School Garden
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Approach: One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Requirements for successful gardens
Resources: Picture
452Kb
Questions/instructions:  


Hand student picture.

Here is a picture of a school garden that
was made by teachers and children.

Click on graphic to enlarge.
 
% responses
y4
y8
1. Why do you think the teachers and children made this garden at their school?
not marked
•
•
The garden is growing very well.
2. What might the teachers and children have done to get the plants in their garden to grow so well?
    
 
obtain good seeds/plants
1
1
use good soil (incl. worms)
9
20
add compost, fertiliser, etc.
9
32
water regularly and appropriately
71
87
remove weeds or prevent/ suppress weed growth
3
12
position and structure (sun, wind protected, stakes for plants)
34
44
Plants in gardens often have to be protected from pests and disease.

3. What garden pests and disease can cause damage to plants?
4. What could the teachers and children do to protect their plants against pests and disease?		    
Walking animals on ground:
(rabbits, possums, etc.)
mentioned, with appropriate protection ideas
6
8
mentioned
16
16
not mentioned
78
76
Slugs, snails, etc:
mentioned, with appropriate protection ideas
14
26
mentioned
29
38
not mentioned
57
36
Birds:
mentioned, with appropriate protection ideas
5
10
mentioned
9
12
not mentioned
86
78
Other flying creatures:
(moths, butterflies, aphids etc.)
mentioned, with appropriate protection ideas
6
10
mentioned
19
29
not mentioned
75
61
Diseases:
(e.g. blights, funguses, mildew, rotting)
mentioned, with appropriate protection ideas
0
1
mentioned
1
3
not mentioned
99
96
Overall rating for pests, diseases, protection:
very good/excellent
0
4
good
10
20
moderate/weak
52
64
no idea
38
12
5. Why do you think this school garden has been built up from the ground?
  
  To make it easier to look
after and protect:
(e.g. people running through
the garden)
both
1
3
easier to look after
3
5
protection
28
47
no idea
68
45
to provide greater depth of soil
5
9
to improve drainage
1
2
6. Do you have a garden at home?
 
yes, specifically child’s
3
3
yes
81
75
no
16
22

Total score:
9–22
3
13
7–8
8
23
5–6
26
36
3–4
31
20
0–2
32
8
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
Despite most students indicating that there was a garden at their home, the requirements for successful gardens were not well understood by most students. Pasifika students had particularly low scores at both year levels.