Positives

• In the lesson plans, students practice crucial scientific skills like making observations, drawing diagrams, and graphing data.
• The tip sheets outline vital information to prepare the gardens for winter and get a head start on a good spring growing season.

Additional Prerequisites

• This resource is part five of the six-part series called School Gardening 101 by The New York Botanical Garden. Part one is an introduction, part two is about soil, part three is about selecting and starting seeds, and part four is about seedlings.
• Teachers must do the lesson Seasonal Changes in the fall. They should also do the lesson Lifecycle of an Onion Bulb in the fall if wanting to plant onion bulbs as an optional extension.
• The last page of the Seasonal Changes lesson plan is a garden journal that teachers can print for student use.
• The Lifecycle of an Onion Bulb lesson requires bulbs, plastic knives, paper towels, and magnifying glasses.
• The resource suggests a variety of supplies for prepping the gardens for winter.

Differentiation

• The Seasonal Changes lesson plan pairs well with the picture book It's Fall by Linda Glaser.
• Older students can practice reading informational/scientific text by reading the tip sheets for preparing the garden for winter. Teachers can assign numbers to small groups to read and share what they learn with the class.
• Younger students may need additional help and supervision cutting the onion bulbs. Alternatively, teachers can have whole and precut bulbs for students to observe.
• Some students, especially those with sensory processing differences, may become agitated or distressed by cutting into an onion as the process stings their eyes. Teachers can offer these students goggles or perform the onion cutting under a document camera for students to watch from a distance.