GoToServiceLearning
is a project partnership between
Youth Service America
and America’s Promise Alliance,
with generous support by
the State Farm Companies Foundation
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
Now that you have seen how the GoToServiceLearning template frames the lesson plans on the
site, it’s time to input your own ideas and curricular connections! Download the template, work up your
lesson plan, and try it out with your students.
Once you have tested out your service-learning plan, come back to the site and share your “best
practices” with other teachers. To submit your plan, please log on to www.gotoservicelearning.org
and use our online form.
Title of your Service-Learning Experience
{Please enter the title of your service-learning experience or project. This is how visitors to the website will identify
your lesson plan.}:
Alder Elementary School Youth and Community Garden
The Story
{Tell us your story as it pertains to this service-learning experience – how you began, a summary of what occurred, and how the
community responded. Please try to limit your response to no more than 200 words.}:
Perhaps the most note-worthy part of the Alder garden story is its slow growth over time,
with continual gathering of new support and resources, community partnerships, and
educational opportunities. The Alder Garden program is a dynamic one that takes new
shape each season.
When we began, we didn’t do so with the intention of following a service-learning model –
this is just where we’ve landed over time.
An Alder school-day teacher saw an opportunity to beautify an overgrown school
courtyard, and submitted and received a grant to convert the space into the Alder Youth
Garden.
Over time, this teacher left the Alder community and the management of the garden
space was passed to Alder’s Community School Program, “Schools Uniting
Neighborhoods,” (SUN) run by full-time staff of non-profit Metropolitan Family Service
(MFS). To this day, the MFS SUN program is housed at Alder and works in close
partnership with school and district leadership, students, and families. More information
on Multnomah County SUN programs can be found at sunschools.org. More information
on Metropolitan Family Service is at metfamily.org.
MFS SUN launched a partnership with Portland non-profit Growing Gardens (GG)
(growing-gardens.org) who brought expertise in gardening maintenance, youth gardening
education, and family involvement via gardens. GG helped expand the reach of the Alder
Youth Garden and also helped build an entire second garden space for community
gardeners – parents and families of Alder students.
Today, about eight years later, the Alder garden is used by MFS SUN for after school
classes four days per week. 30 students at a time participate in eight-week Garden
Clubs that teach science, art, literacy, math, etc through hands-on gardening activities.
The Alder Community Garden serves an average of nine families per growing season.
Our latest service-learning project, which is shared forth here, is a Plant Start Donation
Project where youth in the Garden Club raise plant starts for donation to the community
gardeners – many of whom are from families with extremely limited incomes.
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
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The Purpose and Essential Questions
{What was the primary purpose of this lesson for you as a teacher? For the students? For the community? If you developed essential
questions, please include them here. Please limit your response to no more than 200 words.} :
Primary Purpose for:
The Teacher: Initially, the purpose was to beautify an overgrown space and to provide a
green space for youth to utilize (Alder is a building surrounded by concrete and open
grass, in a neighborhood with no green space). Over time, the primary purpose has
grown into the garden functioning as a space where youth have ownership, experience
hands-on learning, grow healthy habits, develop a relationship with nature, and foster a
sense of community. The purpose of our Plant Start Donation Project in particular is to
teach youth about plant life-cycle, healthy habits, and giving back to community and
families.
The Students: Through involvement in Garden Club, youth participate in learning that
supports their school-day lessons and is built around state benchmarks. They have a
space to play, get dirty, and to call their own. All the garden planning is completed by the
students, and all the art and decoration in the garden is created by the students.
Students have opportunity to taste healthy foods that they grew themselves, with a goal
that this taste for vegetables will encourage healthy nutritional habits. The garden also
helps to teach soft skills -- like teamwork, planning, sharing, and patience. Through the
Plant Start Donation Project, students learn about the life cycle and resource needs of
plants, and about giving back to their community.
The Community: The garden is managed by true collaborative effort -- with the
leadership of two local non-profits; support of the school and district; involved community
parents; business support; and student input. Additionally, through the Community
Garden, community needs of hunger and family involvement at the school are addressed
on a small, personal scale. Families work side by side with their neighbors and gain
access to free, healthy food. The gain from our Plant Start Donation Project in particular
is a connection to the school as more than just an educational resource, and access to a
free, healthy, empowering food source.
A favorite question we ask of students:
"If you could grow this seed into a plant to take home for yourself or to give away to a
person who might need that plant to get food, which would you want to do?" (All kids so
far have picked that they wanted to grow plants for families who needed that resource.)
Service-Learning Theme
{Click on or type X on ALL the themes that apply to your service-learning experience}:
AIDS Awareness and Education
Animals
Elders
Emergency Readiness
Environment
Gardening
Healthy Choices
Immigration
Literacy & Mentoring
Poverty, Hunger, Homelessness
Safe Communities
Social Change
Special Needs and Disabilities
Place of Impact
{What place or kind of community benefited from your service-learning experience? Click/X ALL that apply}:
School
Local Community
National
Global
Virtual
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
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Community Need
{What community need did this service-learning experience address? Please try to limit your response to no more than 200 words.}:
In the 2009-2010 school year, 98% of students at Alder qualify for free or reduced cost
lunch. Many report being hungry at home, and access most of their meals during the
school day. Families regularly turn to the school for support in the form of food boxes
and other anti-poverty services. Affordable access to healthy food and hunger are two
community needs in the Alder School community.
Many Alder families live in small apartments with a lack of access to green spaces. The
school itself is surrounded by concrete and flat grass, with very few trees or plants on the
school grounds. Access to nature and greenspace is not immediately easy for many
Alder students. There is a community need for students to have opportunities to connect
to nature and play outside in safe green spaces -- to experience life outside of their
apartments.
The Oregon Department of Education Report Card for Alder Elementary reflects current
"Need for Improvement." Many students are behind academically, and struggling to meet
or exceed state benchmark test scores for their grade level. There is a community need
for additional educational support for students.
Alder Elementary School is part of the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham, OR.
Rockwood is a diverse area with many strengths, but unfortunately most notably
recognized as a community with a high rate of crime and gang activity. There is a
community need for youth to have a safe place to be during after school hours -- when
statistics show youth crime is at its highest. There is also a community need for
empowering programs for youth and community members in general, and for a sense of
community ownership of clean, welcoming spaces.
Our project addresses all of these needs: students receive skillbuilding supports for their
success in a safe space during after school hours. The Alder gardens are true
community spaces, and provide access to green space and low-cost/free healthy food.
Community Partners
{Who in the community (individuals, businesses, government offices, and/or organizations) participated? Please limit your response
to no more than 200 words.}:
* Reynolds School District (in-kind: physical space, water, maintenance services)
* City of Gresham Department of Environmental Services (small grant)
* SOLV (small grant, logistical support, volunteers, in-kind: waste hauling and support for
volunteer work day)
* Metropolitan Family Service "Schools Uniting Neighborhoods" program (staff time,
curriculum, financial resources, overall project and garden coordination)
* Multnomah County (primary funder for MFS SUN program)
* East Portland Neighborhood Office (grant funds for community garden remodel)
* Devoes Farm (in-kind: compost)
* Growing Gardens (curriculum, staff time, logistical consultation, seeds, soil, and other
garden materials)
* Willamette Carpenters Training Center (in-kind: garden shed)
* Americorps (volunteers to rebuild Community Garden)
* Fred Meyer (grant to help pay for class) -- through MFS
* A handful of small local businesses (plant starts, seeds, gift certificates, food)
* Rockwood Neighborhood Association (community leadership)
* Gresham Outlook (publicity)
* Mutual Materials (discount on building materials)
* Oregon Food Band (soil and compost)
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* Oregon Zoo (compost)
* Multnomah County Library (books and curriculum)
* 4-H (curriculum and staff)
* Lauren Davis (author -- shared her book and seeds)
Grade Level
{Click on or type X on ALL that apply to your service-learning experience}:
K-3 (Early Elementary)
4-6 (Upper Elementary)
6-8 (Middle School)
9-12 (High School)
Target Population
{Click on or type X on ALL that apply to your service-learning experience}:
All Students
Youth with Special Needs
Youth at Risk of Dropping Out
Setting
{Click on or type X on ALL that apply to your service-learning experience}:
Suburban
Rural
Urban
Duration
{Click on or type X on ALL that apply to your service-learning experience}:
1-4 weeks
4-9 weeks
More than 9 weeks
Link to Curriculum, part A
{Click/X ALL academic subjects that apply.}:
Agriculture
Art
Business
Career Exploration
Engineering
English Language Arts
Family and Consumer Sciences
Foreign Languages
Health Sciences
Life Skills
Math
Music
Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
Speech and Communication
Technology
Theater
Link to Curriculum, part B
(a) State Standards being met:
(We require at least one (1) standard but recommend that 3-5 be filled out to emphasize the application of
service-learning lesson across multiple subjects):
(1) State (example: Connecticut):
Oregon
Subject (example: Health):
Science
Definition:
2.2 Interaction and Change: Living and non-living things change.
(2) State (example: Connecticut):
Oregon
Subject (example: Health):
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
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Science
Definition:
5.2 Interaction and Change: Force, energy, matter, and organisms interact within
living and non-living systems.
(3) State (example: Connecticut):
Oregon
Subject (example: Health):
Health Education
Definition:
Health Skills: CCG: Demonstrate ability to use health skills, to obtain and interpret health information, to
manage personal behaviors and to advocate for healthy and safety issues.
(4) State (example: Connecticut):
Oregon
Subject (example: Health):
Health Education
Definition:
Promotion of Healthy Eating: CCG: Demonstrate self-management, analyzing
influences, goal-setting and advocacy skills while understanding the components
of healthy eating.
(5) State (example: Connecticut):
Oregon
Subject (example: Health):
Arts
Definition:
CCG: Understand how the arts can reflect the environment and personal
experiences within a society or culture, and apply to one’s own work.
(b) Content Areas of major themes of study:
Arts, Health, Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts
(c) Skills being introduced or developed:
Read; Write; Speak/Listen; Personal Management & Teamwork; Think Critically &
Analytically; Apply Math; Civic & Community Engagement
Career-Related Learning:
Personal Management; Teamwork; Problem Solving
Books, Media, Websites, and other Resources:
kidsgardening.com
Growing Gardens: growing-gardens.org
OSU Extension Service: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/
Multnomah County Library
Scholastic
"Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman
"Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin
"Giggles the GreenBean turns Stinky Town into Green Town" by Lauren Davis
Five Stages of Service-Learning
(Investigation, Preparation and Planning, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration)
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
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{PLEASE ARTICULATE WHAT OCCURRED IN EACH STAGE AS A STEP-BY-STEP SEQUENCE. Include how
reflection was integral within each stage in addition to its all-encompassing role as “Reflection,” stage four of the
five.}:
Investigation:
Making small choices -- elementary aged kids.
 Reflection:
Preparation and Planning:
Planning a garden, choosing what to grow, building timelines, determining resources to
grow (plant life-cycle and nutrient needs), plan curriculum and lesson plans, mapping the
garden, purpose of space, individual roles and responsibilities (working in garden teams
that focus on one specific task)
 Reflection:
Garden journals, photo documentation of garden at start of project
Action:
Teamwork and involvement, Planting, maintaining, transplanting, giving plants to
community gardeners (celebration)
 Reflection:
Garden journals, photo documentation
Reflection:
Ongoing -- continuation of journals and photo documentation
Demonstration:
Giving away the plants, sending kids home with plants, kids sharing forward with the next
group of youth gardeners
 Reflection:
Ongoing -- continuation of journals and photo documentation; end of session
celebrations and sharing learning with school community (teachers, parents)
Public Relations
{Media Attention, participation by or information provided to Elected Officials, and other forms of Presentation.
Please limit your response to 200 words or less.}
The Alder Gardens hosted a visit from the Mayor, city officials, and Neighborhood
Association President -- they were looking at the garden as a model for future community
gardens.
Since the initial building of the Community Garden, the beds deteriorated and a
community volunteer event was organized to rebuild the beds. Funding for materials
came from a grant from the local Neighborhood Association.
The Youth Garden Club has received media coverage from local paper, the "Gresham
Oulook." A link to the article is available online at
http://www.theoutlookonline.com/features/story.php?story_id=118292262658846600
Assessment and Evaluation
{How did you assess student learning and the service outcomes achieved? What role did students have in the assessment and
evaluation process? What role did community partners have in the assessment and evaluation process?} :
MFS SUN is a school-based program, and the primary evaluation we've performed is
from the stand-point of student success -- looking at gains in academic performance,
attitude toward school, soft skill development like teamwork skills, and improved
attendance during the school day.
We use four primary assessment methods:
1) a teacher survey where school-day teachers provide feedback on student growth over
a school-year (we recognize that growth isn't only created through involvement in Garden
Club, but through a variety of influences)
2) student pre- and post- tests specifically designed to assess skills learned in Garden
Club
Word Template for Your Service-Learning Lesson Plan
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3) student surveys where students provide feedback on their participation in the MFS
SUN program overall (including in Garden Club)
4) reviewing benchmark test scores and student attendance data
We've been quite fortunate to have technical assistance with the evaluation of our project
over time. MFS SUN's funder (Multnomah County) helps us to gather review student
data. Growing Gardens as a non-profit community partner also has surveyed student
learning specific to the garden.
Here is what we've noticed:
In 2008-2009, out of students who attended SUN after school programming (including
Garden Club) for 30 days or more:
* 74% of students increased benchmark scores in Reading
* 83% of students increased benchmark scores in Math
* Average daily attendance of SUN CS students was 96%
According to teachers, of students who regularly attended SUN CS:
* 90% improved classroom academic performance
* 80% improved getting homework in on time
* 83% improved positive attitude toward school
* 78% improved finding alternative resolutions to problems
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
{What did you discover about service-learning through this experience? What would you do differently? How will you advance your
service-learning practice?}:
The most important learning that we received through this project has been that children
really do learn through process -- that letting them take the lead, experience the failures
and successes on their own -- with opportunity to correct mistakes -- creates the best
forum for learning for them. If they plant their seed too closely together and don't thin
them out, their plant might not grow as healthy and strong. Seeing things like this are a
great opportunity for kids to connect the dots between taking care and patience in the
process, in order to have the strongest finished product.
We also learned the value of ongoing projects -- that over time, more community
members, businesses, kids, teachers can plug into what we do. We learned that small
pieces of the project are great ways to engage partners, without it being much extra effort
on our part.
We will certainly to continue and expand the work we're doing, particularly by adding in
additional opportunities for our Youth Gardeners to share their learning with other
children, by adding in more time for reflection, and by celebrating more of our successes.
About the Teacher
{Tell us about yourself. How long have you been teaching? How long have you been utilizing service-learning practices? What has
been influential or helpful in becoming a service-learning practitioner? Please limit your response to 200 words or less.}:
Kathy Barry is the Garden Club Activity Leader at Alder Elementary School. She's a parttime employee of Metropolitan Family Service, working in the Community School SUN
program at Alder.
Kathy's a community member, and a parent of two Alder Elementary "graduates." She
began her work at Alder as the President of the Parent Teacher Group, and three years
ago began teaching through MFS SUN's after school program. Her daughter is a former
participant in the Alder Garden Club.
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Kathy completed 40 hours of training through the Garden Educator Certificate Program at
Growing Gardens. She plans gardening curriculum seasonally based on Oregon's
climate and what work can be performed in the garden at what time of year. She
frequently ties in creative art projects, literacy activities such as maintaining a garden
journal, science lessons focusing primarily on plant life cycle and environmental science,
health information, and math lessons such as garden planning maps and seed spacing.
In her work, Kathy values getting to share learning experiences and working with youth
outside of a classroom setting. Service-Learning is still reasonably new to her, but has
taught her to network more throughout the community. As a model of teaching and
learning, it provides a big picture of how we are all tied together and how we impact kids
in the community.
About the School
{Tell us about your school. Please limit your response to 200 words or less.}:
Alder Elementary School is part of Reynolds School District and serves about 600
students in grades K-5.
“At Alder School, we strive to be a community of lifelong learners, to honor diversity and
to pursue excellence.”
Alder Elementary School is proud of the diversity of our families and the dedication of our
staff. With almost 650 students and about 62 staff members, Alder is a busy, productive
community. At Alder we focus on the "whole" child, providing social and emotional
enrichment as well as quality academic instruction. We have high expectations for all our
students as they become lifelong learners.
Alder's demographic make-up: 79% Students of Color (Hispanic 64%, Asian/Pacific
Islander 7%, Black 7%, Native American 1%, Multi-racial 55%, White 21%).
In 2009-2010, 98% of Alder students qualify for Free or Reduced Cost Lunch. About
70% of Alder students participate in the school's English Language Learner program.