Elementary School Rain Garden Curriculum
Modified for Grades 4 – 6
Pat Rector, County Environmental and Resource Management Agent Morris/Somerset
Counties
Ingrid Witty Rain Garden Specialist, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
BACKGROUND:
The Elementary School Rain Garden Curriculum is an educational program designed to
provide fourth and/or fifth grade students with an opportunity to apply their science, math,
and communication skills to real-world environmental problems through rain gardens found
on the school’s campus.
The main focus of the Elementary School Rain Garden Curriculum is rain gardens, an
understanding of why the rain garden was installed at their school and a how a rain garden
functions. Topics such as watersheds, stormwater, and soil are discussed as well as the basics
of taxonomy, introduced through a discussion of plants and insects. A lesson is provided on
insects discussing insect pollinators, and mosquitoes. The potential for mosquito breeding
habitat if a rain garden does not drain properly and the potential of mosquitoes to act as
disease vectors is also discussed. An optional lesson discussing rain barrels and how to
install a rain barrel is included.
LEARNING GOALS:

Students will understand what a watershed is and how we all live in a watershed.

Students will understand nonpoint source pollution.

Students will understand what stormwater runoff is and how it transports nonpoint
source pollution to local waterways and affects the health of streams.

Students will understand how to manage stormwater runoff in multiple ways,
including the use of rain gardens.

Students will increase their environmental awareness, including the science behind
the environmental efforts.

Students will be motivated to teach others about the importance of rain gardens and
how rain gardens can serve as one of the solutions to water resources issues in New
Jersey.
Elementary School Garden Curriculum
Program for Grades 4 – 6
CURRICULUM OUTLINE:
1. An Introduction to Watersheds
a. Using laminated Maps from the Peters Brook watershed students will be
introduced to what a watershed is.
b. While working in groups, students will understand how streams in a watershed are
connected by creating a living stream system from the top of the watershed to the
bottom of the watershed.
2. Stormwater Runoff and Nonpoint Source Pollution in Watersheds
a. Using the school yard storm drain pictures, students will be introduced to what is
stormwater runoff, and nonpoint source pollution.
b. While working in groups, students will make a storm drain in order to identify
possible nonpoint source pollutants found in storm water.
3. Van Derveer School Rain Gardens
a. Using the Van Derveer school rain gardens as examples, students will understand
what a rain garden is, and how the schools’ rain gardens help improve the water
quality in the Peters Brook watershed.
b. Students will learn how their rain gardens capture stormwater runoff from the
schools’ roof.
a. Using the Van Derveer Rain Garden Poster students identify sections of a rain
garden, and how important it is for the rain garden plants to be planted in the proper
home.
4. Van Derveer School Rain Gardens Soil Identification
a. Using the Van Derveer rain gardens as an example, students will understand the
importance of soil percolation in the schools gardens.
c. While working in groups, students identify their school yard soil type
by conducting a soil test by sedimentation.
Elementary School Rain Garden Curriculum
5. Rain Garden Native Plant Considerations
a. Using Van Derveer Schools’ Rain Gardens plant list as examples, discuss New
Jersey native plants that can be planted in rain gardens, and how plants help nature
b. While working in groups, students understand the role of plants in filtering water
in the school yard rain gardens.
6. Rain Gardens Maintenance
a. Students will discuss and understand the process of maintaining elementary school
rain gardens.
b. While working in groups students will become familiar with some of the most
common rain garden weeds.
7. Rain Gardens Insects In and Out
a. Students will learn about mosquitoes and the potential to carry disease. Students
will learn the basic taxonomic levels and understand that only certain species of
mosquitoes even potentially transmit disease.
b. Students will learn what is good mosquito breeding habitat and how to check
their school rain garden for mosquitoes.
c. Students will become aware of who to call if they should suspect mosquito larvae
is present in their rain garden.
d. Students will learn about pollen, pollination and pollinators.
e. Students will learn about native NJ pollinators.
f. Students will learn about good habitat and plants for native NJ pollinators and
how to create it.
8. Rain Barrels
a. Students will learn how a rain barrel can help reduce roof runoff from going to the
stream.
b. Students will learn how water in a rain barrel can be re-used for other things, such
as washing the dog or watering the plants.
c. Students will learn how to build a rain barrel.