Gardens come in many shapes and sizes. Some contain flowers and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Others contain fruits and vegetables to be eaten and enjoyed. But behind most gardens are the hands and toiling work of humans, working to create that space for its intended purpose. 

This collection will allow you to explore various artwork depicting gardens and either their gardeners or people that use the space for various purposes. Consider how the people are using the space. What materials or tools do they use to aid them when interacting with the garden? Also think about the location and era of each garden. How do people's interactions with their natural environment stay the same or change? What processes remain and how do humans change the landscape of gardens, for better or worse?

Gardens often require humans to tend and take care of them. Within this collection, students will analyze how people across the world take care of and use garden spaces. Use the Garden Anticipation Guide to assess before and after the unit what students know about gardens. 

Essential Questions:

• What does a gardener do to help plants grow?
• What tools does a gardener use?
• What can we do to help our school/community garden grow?

Big Idea: As students work with this collection to answer the essential questions, they will understand that:

• A plant needs water, sunlight and soil to grow.
• Gardeners work in the garden and help it grow.
• Gardens have many uses, for enjoyment and events, as well as for growing food.
• We can take care of our school/community garden and help the plants grow, too.

Lesson Sequence:

• Administer the Garden Anticipation Guide before starting the unit.
  • Look for common misconceptions or misunderstandings.
• Preview images in the collection and have students do a See, Think, Wonder thinking routine.
• Have students compare 2 images side by side to see similarities and differences in what the gardens look like, but also how they are used.
• Sort the collection based on the uses of each garden.
• Consider how they want to treat their school/community garden based on these images.
• Read Aloud Lesson "In My Garden" to learn more garden vocabulary.
• Administer the Garden Anticipation Guide at the end of the unit.

  
  

  • See what students have learned and if you have addressed any misconceptions.

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Keywords: garden, people, humans, gardener, flowers, space, tools, fruits, vegetables, plants, landscape, environment, gardening