According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 7.5 million students who receive special education services in the United States. Coming up with lessons to engage these students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in STEM curriculum (science, technology, engineering, and math) can be challenging.
At Green Our Planet, we believe all students of all ages, skill levels, and abilities can benefit from hands-on school gardens and hydroponics. Let’s explore how outdoor school gardens can benefit students with special needs and how to adapt lessons to keep them engaged!
Why School Gardens Are Beneficial for Special Needs Students
School gardens present a unique opportunity to enhance the educational journey for students with special needs and learning challenges through a hands-on, multi-sensory approach that supports cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
A few of the key benefits include:
- Sensory Stimulation: School gardens provide opportunities for touch, sight, smell, and sound, prompting multi-sensory learning.
- Motor Skills Development: As students with disabilities work in the garden, they enhance fine and gross motor skills through planting, digging, watering, and other activities.
- Social and Emotional Growth: Getting to take care of the garden as a group encourages teamwork, patience, responsibility, and other key life skills.
- Cognitive and Academic Learning: Gardening provides endless opportunities to reinforcing STEM concepts and skills in a hands-on, engaging environment.
- Therapeutic Effects: School gardens can provide a calming and stress-relieving experience for students with disabilities.
How to Teach Outdoor Garden Lessons for Special Needs Students
Mr. Faggins, who teaches students with special needs at Variety Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada, has seen the benefits of school gardens firsthand. Partnering with Green Our Planet’s GardenConnect program, he uses the outdoor school garden materials and curriculum to boost engagement and STEM learning through adapted, engaging lessons.
Let’s take a closer look at how he integrates the GardenConnect garden set up and Green Our Planet’s school garden curriculum into his daily lessons and teaching objectives.
Select a Lesson from Green Our Planet’s PreK-5 STEM Curriculum
With access to educational materials and assets that go hand-in-hand with what's growing and happening in the garden, Green Our Planet gives teachers confidence to teach and engage students with special needs in the ways they learn best.
Mr. Faggins uses the Green Our Planet resources as the starting point for his lessons, looking for curriculum and hands-on materials that align with his students’ learning preferences.
“Each kid is different and unique in their own sense, meaning that they learn differently,” he said.
Create an Outline, Story, and a Lesson Folder
With the resources from Green Our Planet and additional online resources, Mr. Faggins sets up an outline and lesson folder to keep all the materials organized. He also develops a cohesive narrative or story to engage the students and tie everything together.
For example, his story might say John is going to the park and looking for different plants or plant parts. Then, he teaches the students about the different plant parts and how to identify leaves, stems, or specific plants.
“These types of things help them understand the whole purpose of the lesson,” he said.
Gather Your Garden Materials
Once he’s planned out the lesson, Mr. Faggins said he gathers the materials that students will need. This can vary depending on the lesson and STEM concepts, but may include different plants, soil samples, buckets, gloves, worksheets, and more.
Execute the Lesson in the School Garden
With the lesson plan and core concepts ready to go, it’s time to head to the garden. Mr. Faggins said he tries to get the kids involved as quickly and as much as possible.
He starts with a quick introduction to gauge their skill level, understanding and interest. Then, he jumps into a hands-on activity. He gives the kids plenty of freedom and time to explore the garden at their own pace.
“It could be something as simple as digging their hands into the soil,” he said.
Observe & Record Wins
At the end of the week, Mr. Faggins gives his students a quiz that aligns with the core concept or objective, seeing how much they’ve learned.
He also plans time for students to talk about what they’ve learned and shares wins with administrators, teachers, and parents. Seeing how excited the kids get about the garden helps build awareness and support for the school garden and STEM education as a whole.
Tips for Integrating School Gardens Into Your Special Education Curriculum
Implementing gardening lessons for special needs students requires thoughtful planning and flexibility.
Be Patient And Flexible
As Mr. Faggins has noted, every student learns at their own speed. You can adjust the garden activities based on individual capabilities and allow time for students to fully engage with each task. Give students plenty of freedom and time to explore different parts of the garden.
Hone In On One Main Objective
Since every student learns differently, Mr. Faggins said he finds one main objective or question and focuses on that throughout the week. This provides multiple opportunities to reinforce STEM concepts and allows students to learn at their own pace.
“It’s important to keep it simple so that the kids can develop an understanding of what they hear, and what they see, and what they feel,” he said.
For example, one lesson may focus on “What is soil?” This allows students to get hands-on in the garden, exploring different smells, textures, and visually see the soil.
Add Your Own Spin to the Lesson
While Green Our Planet provides helpful resources to guide the process, Mr. Faggins encourages teachers to add their own creativity and style to the lesson.
“I definitely recommend that other teachers add their spin to the lessons — music, videos, anything that might spark the students interest in an activity,” he said.
He said he’ll rap for the students, or they’ll sing songs, dance, or do show-and-tell activities to help build excitement — and it works!
Use Positive Reinforcement
Acknowledge students’ achievements, no matter how small. Praise efforts like successfully planting a seed or watering a plant to build confidence, self-esteem, and motivation.
“Participating in the garden builds self-esteem,” Faggins said. “Self esteem meaning that they actually participated in something where they saw it from the start to the end.”
Create A Predictable Routine
Establish a consistent schedule for gardening activities such as planting, watering, and harvesting. Use visual schedules, step-by-step instructions, and adaptive tools to help them engage in the gardening process.
By setting schedules, students start to learn how to create these types of predictable routines for themselves in other daily tasks, building crucial life skills and increasing their confidence.
Enhance Learning With a School Garden & Green Our Planet
If you think a school garden could be a good fit for you and your students with special needs, we’re here to help. Contact our team today to learn more about our STEMworks accredited GardenConnect and HydroConnect programs — including special needs vocational curriculum.
