Mohave County School Gardening Program
Funded by
Mohave County Schools Superintendent’s Office
Mr. Michael D. File
University of Arizona
Mohave County Cooperative Extension
4-H Leaders’ Council
School Gardening?• Integrate into any classroom and complimentsubjects including science, math, language arts,social studies and art.
• Teach self-sufficiency and patience.
• Sense of accomplishment, self-esteem andresponsibility.
• Appreciation for our land and nature.
• Improve nutrition, try different fresh produce
from their own garden.
Science: Seed Germination, Plant Growth,Hydroponics system, Composting, & more
Math: Germination, Growth, and Survival Rate
Language: Botanical Name, Reading, Writing…
Social Studies: Agriculture, AZ Farm & Crops
Art:
Mohave County School Gardening• Nov. 2006 – today,• Workshops for Educators/Teachers• School In-Services, Staff/PTO Training• In-Class hands-on presentation• Current workshops, projects and news articles onthe School Gardening Program are available on ourwebsite:
CEU for TeachersAll school teachers participating in the Mohave County School Gardening Program will be able to earn Continuing Education Credits (CEU) as approved by Mr. Mike File, Mohave County School Superintendent.
Wanted: Teachers need 48 CEU in ONE Week?– Arizona Summer Agriculture Institute
– Last week in June
Ag-Classroom Subjects/Lessons• 4-H Youth Development Introduction
• School Gardening 101
• Fundraising/Media Strategies 101
• On-Campus Garden Site Prep 101 (Pending regional site)
• Agricultural Literacy (Aug-Nov)
• Alphabet Flowers
• Alphabet Fruits & Vegetables
• Apple & Pumpkin (Aug-Nov)
• Arbor Day Poster Lesson (Jan-April / 5th Grade in Jan)
• Arbor Day Tree Planting (Pending regional location)
Ag-Classroom Subjects/Lessons• Cactus & Succulents / Desert Plant Adaptation
• Composting and Compost Tea
• Container Gardening
• Cotton Babies Living Necklace (Aug-Nov / March-April)
• Father’s Day Grass Head Pot (April-May)
• Herb Seedling Pot
• Holiday Wreaths/Potpourri (Nov-Jan)
• How to Make Paper (with Seeds, Recycled Craft Paper)
• Mother’s Day Seedling Pot (March-April)
• Narcissus Holiday Pots (Nov-Jan)
Ag-Classroom Subjects/Lessons• Native Trees of Arizona
• Recycling/Earth Day Appreciation
• Seed Germination: Vegetable/Flower/Herb
• Soil Mix and Soil Amendment
• Summer and Fall/Winter Vegetable Garden
• Vegetable Seedling Transplanting
• WET: A Drop In the Bucket (Water Conservation)
• What parts of a plant do we eat?
• What plants need to grow?
• Wildflowers
Agriculture in the ClassroomWhat Plants Need to Grow?• Water
• Air
• Sun
• Soil/Nutrients
• Seed
• Care/Attention/Love
If you provide all those items, what will you get?
• A Plant
Agriculture in the ClassroomCotton Babies / Make A Living Necklace
What does a seed need to germinate?
Answers:• Water, Warmth, Dark
Arizona Farm Bureau 5 Tote Containers to check out from Mohave County School Gardening:
�Apple
� Pumpkin
�Cattle
�Cotton
�Fruits & Vegetables
Arbor Day Foundation
AZ Specialty Crop AZ Nursery Association
WET: A Drop in the Bucket
Senses in the Garden
Paperwhite/Forcing Narcissus
No space?Start small…a garden could be any shape, size, or form.
Calvary Christian AcademyLake Havasu
Principal: Ms. Shannon WilliamsProject: Seeds of LoveEight raised bed build by parents for 16 classrooms and 200+ students, K-8.
Mohave Accelerated Learning CenterBullhead City
Projects: Hydroponics Greenhouse started on March 2007, vegetable garden and fruit orchard added May 2007.
KAOL Int. Special Ed.Kingman
Projects: KAOL Int. Special Ed. Classroom sidewalk garden for SALAD BOWL…
Outdoor Classroom… creating on-campus garden -one shovel at a time …
KUSD Manzanita Elem.Kingman
4-H Youth Development
& School Gardening
-KUSD Manzanita Elm
On-Campus GardensAfter School Clubs
KAOL Int. “Green Team”
KUSD La Senita “Gardeners”
KAOL Int. 3rd & 4th GradeKingman
KAOL Primary (K-2nd)Kingman
KUSD La Senita Elem.Kingman
City of Kingman Clean City CommissionArbor Day Tree Planting
4-H Youth Group Fairground BeautificationBoy Scouts Memorial Day Tree Planting
Kingman Train Depot Landscaping
Community Beautification ChallengeKingman
Seed Germination Lessonwith EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS === >“REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!”
Take Home Projects: Flower Cup or Herbs forMother’s Day… Again, school cafeteria items = >“REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!”
Tasting fresh school-grown Vegetables
4-H Youth Development
& School Gardening
Nov. 2006- today• Outreached to all K-12 Schools• Annually visited over 60 classrooms and
1400++ students, receiving hands-on learningfrom Ag-In-the-Classroom (AIC) lessons.
• Explore plant life cycles, examine plantdiversity, and investigate the interdependenceof plants, humans, and other living andnonliving things…
Mohave CountySchool Gardening
Topock School
Topock School
Topock SchoolTasting fresh school-grown
County FAIR = BLUE Ribbon WATERMELON!
Thank You!Community Sponsors
The Community Challenge Grant ProgramState of Arizona Forestry DivisionUrban & Community Forestry and
the USDA Forest Service.
City of KingmanClean City Commission
Desert De Oro Foods, Inc.Kingman Home Depot Kingman True Value KRMC Foundation Signs of CHAOS
Community VolunteersCerbat Garden Club
Mohave County Master GardenersAll of YOU!
Thank You!Community Sponsors
The Community Challenge Grant ProgramState of Arizona Forestry DivisionUrban & Community Forestry and
the USDA Forest Service.
City of KingmanClean City Commission
Desert De Oro Foods, Inc.Kingman Home Depot Kingman True Value KRMC Foundation Signs of CHAOS
Community VolunteersCerbat Garden Club
Mohave County Master GardenersAll of YOU!
Mohave County School Gardening Program
Funded by
Mohave County Schools Superintendent’s Office
Mr. Michael D. File
University of Arizona
Mohave County Cooperative Extension
4-H Leaders’ Council