GCC Kids Global Garden Clubs
Daily Club Guide – Unit 1
SEED SUPER SLEUTHS
*Garden Project: Will the seeds sprout?
*Art Project: Investigate & Report – What do the seeds look like?
*Food Democracy: What are genetically modified seeds?
*Materials: a variety of seeds / paper towel / plastic sandwich bags / magnifying glasses / paper /
pencils / markers, colored pencils, crayons
SUPER HERO GARDEN
*Garden Project: What is a garden?
*Art Project: Design a garden for your favorite super-hero!
*Food Democracy: What is food sovereignty?
*Materials: graph paper or blank paper / pencils, colored pencils, crayons / seed and plant catalogs,
gardening books, old garden magazines, etc.
INTRODUCTION TO WATER CONSERVATION
*Garden Project: What is the Water Cycle? / What is Water Conservation?
*Art Project: Cotton Ball Clouds
*Food Democracy: How do pesticides harm the water?
*Materials: cotton balls / shallow pans or bowls / cold water / card-stock or cardboard for art project /
glue / markers, pencils, crayons
GARDEN ART BOX
*Garden Project: Explore and appreciate the garden / General maintenance of garden space
*Art Project: Create a Garden Art Box
*Food Democracy: What is organically grown food?
*Materials: empty shoe boxes / clear contact paper (or clear tape) / small plastic containers (i.e. butter
tubs, yogurt cups with lids, etc. / basic art supplies for each box (pencil, small notebook, crayons,
markers, etc. depending on availability) / glue / plant catalogs or paper for drawing / safety scissors (for
younger kids, cut out images beforehand) / large plastic storage bin with lid for storing art boxes in the
garden (optional)
FLOWER POWER
*Garden Project: Life cycle of a flower / Flower dissection
*Art Project: Parts of a Flower / Flower Art
*Food Democracy: The Importance of Seed Saving
*Materials: paper / flowers from the garden / markers, pencils, crayons / recycling materials for crafts
/ glue
After completing this set of activities, GCC Global Garden Club members have learned enough about
gardening to be responsible for their own container to garden in. It could be fun to create a party or
graduation ceremony to reward gardeners and review everything they have done and learned through
the last several weeks. “Unit 2” will keep container gardeners in mind by teaching techniques and
providing tools and materials for each gardener to grow and tend to a planter each week.
SEED SUPER SLEUTHS
*Materials: a variety of seeds / paper towel / plastic sandwich bags / magnifying glasses / paper /
pencils / markers, colored pencils, crayons
*Garden Project: Will the seeds sprout?
Set seeds in a wet paper towel & a plastic sandwich bag to be placed in the sun – by next week, what
do you think will happen to the seeds?
*Art Project: Investigate & Report – What do the seeds look like?
Analyze seeds under a magnifying glass / compare and contrast different kinds of seeds / draw the
seeds greatly magnified noting the shapes and designs
*Food Democracy: What are genetically modified organisms & seeds?
What are Genetically Modified Organisms?
(information below originally published at: http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/)
“GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals that have been genetically
engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental
combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.
Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to
produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the
market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.
Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage
and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.
Are GMOs safe?
Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries around the
world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant
restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has
approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit
from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt
out of the GMO experiment.
How common are GMOs?
In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food.”
(Seed Super Sleuths: page 1/2)
A list of products verified as non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project:
http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/
*Add on Activities
- Seed collages
- Seed report / journal writing / story writing using imagination
Activity Adapted from:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/article/private-eye-seed-sleuths
Additional Food Democracy research:
GMO-Science Takes a Blow as Studies Are Retracted
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/11/retracted-gmo-studies.aspx
Is Monsanto Using 4-H to Brainwash Your Children About GMOs?
http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/blog/2013/dec/31/
is_Monsanto_using_4_H_2_Brainwash_your_Children/
(Seed Super Sleuths: page 2/2)
SUPER HERO GARDEN
*Materials: graph paper or blank paper / pencils, colored pencils, crayons / seed and plant catalogs,
gardening books, old garden magazines, etc.
*Garden Project: What is a garden?
− created by people / imitate a natural setting
− plants / ponds / stepping stones / birdbaths and feeders / trellises and arbors / sculptures / statues
− gardens can be any size / container garden in one pot or hundreds of acres
− garden design = who will use the garden & how they will use the garden
− Super-hero powers mean protection! How can you help protect the plants in your garden?
− weed pulling for kids who want to get their hands dirty / planting of seed sprouts
*Art Project: Design a garden for your favorite super-hero! / Name super-hero or book character
and list things they might want in garden = a client analysis
− look through magazines and books for ideas
− draw from a front view or aerial view / encourage in addition to plants pathways, water features,
seating, compost bins, sheds, fences, etc.
(Super Hero Garden: page 1/2)
*Food Democracy: What is food sovereignty?
Food sovereignty is a concept that supports people having a right to make decisions about their food
and how to grow it. Food democracy goes beyond making sure everyone has the right to have enough
food to survive – food sovereignty also deals with the powerful relationship between people and the
land as well as between farmers and companies who provide food and those who consume it.
Activity Adapted from:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/activity/heros-garden
Food Democracy Research:
US Food Sovereignty Alliance
http://usfoodsovereigntyalliance.org/what-is-food-sovereignty/
UN Report Calls for Radical, Democratic Food System
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/03/10-7
for gardeners 13+ who would like to learn more about the global food sovereignty movement:
International Peasant's Movement
http://viacampesina.org/en/
(Super Hero Garden: page 2/2)
INTRODUCTION TO WATER CONSERVATION
*Materials: cotton balls / shallow pans or bowls / cold water / cardstock or cardboard for art project /
glue / markers, pencils, crayons
*Garden Project: What is the Water Cycle? / What is Water Conservation?
(information below originally published at: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html)
“Earth's water is always in movement, and the natural water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle,
describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Water is
always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of
an eye and over millions of years.”
What is Water Conservation?
Water conservation is anything done to help decrease water use and water waste. There is only a certain
amount of water on earth – an even smaller amount makes up our freshwater. Did you know that only
3% of the water on earth is freshwater? Because of the limited supply of freshwater and clean water
that can be used to drink and grow our food, we must be careful about the way we use water. Other
than water waste, pollutants decrease the quality of the water and make it poisonous to drink which
makes less water available for everyone to use. It is very important to use techniques when planning a
garden or doing any type of landscaping to help conserve water.
(Introduction to Water Conservation: page 1/2)
Let's brainstorm 3 ways we can help conserve water in the garden: mulch / collect rainwater / do
not water when it is windy / water early in the morning to avoid evaporation from the hot afternoon sun
*Art Project: Cotton Ball Clouds
Part One – Making Clouds!
1) Give each gardener a dry cotton ball. Tell them to pretend the cotton ball is actually a cloud. Ask
them how it feels (is it warm or cold? light or heavy? Soft or hard?)
2) Ask each gardener to hold their cloud lightly over the cold water (representing water vapor) and
place the cloud gently into the pan. Explain that the water that is now in the cloud is the water vapor
that has evaporated from the earth into the sky through the water cycle. Point out that the water is cold
because it is much colder high in the sky. Ask each gardener if they can see their “cloud” filling up
with water from the cold water vapor.
3) Ask the gardeners to pick up the cloud from the pan & ask them to share their observations about the
clouds (are they light or heavy? are the clouds warm or cold?) Ask them to observe what is happening
with the water now – why is it dripping out of the cloud? When the water that has been evaporated
becomes too heavy, it spills out of the cloud in the form of rain. Where does the water go? The water
returns back to the pan and the pan can represent any body of water like a river, lake, pond or stream.
Part Two – Making Cloud Art Ask gardeners to glue cotton ball clouds onto a page and show what
they have learned about the water cycle using pencils, crayons and markers to help.
*Food Democracy: How do pesticides harm the water?
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill or control pests. Pesticides being used on soil often affect the
water supply due to the chemicals seeping into the groundwater. Groundwater is used for more than
50% of the U.S. water needs, and is used for 95% of all water needs in agricultural areas.
Common pesticides include insecticides (insects), fungicides (fungi), herbicides (weeds) and others.
The effects of pesticides on organisms at the ecological level give us an idea of how these pesticides
could affect humans over time. Some of the effects pesticides have been found to have on organisms
include cancer, cellular and DNA damage, poor health, reproductive failure, immune system
suppression and even death.
Activity Adapted from:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/13187
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/science/drippy.htm
Additional Water Cycle Research:
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclefreshstorage.html
Food Democracy Research:
Pesticides in Groundwater
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/pesticidesgw.html
Pesticides as Water Pollutants
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w2598e/w2598e07.htm
Pesticides in Drinking Water
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/drinkingwater.pdf
(Introduction to Water Conservation: page 2/2)
GARDEN ART BOX
*Materials: empty shoe boxes / clear contact paper (or clear tape) / small plastic containers (i.e. butter
tubs, yogurt cups with lids, etc. / basic art supplies for each box (pencil, small notebook, crayons,
markers, etc. depending on availability) / glue / plant catalogs or paper for drawing / safety scissors (for
younger kids, cut out images beforehand) / large plastic storage bin with lid for storing art boxes in the
garden (optional)
*Garden Project: Transplanting & tending to seed sprouts / Explore and appreciate the garden /
General maintenance of garden space /
*Art Project: Create a garden box
1) Create a garden art box by attaching images onto the boxes and securing the outside with a clear
coating for a little protection. Kids can cut out images from gardening magazines or seed catalogs or
they can draw new pictures to use for their boxes.
2) Fill the boxes with enough supplies to record observations in a small notebook. The notebook can
be made from one sided paper or mismatched paper that is recycled to show one way to re-purpose
materials – simply cut the paper in half and staple. Put a small plastic container in the box that can be
used to collect dry leaves, stones or other specimens to draw or use to collect items to make a collage
for a future project.
3) Ask each gardener to take their box and find a quiet place with an interesting plant to draw. Remind
them that being still and quiet allows them to observe creatures and gather information about the plants
they might not notice when they are busy moving around. Using the box top as a small desk, each
gardener can use their notebook and art supplies to record what they observe in the garden.
*Food Democracy: What is organically grown food?
Organically grown food is food that has been grown without using chemical pesticides or synthetic
fertilizers. Organically grown food can use natural pesticides (like nematodes and chili pepper powder)
to deter pests and natural fertilizers (like worm castings, compost from food scraps and chicken poop)
to help grow healthy plants. Many grocery stores sell organic produce to consumers, but it costs more
than produce grown with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Organic food ensures people have less exposure to toxic pesticides.
Activity Adapted from:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/activity/make-garden-art-box
(Garden Art Box: page 1/2)
Food Democracy Research:
Pesticides and Food: What "Organically Grown" Means
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/organics.htm
Study Links Eating Organic to Lowered Pesticide Levels in Children's Bodies
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/120702_organic.cfm
Organic Foods More Nutritious Than Conventional Foods
http://organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8470.cfm
Historic Pivot Point for Food Democracy
http://www.learngrowconnect.org/blog/historic-pivot-point-food-democracy
(Garden Art Box: page 2/2)
FLOWER POWER
*Materials: paper / flowers from the garden / markers, pencils, crayons / recycling materials for crafts
/ glue
*Garden Project: Life cycle of a flower / Flower dissection
1) Study the life cycle of a plant / flower. Find examples of each stage happening in the garden.
2) Collect flowers for each gardener to take apart and analyze. Explain each part of the flower and what
it does. Talk about why different flowers are shaped, colored and flavored in different ways
(pollination, seed spreading, etc.)
(Flower Power: page 1/3)
*Art Project: Parts of a Flower / Flower Art
1) Invite each gardener to create a sketch of the flower they dissected. Encourage older gardeners label
the parts of each flower drawn.
2) After gardeners have explored the parts of a flower through art, encourage them to express what they
learned about the life cycle of a plant through art as well.
3) Provide a box of arts & crafts materials (recycled plastic, cardboard, foam, paper, foil, cloth, etc.)
for gardeners to create their own flowers. There are no rules, but encourage them to keep the parts of
flowers they just learned in mind while creating their art.
*Food Democracy: Seed Sovereignty - The Importance of Seed Saving
When gardeners and farmers save seeds from their crops, they can create a food source for their local
community that is not directly tied to money or a corporation. Right now, a powerful corporation
(Monsanto) is taking farmers to court and asking them to pay the corporation money when they save
their seeds after pollen from seeds sold by their company blow into the farmer's crops with the wind.
This corporation also sues farmers who buy the company's seeds, plant them and then save the seeds
produced from the plants.
Garden Project Research:
Life Cycle of a Flower
http://theseedsite.co.uk/lifecycle.html
Parts of a Flower
http://www.teachthis.com/
(Flower Power: page 2/3)
Food Democracy Research:
The seed emergency: The threat to food and democracy http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/
2012/02/201224152439941847.htmlthreat to food and democracy
Bitter Seeds – award winning documentary film about Monsanto & the Indian cotton seed market
http://www.itvs.org/films/bitter-seeds
Food Co-ops, Food Hubs, and Food Democracy
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-02-26/food-co-ops-food-hubs-and-food-democracy
Vandana Shiva: Create Food Democracy, Occupy our Food Supply
http://understory.ran.org/2012/02/27/create-food-democracy-occupy-our-food-supply/
(Flower Power: page 3/3)
GCC Kids Global Garden Clubs
Daily Club Guide – Unit 1
ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITIES & MATERIALS
SEED SUPER SLEUTHS
Seeing Seeds Coloring Worksheet (fruits cut in half showing examples of seeds inside)
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/23/14023.pdf
“I planted seeds” Printing & Coloring Worksheet
http://twistynoodle.com/i-planted-seeds-worksheet/
“I planted seeds” Cursive & Coloring Worksheet
http://twistynoodle.com/i-planted-seeds-worksheet/cursive_outline/
“What kind of seeds are you planting?” Worksheet (design your seed packet & draw your plant)
http://paperandthepea.com/printable/seeds.pdf
Seed Sprouting Diagram Worksheet
http://www.kidzone.ws/science/as-seed2.htm
Seed Story Worksheet (write a story to go with the pictures)
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/seedstory3121.pdf
SUPER HERO GARDEN
Vegetable Word Search
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/sites/default/files/patients_and_families/images/
vegetable_word_search.PNG
Missing Vegetable Vowels Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/missingvegetablevowels3122.pdf
Mixed Up Fruit Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/mixedupfruit.pdf
My Animal Book (8 page coloring and workbook)
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/myanimalbook2.pdf
Animal Families Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/animalfamilies.pdf
Healthy Snacks Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/healthysnacks3177.pdf
Health Foods Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/healthyfoods.pdf
INTRODUCTION TO WATER CONSERVATION
Water Cycle Computer Animation – animated water cycle
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html
Water Cycle Diagram
http://learningtogive.org/_uploads/Image/370_2_2.jpg
Water Cycle Vocabulary Word Search
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Water-Cycle-Vocabulary-Word-Search-224505
Pollution Crossword Puzzle
http://www.eslprintables.com/printable.asp?id=566852#thetop
Water Crossword Puzzle
http://www.eslprintables.com/printable.asp?id=592663#thetop
GARDEN ART BOX
Insect Coloring Pages
http://twistynoodle.com/coloring-pages/animals/bugs-and-insects/
Garden with Grasshopper Coloring Page
http://baroquedx.com/garden-coloring-page/garden-coloring-page/
Tulip Garden Coloring Page
http://cenul.com/plants/flowers/spring-garden-coloring-pages/attachment/beautiful-tulip-garden/
Dragonfly Color by Number & Printing Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/dragonfly3176.pdf
Insects Word Search
http://www.tlsbooks.com/insectswordsearch.pdf
Monarch Butterfly Labeling Activity
http://www.tlsbooks.com/monarchbutterfly.pdf
FLOWER POWER
Parts of a Flower
http://worksheetplace.com/mf/Parts-Of-A-Flower-Labelled.pdf
Flower Garden Coloring Page
http://www.docoloringpages.com/flower-garden-coloring-pages-printable/flower-garden-coloringpages-printable/
Sunflowers Acrostic Poem Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/acrosticpoemsunflowers.pdf
Flower Connect the Dots (1 - 52)
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/pictures/connectthedots/flowerprintable.html
“How many petals?” coloring and printing worksheet
http://twistynoodle.com/how-many-petals-worksheet/
Math Mystery Multiplication
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/math/mul/multipuzzl/addmulpuz5.pdf
Additional Worksheets:
Plant & Animal ABC Coloring Packet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/plantandanimalcoloringpacket.pdf
Secret Message Worksheet (Solar Energy)
http://www.tlsbooks.com/secretmessage1.pdf
The Sun Helps Things Grow Worksheet
http://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/sunhelpsthingsgrow.pdf
GCC Kids Global Garden Clubs Daily Club Guide images:
morgueFile.com – free photo archive by creatives for creatives