City Schoolyard Garden
Arc of Learning – Lessons
Tool: Arc of Learning Objective Setting – First Peas to the Table
Grade Level: 1st Grade
School(s): All Charlottesville elementary schools
Objectives: Students will  Understand the historical background of Thomas Jefferson’s First Pea to the Table competition.
 Visit the garden to use their senses to observe and measure with care as their pea seeds and
plants grow.
 Learn to observe and connect plants and environment, learn the basic needs of a pea plant, and
learn to care for and be mindful in the garden.
STANDARDS OF LEARNING:
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Science 1.1: Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning
and conducting investigations in which: the senses are used to observe differences in physical properties,
observations are made from multiple positions to achieve a variety of perspectives and are repeated to ensure
accuracy, length, mass, volume, and temperature are measured using nonstandard units, inferences are made and
conclusions are drawn about familiar objects and events, a question is developed from one or more observations,
and predictions are made based on patterns of observations.
Science 1.4: Life Processes
The student will investigate and understand that plants have basic life needs and functional parts and can be
classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include: plants need nutrients, air, water, light, and a
place to grow, basic parts of plants, and plants can be classified based on a variety of characteristics.
English 1.12: Writing
The student will print legibly: Form letters accurately, space words within sentences, and use the alphabetic code to
write unknown words phonetically.
Math 1.9: Measurement: Non-standard
The student will use nonstandard units to measure length, weight/mass, and volume.
Math 1.14: Probability and Statistics: Data Collection
The student will investigate, identify, and describe various forms of data collection (e.g., recording daily
temperature, lunch count, attendance, favorite ice cream), using tables, picture graphs, and object graphs.
GARDENING:
Observe & Explore
Students observe the environment in which the pea is growing and learn to touch, feel, taste, smell, and look at the
plant while enabling it to continue to grow.
EXPERIENTIAL:
Sensory Experience & Observation
Students use their senses to make qualitative and quantitative observations of the pea seeds, the pea plants, and the
pea pods as they grow over time.
HEALTH & FITNESS:
Movement & Plant/Soil Characteristics
Students walk to the garden and learn the basic needs of a pea plant and how the peas grow and work to meet these
needs.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL:
Respect & Mindfulness
Students learn to care for their peas and to be mindful of how they handle the plants as they use their senses to observe.
Students take pride in the accomplishment (peas) of the fruits of their hard work.
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Lesson Plan – First Peas to the Table
Grade Level: 1st Grade
School(s): All Charlottesville elementary schools
Objectives: Students will:
 Understand the historical background of Thomas Jefferson’s First Pea to the Table competition.
 Visit the garden to use their senses to observe and measure with care as their pea seeds and
plants grow.
 Learn to observe and connect plants and environment, learn the basic needs of a pea plant,
learn to care for and be mindful in the garden.
STANDARDS OF LEARNING: Science 1.1, 1.4 – English 1.12 – Math 1.9, 1.14
Description: The “First Peas to the Table” lesson is a cross-city, cross-curricular 1st grade exercise. The lesson revisits
Thomas Jefferson’s spring ritual of inviting neighbors to plant peas and compete to be the first to harvest. For the lesson,
students read the book First Peas to the Table by Susan Grigsby, learn about growing and caring for pea plants, discuss
the best way to plant pea seeds, plant pea seeds, and watch their pea plants grow. Over the next nine weeks, students
visit the garden at least twice to observe the pea plants’ growth by taking measurements and keeping records. The first
school to photograph a pea one centimeter in width is declared the winner.
Materials:
 First Peas to the Table by Susan Grigsby. There is one copy in each school library.
 Seeds: Sugar Snap Pea
 Plant labels and markers
 *Optional: Student observation packet (attached)
 *Optional: Measuring device(s) – standard and non-standard (e.g. paper clips, shoes, hands, etc.)
Action:
Pre-Lesson – Late February
1. CSG Garden Coordinators connect with all first grade teachers at their CCS elementary school to decide on planting
strategy, to coordinate the exact date and time for planting, and to provide teachers with all materials.
Day 1 – Early March
2. Teachers will read First Peas to the Table with students. CSG Garden Coordinators will ready garden beds for
planting.
3. Students will observe and plant pea seeds with the help of the CSG Garden Coordinator or Garden Fellow and will
learn the basic needs of plants and how pea plants specifically meet those needs.
Days 2 & 3 – March-April
4. Students will visit the garden at least twice to observe, measure, draw, and record the growth and change of the
pea plants using observational packets.
Day 4 – May
5. When the teachers and students notice pea pods are nearing one centimeter in diameter, teachers may take a
photo or notify their CSG Garden Coordinator.
6. CSG will compare the growth of the peas at each school to declare the “first pea to the table”.
7. The school with the “first pea to the table” will receive a trophy to display for a year.
Good to know:
 Students may start pea seeds in the classroom in containers or peat pots and transplant the seedlings into the
garden in mid- to late-March.
 Many gardeners suggest soaking pea seeds in water overnight to improve germination. Others coat seeds in an
inoculant to improve germination and growth.
 Sugar snap peas are a cool weather crop and grow best in the early to late spring.
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Sugar snap peas should be trellised and can grow up to eight feet tall.
On average, sugar snap peas mature in nine weeks.
Students may eat the entire pea pod of a sugar snap pea raw.
Going Further
 Standards of Learning:
o SOL Science 1.1: Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic:
 Compile and record observations using different methods, this corresponds to the observational packet
attached (e.g. bar graphs, scaled drawings, charts, etc.).
 Conduct the lesson as an experiment by testing multiple seed treatments (i.e. soaking pea seeds, scratching
pea seeds, not treating pea seeds), starting indoors vs. outdoors, etc.
o SOL Science 1.6: Interrelationships in Earth and Space Systems: Visit the garden twice in one day – once in the
morning and once in the afternoon and watch the shadow cast by the pea plant as it changes through the day
o SOL Math 1.4: Magnitude and Estimation: Before visiting the garden while in the classroom, have students
estimate the number of pea pods growing in the garden. Visit the garden and count the number of pea pods.
o SOL Math 1.11: Measurement: As the weeks progress, use calendar language (e.g. today, yesterday, last week,
next week) to compare and predict the growth of the pea plants.
o SOL Math 1.15: Probability and Statistics: Use observational data and picture charts to compare growth of pea
plants over the weeks using the vocabulary greater than, less than, and more than.
o Social Science 1.6: Effect of Community, Climate, and Environment: The student will describe how the location
of his/her community, climate, and physical surroundings affect the way people live, including their food,
clothing, shelter, transportation, and recreation.
o SOL Social Science 1.2: American Leaders: The student will describe the stories of American leaders and their
contributions to our country, with emphasis on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln,
George Washington Carver, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
 Questions to ask:
o Can we eat a pea seed?
o How would you describe a pea seed?
o Why does a pea plant need a trellis?
o What happens to a pea flower?
o What is in a pea pod?
o What will happen to the pea plant over the summer?
Blog link(s):
 2013: http://www.cityschoolyardgarden.org/2013/03/11/first-peas-to-the-table/
 2014: http://www.cityschoolyardgarden.org/2014/03/18/charlottesvilles-first-graders-race-to-grow-the-first-pea/
 2014: http://www.cityschoolyardgarden.org/2014/05/20/first-pea-to-the-table/
 2014: http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Students-at-Jackson-Via-Win-Pea-Planting-Contest260463091.html
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