Direct Education

Curriculum Description

The Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Level 2 Operation Thistle module allows students to participate in novel, hands-on activities focusing on Plant Growth and Development. Students will work as a group to complete lessons in each of learning concepts in the guide then work independently to complete activities which are found within the mission briefs and mission option pages. JMG Level Two combines Teacher/Leader Guide and reproducible pages of independent student “handbook” activities into a single book. This premier program encourages youth to take part service projects in their community.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons may be used individually as stand-alone lessons. The program can be implemented in schools, after-school programs, or other groups interested in young gardeners. Teaching multiple activities within a teaching concept is recommended. Please note: JMG Level 2 Operation Water is not approved for AZ Health Zone use.

Use these guides to find which fruits and vegetables are in season in Arizona. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall are all included in this zipped file.

Curriculum Description

Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! (LGEG) is a 10-week unit of study (two lessons per week) that is hands-on, multi-faceted, and academically rich. It combines the interdisciplinary elements of nutrition, garden science, physical activity, food preparation, and fresh vegetable tastings to improve the health and wellness of children, families, and the school community.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

• The lessons are designed to be implemented in sequence. These lessons are not stand alone.
• This curriculum guides each class in planning and planting a garden. The size of the garden may be modified according to the curriculum.
• At least six food exposures are recommended. Two Garden Kitchen recipe demonstrations are recommended. Ten Go Strong classroom exercises are recommended (one per week).  “Growing further” lesson extensions are optional.

Curriculum Description

Botany on Your Plate is a life science unit that inspires children to explore the fascinating realm of plants we eat. Every lesson begins with plant tastings that spark curiosity, interesting question, and social dialogue to fuel the learning process. This inquiry approach engages children as botanists observing and collecting data, discussing findings, and reflecting on what they learn as they study edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons #1 and #8 are recommended. Lessons #2-7 are required. The lessons are designed to be implemented in sequence. These lessons are not stand alone.  Lessons can be taught in 30 minutes, but 60 minutes is recommended.

Put a Little Play Into Your Day - Mind Map Activity Sheet. Refer to the map legend for ways you can put a little play into your day. For each activity you complete, check off the box on the mind map below. From your head to your heart, physical activity keeps your mind and body strong.

Cut out the conversation starters to the right along the dotted lines, and place each strip in a cup or jar. Whenever you want to get the family talking, pull one out and let the fun begin!

“I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…” The first person to go completes the sentence with a word that starts with “A.” The next person repeats what the first person said and adds a word that starts with “B.” Continue through the alphabet until you can’t think of any more things to bring on your picnic! Game When you’re finished, draw your favorite picnic items on the table below

Fruits and Veggies More Matters ™: Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Best Flavor handout.

Grow It, Try, Like It! is a nutrition education kit Featuring MyPlate is a garden-themed nutrition education kit for child care center staff that introduces children to: three fruits - peaches, strawberries, and cantaloupe; and three vegetables - spinach, sweet potatoes, and crookneck squash. The kit includes seven booklets featuring fruits and vegetables with fun activities through the imaginary garden at Tasty Acres Farm! It also has a CD-ROM with Supplemental Information and a DVD with Cool Puppy Pup's Picnic and Lunch Parties. Each set of lessons contains: hands-on activities, planting activities, and nutrition education activities that introduce MyPlate. Use the kit to promote learning at home with fun parent/child activities and family-sized recipes that give tips for cooking with children.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

The booklets are designed to be taught in sequential order and follow a Day 1 to Day 5 Planning Chart. Booklets may be taught in any order or individually, following the lesson order within each booklet.

MyPlate for My Family: SNAP Nutrition Education is a MyPlate resource that supports SNAP-Ed nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts, and is based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is targeted to parents and caregivers who are SNAP participants or eligible for SNAP, and play a key role in planning, purchasing, and preparing food for their families.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lesson can be taught as stand-alone sessions. This curriculum is designed to be taught to parents with children ages 2-18 years old.

Color Me Healthy is a program developed to reach children ages four and five with fun, interactive learning opportunities on physical activity and healthy eating. It is designed to stimulate all of the senses of young children: touch, smell, sight, sound, and, of course, taste. Through the use of color, music, and exploration of the senses, Color Me Healthy teaches children that healthy food and physical activity are fun.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons can be taught as stand-alone lessons. Color Me Healthy is designed to be used in family daycare homes, Head Start classrooms, and childcare centers serving 4 and 5 year olds.

Curriculum Description

The 2016 revised Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Level 1 curriculum provides elementary teachers with the tools to teach the world of gardening with eight chapters of novel, hands-on and proven lessons. The curriculum also helps develops life skills, includes career exploration and provides opportunities for students to culminate the JMG experience with service-learning projects. As students complete areas of study, they can earn different recognition certifications including designation as Certified Junior Master Gardeners. Each chapter is divided into sections called teaching concepts. Then, there are multiple activities within each teaching concept.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons may be used individually as stand-alone lessons. The program can be implemented in schools, after-school programs, or other groups interested in young gardeners. Teaching multiple activities within a teaching concept is recommended.

Health Through Literacy is a book set of five to six books, age-appropriate for each grade K–5. Each set includes books with nutrition or physical activity themes. Every book comes with a tip sheet to enhance the health messages in the book. The tip sheets help teachers discuss the books with their classes, incorporate physical activity into the reading of the book, provide ideas for a food tasting for students, and integrate health messages with other areas of the curriculum.

Growing Healthy Habits is a gardening and nutrition education curriculum for elementary aged kids. This resource focuses on integrating nutrition into the classroom through gardening and scripted lessons that meet science, language arts, social studies, health, and math objectives. Growing Healthy Habits uses gardening as a tool for encouraging students to consume more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and increase physical activity.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Units can be taught in any order and each lesson within each unit can be taught in any order, but all units of the curriculum must be taught.