Little Green Thumbs: 7 Ways Gardens Are Transforming American Schools

The German term kindergarten translates to "child-garden." It was coined in the early 19th century by education pioneer Friedrich Froebel, who thought of children as figurative flowers to be tended and nurtured. He also educated children in actual gardens, and believed that a connection to nature would help them develop their powers of observation. Now, two centuries later, the movement to integrate gardens and education is on the rise, propelled in large part by Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard project in Berkeley, California. In the state of California alone there are now more than six thousand gardens at public and private schools; nationwide, there are tens of thousands. Waters describes food gardens as "interactive classrooms" that can improve virtually any area of learning: Kids can count beans and measure plant growth with math teachers, explore a living ecosystem in science class, draw vining snap peas with art instructors, and learn about the history of civilization as they harvest corn. Here are 7 amazing ways gardens are transforming American schools. - By Jeanne Nolan and Amanda Little

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