MARGARET BEEKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GARDENING PROJECT

My service project site is Margaret Beeks Elementary School, Blacksburg, Virginia. Based on the perceived needs and goals of the 4th grade teachers, part of my service project has been to help integrate herb subject matter in to the 4th grade curriculum. To this end, five herb resource sheets (basil, lavender, oregano, sage and thyme) and five hands-on sessions have been prepared. From the student resource sheet activities, one issue of a school herb newsletter will be compiled to extend the impact of the project to the students home and the rest of the school. I will use copies of the student work, slides of the hands-on sessions, and the herb factsheets for part of our class Web page. Another part of my service project has been to gather input from the 4th grade teachers regarding 4-H horticulture publications. Based on this input, three publications will be revised by the end of my project. The 4-H horticulture curriculum is utilized by 4-H volunteers, Master Gardeners, teachers, and others who work with children in their efforts to learn about plants and gardening. This service learning class supports efforts to bring horticulture into elementary school curriculum to help children understand the benfits of horticulture in enhancing their life quality and their communities.

Margaret Beeks Preschool Project

I would like to extend my knowledge of gardening and nutrition to the Pre-school children at Margaret Beeks Elemantary School. Mrs. Huffman, the pre-school teacher, and I have decided to do this through a curriculum that is centered around an International Garden. There are a number of children who are from a variety of countries. Some of the countries the kids are from include Somalia, Albania, and China. Through example, I hope to teach these children a few life skills through gardening. Just a few are cooperation, active participation, respect for life and an understanding of interdependency of an ecosystem.