Title: Growing Very Local:

Planning Your Home Garden

PLANNING:
Topic: Using the University of Tennessee Growing Vegetables in Home Garden Document to
learn what would be needed initially and to plan a garden in a local green space.
Time: 3 Days
Day 1: 45 Minutes
Day 2: 45 Minutes
Day 3: 45 Minutes
Class: Environmental Science Ninth thru Twelfth Grade
Content Standards addressed:
TN Environmental Science:
Standard 4: Water and Land Resources - CLE 3260.4.1- Examine common resource use
practices in agriculture, forestry, urban/suburban development, mining, and fishing.
(https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/education/attachments/std_sci_3260.pdf)
Technology Standards addressed:
ISTE*S Standards for Students:
Standard 1: Creativity and innovation Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products, or processes.
Standard 3: Research and information fluency Process data and report results
Standard 4: Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making Plan and manage
activities to develop a solution or complete a project
(http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students)
Materials:
1. Measuring Tape
2. Pencil & Paper
3. 4 Sheets of Graph Paper per Student (only three needed, but an additional one if they
must begin again)
4. Computer with
a. Internet Access
b. MS PowerPoint Application Installed
c. MS PowerPoint How to Prepare for Your First Garden uploaded
d. MS Word Application Installed
5. Completed Sample Green Space Plan for Classroom Space
6. Any of the following available gardening tools (Rake, Hoe, Shovel, Spade, Trowel,
Twine, Stakes and File)

Objectives:
1. TLW sketch a to-scale
drawing of his or her green
space given the guidelines
for planning a garden with
75% accuracy

Blooms Taxonomy:
Knowledge, Comprehension,
Application, Analysis,
Synthesis

Assessment:
Green Space To-Scale
Drawing.

2. TLW plan and develop a 2D

model on Google SketchUp
given the guidelines for
planning a garden and their
hand-drawn sketch with
80% accuracy

Application, Synthesis

Google SketchUp Document

of their Green Space To-Scale
Drawing

3. TLW compose a report on

Comprehension, Application,
their green space plan given Synthesis
the guidelines for planning
a garden and their Google
SketchUp Document with
100% accuracy

Green Space Project Report

TEACHING:
Motivation:
Students attention will be gained through the discussion regarding what is food security
and the importance of food in their lives. They will be continually motivated because the
final project will be in a green space (home or near home) where they could potentially
start growing a garden.
Instruction:
Ask to the entire group:
o Do any of them have experience gardening or with plants. If yes, ask the students
to briefly describe their experience in a sentence or two.
o To brainstorm reasons why learning to grow vegetables is an important skill (i.e.
food is a necessity, it can be cheaper to grow than to buy, one can minimize the
amount of pesticides consumed if you grow you own food)
If not covered during the brainstorm,
o Discussion the use and overuse of resources in agricultural production especially
in transportation.
o Discuss the term food security briefly
o Be sure to note growing your own vegetables and buying local are means to
reduce petroleum consumption in transportation

Teacher Procedures:
Prior to the Computer
Day One
1. Based on the initial discussion, help each
student measure the length of their shoes in
inches
2. Distribute multiple sheets of graph paper to
each student and discuss instructions for
pacing to determine the length and width of
classroom based on their individual
measurements and how to draw a scale
blueprint of the classroom on the paper.
3. Discuss how to apply the new pacing skill
to draw to scale their home green spaces
(Note: For students without front or
backyards, they should select a small green
space like a local park in their
neighborhood)
Day Two
1. Ask the students to pull out their
completed green space graphs. Answer
any questions.
At the Computer
1. Direct the students to open the How to
Prepare for Your First Garden
PowerPoint.
2. Suggest that the students take notes,
especially on the section of the
presentation that discusses planning your
home garden
3. Have students pull out their completed
green space graphs. Ask if they have any
question on how to complete them based
on the information they just learned
After the Computer
1. Review the Completed Sample Green Space
Plan for Classroom Space
2. Assist the students in initial vegetable
selection and to locate the planting
suggestions for the selected and based on
the appropriate season.

Student Procedures:
Day One
1. Measure their shoes to the nearest inch and
note the measurement for future reference
2. Students draw a scale blueprint of the
classroom including desks and other
landmarks on graph paper.

Day Two
1. Students ask clarifying questions and
update their graphs.

1. Open the How to Prepare for Your First

Garden PowerPoint
2. Students take notes on the presentation
3. Students ask clarifying questions
regarding completing their green space
scale graphs

1. Students review the Completed Sample

Green Space Plan for Classroom Space
2. Student begin planning their home
gardens and complete the task to scale at
home

At the Computer
Day Three
1. Direct the students to open Google
SketchUp (note: Students should have
learned basic application use prior lesson)
2. Assist students in transferring information
from graph paper to Google SketchUp 2D
Document
3. Ask the students to complete a 1-2 page
report on their home garden plan

Day 3
1. Student open the Google SketchUp
Application
2. Students transfer information from graph
paper to Google SketchUp 2D Document
3. Students complete 1-2 page Home Garden
Plan Report

Reflection & Transfer:

Students will review each others completed plans and have to defend their choices.
Additionally, we will have a brief discussion regarding how differences in cultures in
other countries and how issues of poverty could change your access to green space.
Resources:
1. Bates, G., & Sams, D.W. (n.d.). Growing vegetables in home
gardens. The University of Tennessee. Retrieved from:
https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1126
2. Google SketchUp http://www.sketchup.com/#create-2d-documents
ASSESSMENT:
Green Space ToScale Drawing

Google
SketchUp
Document

0 pts
The drawing has
little to none of
the required
details.

2 pts
The drawing is at
least 25%
complete and has
1 or 2 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented

4 pts
The drawing is at
least 50%
complete and has
3 or 4 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented

5 pts
The drawing is at
least 75%
complete and has
at least 5 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented

The SketchUp
document has
little to none of
the required
details

The drawing is at
least 25%
complete and has
1 or 2 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches

The drawing is at
least 50%
complete and has
3 or 4 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches

The drawing is at
least 80%
complete and has
at least 5 of the
guideline details
(Seeds or Plants
per row, Inches

0 pts

Green Space
Project Report

The Report has

little to none of
the required
detail

2 pts
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented
The report is
moderately
written and uses
some of the
vocabulary and
concepts
discussed in the
lesson in the
analysis

4 pts
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented
The report is
well-written and
uses most of the
vocabulary and
concepts
discussed in the
lesson in the
analysis

5 pts
btw plants, etc.)
accurately
represented
The report is
very well-written
and uses allof the
vocabulary and
concepts
discussed in the
lesson in the
analysis

Name: Crystal Martin

Date: June 18, 2016

Multimedia Planning Sheet

Directions: Complete this information before you develop your project.
Title of Project:

Growing Very Local: Planning Your Home Garden PowerPoint

Purpose of Project: To create a PowerPoint Presentation to introduce the students to

skill of garden planning
Target Audience:

Ninth Twelfth Grade Students

Resources needed to complete this project:

Information Sources:
- Internet
- Bates, G., & Sams, D.W. (n.d.). Growing vegetables in home gardens.
https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1126

Images:
Step
Presentation Opening
Site Selection
Planning Your Garden
Necessary Larger Tools
Required Smaller Supplies
Tool Maintenance

Audio/Video/etc.:
N/A

Notes:

Possible Google Image Keyword Searches

Garden, Farm, Green Space
Garden, Home Garden, Site, Soil
Garden Plan, Planning a Garden, Garden Site Plan
Garden Tools, Shovel, Rake, Hoe, Spade, Trowel
Garden Tools, Twine & Stakes, Bucket, Hose, File
Garden Tool Maintenance

Student Name: Crystal Martin

Title of Project: Growing Very Local: Planning

Your Home Garden

Lessons Learned: Reflecting on My Project

1. What was good or effective in your project?
This project makes effective use of technology for the students to demonstrate their
understanding of planning a garden. Additionally, it should personalize the food
security issues as well as give students practical tools and a useful reference to
actually apply this skill if they are so motivated.

2. How would you improve your project?

Im not sure about the timing and whether all of this can be accomplished in only a
three day period. It may require much more time unless it is with a more advanced
class. However, I believe this is one of those lessons where I will have to try it out
and then revise it based on actual classroom results.

3. What did you learn from creating this project (not about software), and how can
you use what you learned in the future?
I had taking urban agriculture classes in the past, but creating this project solidified
the process for me because the University of Tennessee home gardening document
was very well done and discussed all the necessary details in a very compact space.
This will allow me to distill only the pertinent the information to the students
instead of trying to give them every detail and over inundating them with
information.