Math & Science Learning in a School Garden

When used as outdoor classrooms, school gardens are uniquely suited for developing the critical thinking

skills and foundations of understanding necessary for math and science learning. Through sensory

observations and inquiry-driven methods, math and science come alive in the outdoors. As a result,

children develop content knowledge and learning strategies for the long-term, helping them achieve far

more than just passing scores on standardized tests. When teachers have the skills and resources to

utilize the outdoors as a learning tool, a new generation of scientists, innovators, and environmental

stewards takes root.

Measurement

▪ Students have a reason to measure depth and distance when planting

seeds and thinning out seedlings.

▪ Area, perimeter, and volume have real meaning when students

distinguish between the three to determine the proper amount of

fertilizer to apply to a raised bed.

Mathematical Operations

▪ Younger students develop a better understanding of basic math skills as

they tally insects they find and learn to organize garden-based data in

simple graphs.

▪ Students estimate a plant’s seed production by using pattern recognition,

multiplication, and averaging skills when examining various seed pods.

Geometry

▪ The outdoors is an ideal place for students to identify numerous

examples and variations of shapes, three-dimensional solids, and angles.

▪ In the outdoors, examples of symmetry abound, and students can explore

how nature uses this tool to create balance and strength.

Physical Science

▪ Outdoor classrooms provide opportunities to observe light, heat,

mechanical, and other forms of energy at work. Solar-powered

pond pumps, for example, bring the “why” and “how” of

alternative energy to life.

▪ When students pull weeds with just their hands, they experience

how difficult it is to get those roots. When they use the help of a

wedge and a lever in the form of a hand trowel, they learn how

simple machines make work easier.

Earth Science

▪ Through explorations of erosion in the schoolyard, students begin

to see where it occurs and why, allowing them to better understand

erosion, weathering, and landforms on a much larger scale.

▪ Children explore differences in shape, color, texture, and size when

they study the properties of rocks and various types of soil—sand,

clay, and loam—right outside their classroom doors.

Life Science

▪ Students familiar with the plants and animals in their outdoor

classroom learn about the adaptations—such as the thorns on a rose

bush or camouflage of a caterpillar—that help those species to

survive.

▪ Students get real experience with the life cycles of plants and

animals when they discover a chrysalis on their fence post or watch a

plant grow from seed.

▪ The many living systems in a school garden allow students to explore

ecological relationships such as competition between weeds and

vegetables or links between species in a food chain. The more

familiar students become with their outdoor classroom, the more

connections they see between the plants, insects, and animals that

live there.