School Garden Lessons

Invite the Civic Garden Center to your garden for a hands-on education program! We offer classes for students in kindergarten and above as well as programs for summer camps. Lessons are aligned with Ohio Revised Science Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

A group of smiling children and staff stand outside during a Civic Garden Center school garden lesson.
A group of young students gathers around a garden bed.
A group of older students gather around a garden bed outside of their school.
A group of students digs in the dirt of a raised bed outside their school.
Two young children dump a bucket of soil.
A group of children gathers around a table, where a woman is helping them prepare fresh food from the garden.
A group of students observes a garden lesson taught by CGC staff.
Two children sift compost into a large wheelbarrow.

The Details

We welcome your requests and will do our best to meet your garden program needs. A sampling of garden lesson topics is listed below.

  • Cost: Fees are based on lesson length, starting at $35 for 30 minutes. 45-minute lessons are recommended.

  • Number of Students: Programs are designed for 30 students or fewer

  • Service Area: We service gardens within I-275

  • Weather: Programs are held outdoors and will be rescheduled in the case of inclement weather (e.g. excessive heat, wind advisory, heavy rain, lightning, etc.)

To learn more or schedule a program, please contact our Youth Education Coordinator, Ellie Falk, at youtheducation@civicgardencenter.org. 

 

Spring Garden Lesson Suggestions

Seasons:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Seasons

  • Grades 2 & 3: Seasons in the Garden

  • Grades 4-6: Seasonal Changes

  • Grades 7 & 8: Seasonal Garden Planning

Life Cycles:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Plant Growth

  • Grades 2 & 3: Life Cycle Investigations

  • Grades 4-6: Patterns in Plant Growth

  • Grades 7 & 8: Plant Reproduction

Native Ecosystems:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Nature

  • Grades 2 & 3: Garden Habitats

  • Grades 4-6: Local Ecosystems

  • Grades 7 & 8: Habitat Restoration

Fall Garden Lesson Suggestions

Seeds:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Seeds

  • Grades 2 & 3: Seed Dissection

  • Grades 4-6: Experimenting with Seed Dispersal

  • Grades 7 & 8: Harvesting Seeds

Soil & Compost:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Soil

  • Grades 2 & 3: Soil Experimentation

  • Grades 4-6: Nutrient Cycling

  • Grades 7 & 8: Creating Compost

Plant Adaptations:

  • Grades PreK-1: Exploring Plant Parts

  • Grades 2 & 3: Plant Part Functions

  • Grades 4-6: Plant Adaptations

  • Grades 7 & 8: The Garden in Winter