Eight Things About Gardening With Your Kids, Part 6
Meaningful Context Assists
I am writing a series of posts about eight principles of education integrated into the design and activities of Hershey Children’s Garden and how you can use these principles with your little green thumbs.
Principle number Six: Stories and Themes. Did you ever sit in math class (no offense to math teachers) and ask yourself, "Why on earth am I learning this formula?" I personally find it difficult to learn something without a relevant context for its use. What is the point of learning photosynthesis unless I know that gardening is ALL about manipulating this biological process?
One thing we try to accomplish here at Cleveland Botanical Garden is to incorporate the use of story whenever possible. Staff build programs and activities around stories. The use of story as a vehicle for learning provides relevant frameworks for WHY it is worth knowing something.
The Garden’s Eleanor Squire Library has an excellent selection of children’s books geared toward the natural sciences. So, spice up the time you have with your kids through a good story or two and then let them loose outside and see how they play and discover for themselves.
Posted by Josh Steffen
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