Fund For TeachersSymposium on Innovation and Leadership

INNOVATORS value and embrace challenges and change

LEADERS act as positive agents to facilitate and support change in a safe, accepting environment

2010 Fellowship Project

Traveled to Australia to learn about and experience kitchen gardening in elementary schools

Worked with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Visited 12 schools in Victoria, 1 school in New South Wales

Learned how to effectively utilize gardening and cooking to address core curriculum and social emotional skills

Impact on Innovation Renewed personal passion

to explore, design and implement a dynamic approach to learning

Challenged to modify and adapt gardening activities and kitchen lessons/recipes for students with severe-profound special needs

Sought and secured grant funding to enhance school garden space with addition of a greenhouse (extend growing season)

Impact on Leadership Challenged to generate

excitement and enthusiasm among colleagues and students for using the school garden

Worked in the garden and kitchen with 2 classrooms on a weekly basis; shared knowledge and skills with cooperating teachers

Designed and presented workshops with school based garden committee

Collaborated with colleague to develop and lead district wide study group to explore social benefits of kitchen gardening

Student Participation

Student Participation

Student ImpactOver the course of the year, students demonstrated:

Increased interest and physical engagement Increase in sustained attention New skills in the garden and kitchen Deliberate intent to communicate (request and

comment) Increased ability to follow routine and novel directions Increased tolerance and willingness for exploring new

flavors/textures/foods Sense of pride and ownership Increased understanding of responsibility Increased understanding of delayed gratification

School-wide Impact

Over the course of the year, staff demonstrated:

Increased interest in using the garden for lessons Interest in using fresh produce for cooking

activities Interest in weekly recipes and results Curiosity about how to make vegetable based

recipes “user friendly” for students with eating issues

Interest in planning and planting the garden for the upcoming school year

Salsa Lesson Plan (Garden)

State Goals Science 11.A.1a Describe an observed eventScience 11.A.1e Arrange data into logical patterns and describe the patternsSocial Emotional 3B.1bMake positive choices when interacting with classmates

Introduction Review the five senses Identify body part that corresponds with each sense Students to brainstorm examples of sensory words (ex: hard, soft,

scratchy, stinky, etc)

Activities 1) Students take part in a scavenger hunt to collect and explore items from the garden Students will use a picture or written list* to gather 5 items (red

tomato, cilantro, onion, green pepper, banana pepper) Students will work in pairs (teacher to model how to ask a peer to be

a partner)2) Students will explore and describe each of the items in their harvest/scavenger baskets Students will reassemble at the “gathering benches” with their items Each student chooses an item: identify the name of the item and

describe using at least 2 senses (looks…., feels….smells…, etc)*The items collected during today’s garden activity are the harvest items for the cooking portion of class.

Adaptations Use written list for students who read Use picture symbol list for students at a lower literacy level Pair students with adult if necessary for safety or additional

assistance

Evaluation 1) Teacher will complete weekly garden checklist and rubric that indicates the level of student participation, communication, interest/engagement and socialization2) Students will complete a journal entry with a sensory chart choose one item from their basket and fill in the sense boxes with words/picture symbols/illustrations

Garden Lesson: Sensory Exploration and Descriptions

Salsa Lesson Plan (Kitchen)

State Goals Language Arts 1A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledgeLanguage Arts 1B.1c Continuously check and clarify for understandingLanguage Arts 4A.1cFollow oral instructions accuratelyMath 7A.1a Measure length, volume and weight/mass using appropriate measuring instrumentsSocial Emotional 2C.1bDemonstrate appropriate social and classroom behavior

Introduction Introduce students to today’s recipe (salsa) Ask students: Have you ever had salsa? What does it look like?

Where does it come from? Using picture recipe, ask students to identify the necessary ingredients

and equipment Preview the steps necessary to make salsa (using recipe as a visual) Review knife safety and cooking rules

Activities 1) Students will take part in the following recipe steps: Washing vegetables Dicing tomatoes Seeding and slicing peppers Peeling and slicing onions Cutting cilantro with herb scissors Juicing lemon with citrus juicer Measuring with measuring cups Stirring with spatula2) Students will sample the salsa3) Students will vote “yum” or “yuck” on the taste testing poster4) Students will help in dish washing, table wiping and putting away equipment

Adaptations Model how to use knife and herb scissors Use hand over hand assistance for those who require additional

assistance or safety

Evaluation 1) Teacher will complete weekly kitchen rubric that indicates the following directions, use of tools, social skills, communication skills, willingness to try new item2) Students will complete a journal entry – circle the items that were used in making the salsa, X on items that were not used in making the salsa

Kitchen Lesson: Late Summer Salsa

From Garden to Plate

Student Recipes Veggie soup

Pumpkin pancakes

Green tomato raspberry jam

Basil fettuccini Caprese Squash blossom quesadilla

Student Voice and Choice Students use a

variety of means to communicate

Students vote/rate recipes

Students plan upcoming garden plantings

Student Voice and Choice

Year End Reflections After several months of structure and routine, students began

to look forward to gardening and cooking sessions

Parents and teachers commented on students’ willingness to try new and healthy foods

Need to more fully develop “off season” gardening activities and more effectively utilize preserved harvest

Setting the challenge level high enough without reaching frustration level elicited and sustained student interest and engagement

Positive attitudes exhibited by staff (support, therapy, teaching) directly affected student attitudes and participation

Upcoming Steps

Incorporate use of greenhouse to extend growing season

Expand the kitchen garden program to two additional classrooms in upcoming year

Present quarterly workshops for parents and caregivers

Create shared database with lessons, activities and recipes