Science – Page 2 – Island Grown Schools

Curriculum Toolkit
Over the years, we have honed in on priority curricular units for every grade level, preschool through 12th grade, that build on each other and provide a meaningful food education for the students we work with.
This Toolkit is the compilation of these units, along with their related teaching standards and sequence. We are constantly adding to this site, so please check in again soon for updates.

We designed this curriculum framework to help our students grasp the following key concepts by the time they graduate from High School:

Feel confident in making healthy food choices

Appreciate the farming profession

Know that everyone can grow food

Understand the connection between healthy soil, healthy plants and healthy people

Recognize a regenerative, local food system is inclusive and promotes a healthy ecosystem.

Tapping A Maple Tree

OBJECTIVE Students will tap a maple tree with adult support Students will be able to identify how many taps to place on a maple tree by measuring its circumference Students will estimate when the sap will run based on weather temperatures ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What food comes from trees? How do you make maple syrup? MATERIALS […]

Grade levels 3-5

Core curriculum subjects Science

Island Grown Schools topics Farms

Maple Sugaring Introduction

OBJECTIVE Students will know we get maple syrup from maple trees Students will be able to identify red maples, Norway maples and sugar maples ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What food comes from trees? How do you make maple syrup? MATERIALS PROCEDURE Introduction: Ask students, “What do you like to eat with maple syrup?” Then ask, “Do you […]

Grade levels 3-5

Core curriculum subjects Science

Island Grown Schools topics Farms

Making Sunflower Seed Butter

OBJECTIVE Students will be able to cook a nutritious snack with adult help Students will be able to taste sunflower seeds and sunflower seed butter Students will be able to chop vegetables or fruit safely ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What seeds do we eat? What is the sunflowers lifecycle? Why do plants have seeds? Why do we […]

Grade levels Prek-2

Core curriculum subjects Science

Island Grown Schools topics Gardens, Seeds

Milkweed Seed Saving

OBJECTIVE Students will observe monarch caterpillars eating milkweed in the read aloud Students will understand milkweed seeds will grow and turn into food for monarch caterpillars Students will notice how milkweed uses wind to travel ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS MATERIALS PROCEDURE Introduction: Ask students if anyone has made a wish on a dandelion before? Show them a […]

Grade levels Prek-2

Core curriculum subjects Science

Island Grown Schools topics Gardens, Seeds

Growing Microgreens

OBJECTIVE Students will be able identify what plants need to grow Students will grow Microgreens ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What do plants need to grow? What kind of farms are there? What plants do we eat? MATERIALS PROCEDURE Introduction: Each group will be able to plant their microgreens in the place that they think will grow the […]

Grade levels 3-5, 6-8

Core curriculum subjects Science

Island Grown Schools topics Food & People, Healthy Eating

Pest and Pollinator Game

OBJECTIVE Students will be able to name common garden pests Students will be able to name common pollinators Students will be able to name characteristics of insects ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why is it beneficial to have pollinators in a garden/on a farm? How can the practices a farmer uses help or hurt insects on their farm? […]

Grade levels 3-5, Prek-2

Core curriculum subjects Health & Wellness, Science

Island Grown Schools topics Farms, Gardens

Curriculum Toolkit

Tapping A Maple Tree

Maple Sugaring Introduction

Making Sunflower Seed Butter

Milkweed Seed Saving

Growing Microgreens

Pest and Pollinator Game