Our Focus

The focus of our proposed project is “The Teaching Gardens of Saint Michael’s College.” The Garden Project encompasses the academic areas of Botany, pedagogy, and children’s literature through interdisciplinary collaboration and gardening. There will be several sections of the garden related to different courses; Botany students will develop a native Vermont plants garden and Education students will design a literature garden based on children’s books.
 
The actual gardens themselves will be based on student research and subsequent implementation. Education students will identify and analyze books in which plants play a critical role. Plant availability and viability will be studied by the Botany students, and then students will begin the creation of the evolving garden. As part of their coursework and assignments for Teaching Reading and Language Arts, Children’s Literature, and student teaching, Education students will create field trips, lab work, and literacy projects to implement with local schools.
 

Future directions might expand to include other groups from the community, such as senior groups or tourists, and may attract the interest and perhaps participation of those in the field of children’s literature.
 
Our students, whether they are Biology (Botany) or Education majors, will be challenged to integrate their knowledge from their field or discipline as they are learn and teach reading, writing, and science through garden experiences. For example, creating a fall field trip assignment to draw the growth of a chrysanthemum could require lessons on drawing texture (art) as well as analysis of Kevin Henke’s book, Chrysanthemum (literature). A history major might explore immigration through Klara’s New World , as well as the role that Gentian seeds play.
 
Using children’s literature (trade books) to develop comprehension is part of the Vermont Standards and allows our Saint Michael’s College students to develop science and reading curricula based on authentic literature as opposed to basal readers or generic textbooks. These opportunities for student discovery are too rare in college licensure programs where requirements and sequences rule, yet they are exactly the kind of opportunity we want our Education students to provide for Vermont’s schoolchildren.