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Session 05: Garden Engineers 🌻

Overview

Grades: 1-2 | Duration: 30 minutes | Session: 5 of 17

Students design and begin a garden project, learning about plants and practicing creation care as environmental stewards.

Session 05: Garden Engineers

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

  • Understand what plants need to grow

  • Design a garden layout

  • Plant seeds and care for them

  • Connect gardening to caring for God's creation

Session 05: Garden Engineers

Materials Needed

  • 📦 Seeds (fast-growing: beans, sunflowers, or herbs)

  • 🪴 Small pots or cups

  • 🌱 Potting soil

  • 💧 Spray bottles for watering

  • 📓 Design Detective journals

  • 📋 "What Plants Need" chart

Catholic Integration

Saint Connection

St. Fiacre — Patron saint of gardeners! He grew beautiful gardens and used his harvest to help the poor.

Scripture

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." — Genesis 2:15

Opening Prayer

Dear God, you created the first garden in Eden and asked us to take care of it. Help us be good gardeners who love and protect your creation. Bless these seeds we plant today. Amen.

Lesson Procedure

Opening Circle (5 minutes)

  1. Garden Wonder — "Have you ever grown a plant?"
  2. Plants Need:
  3. ☀️ Light (sun)
  4. 💧 Water
  5. 🪴 Soil (nutrients)
  6. 💨 Air
  7. St. Fiacre — Grew gardens to help others!
  8. Today's Project — "We're becoming garden engineers!"

Main Activity: Garden Design & Planting (19 minutes)

Part 1: Design Our Garden (5 minutes)

  • What will we grow?

  • Draw a garden plan:

  • Where will pots go?
  • What plants?

  • Who will care for them?

  • Discuss class garden location (sunny window)

Part 2: Plant Seeds (10 minutes)

  • Each student gets a pot/cup

  • Planting steps:

  • Fill with soil (almost full)
  • Make small hole with finger
  • Place seed in hole
  • Cover gently with soil

  • Water lightly

  • Label pot with name and date

Part 3: Care Plan (4 minutes)

  • How will we care for our plants?

  • Create watering schedule

  • What will we look for?

  • Predict: When will we see sprouts?

Design Detective Journal (4 minutes)

  1. Draw your planted seed/pot
  2. Write: "Plants need..."
  3. Predict: "In ___ days, my plant will..."
  4. Draw what you think it will look like grown

Closing Circle (2 minutes)

  1. Garden Responsibility — "How will we care for our garden?"
  2. Creation Care — "Taking care of plants is taking care of God's world!"
  3. Closing Prayer — "God, bless these seeds and help them grow. Teach us to care for all of your creation. Amen."

Assessment

Observation Checklist:

  • Identified plant needs

  • Followed planting steps

  • Created care plan

  • Connected gardening to creation care

Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Partner planting

  • Pre-measured soil amounts

  • Visual step-by-step cards

For Advanced Students

  • Plant multiple seed types

  • Research plant needs in depth

  • Design detailed garden plan

Wonder at Home 🏠

Family Activity: Plant something at home! Beans grow quickly. Watch and record what happens each day. Talk about how taking care of plants is taking care of God's creation.

Teacher Notes

  • Plants will need daily watering—assign student helpers

  • Keep near sunny window

  • Fast-growing options: beans (7-10 days), grass seed (3-5 days)

  • Consider sending plants home at year end

Previous: Session 04 — Animal Adaptations
Next: Session 06 — Gratitude Gifts