Skip to content

🌻 Weeks 26-27: Garden Engineering

Unit Overview
Grade Level Grades 1-2
Duration 2 sessions (30 min each)
Curriculum Year B
STREAM Focus S (Science), E (Engineering), R (Religion)

Weeks 26-27: Garden Engineering

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Identify what plants need to grow 2. Understand plant life cycles 3. Design a garden with purpose 4. Plant seeds and observe growth

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Connect plant growth to spiritual growth 2. Practice patience and care for living things 3. See gardening as stewardship of creation

Weeks 26-27: Garden Engineering

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Spiritual Growth — Just like plants need sun, water, and soil, our faith needs nourishment too — prayer, Mass, kindness. Jesus often used plant parables to teach about faith.

Scripture Connection

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." — 1 Corinthians 3:6

Saint Connection

St. Fiacre — Patron saint of gardeners who saw gardening as prayer. He cared for God's creation and fed the poor from his garden.

📚 Materials Needed

  • Seeds (fast-growing: beans, sunflowers)

  • Soil

  • Cups or pots

  • Water

  • Garden design paper

  • Plant life cycle images

Session 1: What Plants Need

📝 Lesson Procedure (30 minutes)

Opening Prayer (2 min)

"Dear God, You created plants that give us food, beauty, and oxygen. Help us learn to care for Your green creation today. May our gardens grow and teach us about growth! Amen."

Introduction: Plant Needs (8 min)

What do plants need to grow?

  • ☀️ Sunlight — Energy from the sun

  • 💧 Water — Drink for the plant

  • 🪴 Soil — Home and food

  • 💨 Air — Plants breathe too!

Like us!

  • We need food, water, air, and care

  • Plants are living things too!

  • We're stewards — caretakers — of plants

St. Fiacre connection:

  • "He was a monk who loved gardening"

  • "He grew food for poor and hungry people"

  • "Gardening was his prayer to God"

  • "We can make gardening a prayer too!"

Plant Life Cycle (6 min)

The circle of life: 1. Seed — Everything starts here! 2. Sprout — First little plant emerges 3. Seedling — Baby plant grows 4. Adult plant — Full-grown, makes flowers 5. Flowers & fruit — Makes new seeds! 6. Seeds — And it starts again!

Show images or diagram.

Wonder:

  • "Isn't it amazing that a tiny seed becomes a big plant?"

  • "God put everything needed inside that little seed!"

Planting Activity (10 min)

Plant your seeds!

Steps: 1. Fill cup with soil (not too packed) 2. Make small hole with finger 3. Place 2-3 seeds 4. Cover gently with soil 5. Water carefully (not too much!) 6. Label with name

Teacher demonstrates each step.

Care instructions:

  • Keep soil moist (not soggy)

  • Put in sunny spot

  • Watch for sprouts in 5-7 days!

Faith Connection (2 min)

Spiritual growth:

  • "Plants need water, sun, and care to grow"

  • "OUR faith needs nourishment too!"

  • "Prayer is like water for our souls"

  • "Mass is like sunshine for our faith"

  • "Kindness is like good soil"

Closing (2 min)

Take home or leave at school:

  • Care for your plant this week

  • Observe what happens

  • Be patient!

Closing Prayer: "Thank You, God, for seeds and growth. Help us care for our plants and learn from them. As our plants grow, help OUR faith grow too! Amen."

Session 2: Garden Design

📝 Lesson Procedure (30 minutes)

Opening Prayer (2 min)

"Creator God, You planted the Garden of Eden. Help us design beautiful gardens today that honor You and help others. Amen."

Plant Check & Share (3 min)

How are plants doing?

  • Any sprouts yet?

  • What do you observe?

  • Are you caring for them?

Garden Design Challenge (10 min)

Design a dream garden!

Garden purposes:

  • Food garden — Vegetables and fruits to eat

  • Flower garden — Beauty and butterflies

  • Helping garden — Vegetables for food shelf

  • Prayer garden — Quiet space to pray

  • Pollinator garden — Flowers for bees and butterflies

Choose your garden type:

  • What's the PURPOSE of your garden?

  • Who will your garden help?

Design elements:

  • What will you plant?

  • Where will paths go?

  • Any special features? (Bench, statue, birdbath)

Draw Your Garden Design (12 min)

Create a garden plan:

  • Bird's eye view (from above)

  • Show what's planted where

  • Label plants

  • Include special features

  • Color it!

Design thinking:

  • "What do your plants need?"

  • "Where will the sun be?"

  • "How will you water them?"

  • "Who will enjoy this garden?"

Sharing Gardens (3 min)

Quick gallery walk or partner share:

  • Show your garden design

  • Explain the purpose

  • Tell who it helps

Celebration:

  • "You are garden engineers!"

  • "Real gardens start with plans like these"

Closing (2 min)

St. Fiacre challenge:

  • "Can you care for a plant this spring?"

  • "Can you help with gardening at home?"

  • "Can you notice plants and thank God for them?"

Closing Prayer: "Thank You, God, for the gift of gardens. Thank You for St. Fiacre who showed us gardening is prayer. Help us care for plants and see Your love growing all around us. Amen."

📎 Home Connection

"We planted seeds and designed gardens! Your child has a growing plant to care for. Help them water it and watch for growth. Ask: 'What do plants need?' 'What kind of garden did you design?' 'Who would your garden help?' Consider planting something together this spring!"

✅ Assessment

  • Identified plant needs

  • Planted seeds correctly

  • Designed purposeful garden

  • Connected plant growth to faith growth

Unit Version: 1.0 | Last Updated: 2025-12-05