Abstract
Requests from local agribusinesses and teachers led to the development, in 1998, of a 4H Gardening Program in St. Lucie County with a 4H Gardening Workbook provided to participants. Since then, teachers have expressed a need for additional information to make the connection between outside activities in the gardens and classroom activities required by the Sunshine State Standards for student achievement. The objective of this project is the creation of an educational workbook for grades 3-5 that will provide plant science activities that reflect the Sunshine State Standards in Science, Language Arts, Mathematics and Social Studies. The intent is that the workbook will be useful whether or not the classes are involved in the 4H Gardening Program. Teachers of grades 3-5 in St. Lucie County were surveyed regarding their interest in the project and their information needs. Selected teachers evaluated a sample chapter to assess the organization of the workbook, learning objectives, student competency questions, supporting information, and activities.
