate the different parts of the life
cycle of the plant.
Behavioral Objectives:
1. The students should be able to identify at least one edible plant.
2. They should be able to indicate at least one thing a plant needs for growth.
3. They should be able to identify the final stage for at least one plant; identifying when its
ready to eat or harvest.

Population
Low-functioning, developmentally delayed, nonverbal middle school students.

Note: With the intended population, the details of the program and its steps may
need to be considered on a student to student basis, based on their level of
function and understanding.

Preparations
Prior to beginning the lesson, the instructor first needs to decide what plants will be
grown and determine how much space you have for growing of plants. We suggest choosing
hardy, easy to grow plants like mint, basil, chives, scallions, ginger, and/or carrots to maximize
chances of successfully growing the plants. If you have the opportunity to use the outdoors to
grow plants, you can use bigger plants than you would in the classroom. Refrain from using too
many plants, as you do not want to overwhelm your students with too much information. The
students may easily mix up plants if too many are presented.
Once you have selected your plants, choose pictures of the plants you will be working
with at several stages of life. We suggest having a picture of each plants seed stage, sprout
stage, pre-harvest stage, and finally the fully grown, harvestable plants. These pictures will be
used to show the students the different stages of the plants life cycles, and help them to identify
the plants in their different stages of growth. These pictures can also be used to teach the students
about the different parts of the plant (flowers, roots, leaves, etc.). After the students have become
comfortable with the pictures, students who are able to can then help the instructor with the care
of the plants over time.
Space

Any space will work, but a sunny place to have your plants is a must! If you choose to
plant indoors, you may want to place a ground cloth on your work space. If you choose to plant
outside, you must consider how to keep the pests from invading your garden. The space you have
will dictate what types of plants you can grow, so choose wisely.

Suggested Plants
Hardy, easy to grow indoor plants: mint, basil, chives, scallions, ginger, carrot, beets, tomatoes,
green beans, bell peppers, and onions
Outdoor plants (more space needed): cucumbers, possibly pumpkins or watermelons, they can
do strawberries, raspberries, and peas
Non-typical edible plants: clover, chickweed, chicory, cow lily, dandelion, and goldenrod - These
are all local to the Pacific Northwest, and if you want more check out this great site with many
more local edible plants: www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/. Be sure to note that some of these
plants may cause other issues, so please research carefully when choosing your plants.

Supply List
Seeds/starts of chosen plants
Water & Watering Can
Nutrients/plant food
Laminated pictures of plants in at
least three stages of growth
(More stages can be added at
teachers discretion)

Planters/pots
Light supply
Potting soil
Shovels, spades, and other garden tools

Lesson Plan/ Steps

1. Teacher will need to evaluate what space they have available, choosing either indoors or
outdoors, and using that information they can determine what and how many plants they
can use. Then the teacher needs to choose the local, edible plants to use in your program.
Find pictures of those plants in at least three stages to make cards of them and use those
cards to educate the class on which plants they will be seeing and what the stages of
growth look like for each plant.
2. Outline the steps to be taken to the students, explaining that they will be learning to
recognize different edible plants and then helping to grow some of these plants. Begin
by showing one of the pictures of the plants you chose, and go over the basic terms
associated with plants, like the names of their parts (stock, leaves, roots, etc.). If your
class uses a token economy, you can use your classs tokens as rewards for correctly
recognize any of the plant stages or parts to help inspire interest and involvement among
the students. Be sure to keep the reviews simple; the aim of the reviews is to get the
students to be able to recall the main parts of the plant and their stages.
3. Let the planting begin! The students (with or without teacher assistance) will plant their
seeds or starter plants, placing the first stage card near the plant. Before you actually start
however, review the plants you are going to use and their parts. Then demonstrate how
to plant a seed within soil, and explain how it will need water and a good light source,
like the sun or a growing light, to grow. Mark what each seed will grow into by placing
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the picture of each plants final form, so the students can be reminded what the seeds will
grow into. From here it is mostly maintenance of the plants (keeping them watered with
ample light), so you can make it part of your daily routine with the students. Students
who are capable can help with the planting of the seeds and maintenance and be sure to
review the parts of the plant as they grow. A review to reinforce the students knowledge
should be done every day that an activity concerning the plants is done.
4. When the plants reach their final stage, it will be time to harvest them. It will be up to
the instructors discretion whether or not the plants are safe to eat. If the plants are
acceptable, you may prepare the food produced into small portions so that the students
may get a taste of their handiwork. After they eat, discuss with the students some of the
advantages of being able to grow their own food.
*Be sure to be ready for any unexpected changes that may occur.
Some of the plants may die or not be fit for consumption when it is
time to harvest them. If this happens, use the opportunity to
impress upon the students the importance of maintenance on the
plants. Also express that plants can be hard to grow and may take

some practice to be successful at it.

Vocabulary
Seed - carries the genetic properties of the plant and help the plant to continue into future
generations
Sprout - a newly grown bud (especially from a growing seed) or any new growth of a
plant such as a new branch or a bud
Leaf - converts energy from sunlight into energy that a plant can use as food

Flower - responsible for the reproduction of a plant -- requires pollination

Fruit - often the edible part of the plant, but also house the plants new seeds

Seedling - young plant or tree grown from a seed

Soil - material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow

Stem - acts like a straw, sending water and nutrients to where they need to be

Root - gathers nutrients and water from the soil and sends them up to the rest of the plant

Nutrients - something that provides nourishment, food or substances necessary for

growth.

 Pollen - a fine powder produced by certain plants when they reproduce

Pollination - when pollen is moved from plant to plant to produce more plants or fruits

Germination - the process whereby seeds or spores sprout and begin to grow

Stages of the Life Cycle of a Plant

See
d

Sprout

Leaf

Flower

Frui
t

Examples of simple illustrations that you can use.

References
Life Cycle of a Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://edibleschoolyardpgh.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/2.10.22-Life-Cycle-of-a-Plant.pdf
Parts of a Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://edibleschoolyardpgh.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/10/PartsofaPlant.pdf

Stumbo, N. J. & Wardlaw, B. (2011). Facilitation of Therapeutic Recreation Services. An

Evidence-Based and Best Practice Approach to Techniques and Processes. State College,
PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.
Wild Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2016, from
http://www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/

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