Our Garden Story! - Teacher Script

Warm-Up: Garden Guess (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, second graders! Let's get our minds thinking about something wonderful today: gardens! Take a look at the slide/handout for our 'Garden Guess' warm-up. I want you to think about these two questions: First, what kinds of things do you usually see growing in a garden? And second, what do plants need to grow big and strong?"

(Allow students about 2-3 minutes to think or jot down ideas. Then invite a few students to share their answers.)

Teacher: "Great ideas! We've heard about flowers, vegetables, fruits, and that plants need sun, water, and good soil. You're already expert gardeners! Today, we're going to read a story about a very special garden, and learn about how we can help things grow, not just in a garden, but in our classroom too."

Read-Aloud & Introduction: "In Our Garden" (10 minutes)

Teacher: (Transition to the 'Today's Story: In Our Garden' slide) "The book we're going to read today is called 'In Our Garden' by Pat Zietlow Miller. As I read, I want you to pay close attention to what the different characters do in the garden. How do they work together? What do they wait for?"

(Begin reading the book. Pause at key moments to ask questions, such as:)

• "What is this character doing to help the garden?"
• "How do you think they feel waiting for the seeds to sprout?"
• "What might happen if no one helped water the plants?"

(Continue reading, engaging students with the story and its illustrations.)

Discussion: Growing Together (7 minutes)

Teacher: (After finishing the book, transition to the 'Growing Together: Our Discussion' slide) "What a wonderful story about a garden! Now, let's chat about what we learned. Look at our discussion questions on the slide.

"First, what did the people in the story do to help the garden grow? Think about all the different jobs they had." (Encourage students to identify actions like planting, watering, weeding, sharing tools. Guide them to use the word 'cooperation'.)

Teacher: "Excellent! They showed a lot of cooperation, meaning they worked together. Now, a garden doesn't grow overnight, does it? What does it mean to be patient when you're waiting for something to grow?" (Discuss waiting, understanding that things take time, not giving up. Connect to the word 'patience'.)

Teacher: "That's right! Patience is a super important part of gardening. We have to wait for the seeds to sprout and the plants to grow. How do you think these ideas – cooperation and patience – can help our classroom 'garden' grow stronger? What does our classroom community need to grow and thrive, just like a garden?" (Connect cooperation to helping classmates, sharing, working on group projects. Connect patience to waiting turns, understanding when someone needs help, learning new things.)

Teacher: "You've got it! Just like a garden needs everyone to help and time to grow, our classroom community thrives when we cooperate and are patient with each other."

Activity: My Cooperation Garden (5 minutes)

Teacher: (Transition to the 'Activity: My Cooperation Garden' slide) "Now it's your turn to design your very own 'Cooperation Garden' for our class! I'm going to give each of you a My Cooperation Garden Worksheet. On this sheet, I want you to first draw what you would plant in our class garden. It could be anything! Then, I want you to write one or two sentences about how you would cooperate with your classmates to make your garden grow big and strong."

(Distribute worksheets and drawing supplies. Circulate around the room, offering support and encouraging creative ideas. Prompt students to think about specific cooperative actions.)

Teacher: "Remember to think about what we discussed: helping each other, sharing, and being patient as things grow."

Cool-Down: Garden Growth (3 minutes)

Teacher: (After 5 minutes, or when most students have had time to draw and write) "Alright everyone, let's bring our attention back up here for our cool-down. Take a look at your Garden Growth Cool-Down sheet.

"Think about these two questions: First, what is one way you can be a patient 'gardener' in our classroom today or tomorrow? And second, what is one way you can cooperate to help our classroom 'garden' grow?"

(Allow students a minute or two to write their answers. Then invite a few students to share.)

Teacher: "Wonderful ideas! Remember, just like a garden needs our care and teamwork to grow, our classroom community needs our cooperation and patience to be the best it can be. Great job today, everyone!"

Garden Guess!

Name: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Let's get ready to think about gardens!

1. What kinds of plants or things do you usually see growing in a garden?
   
   
   
   

2. What do you think plants need to grow big and strong?
   
   
   
   

My Cooperation Garden!

Your Mission: Imagine our classroom is going to start its very own garden! What would you plant, and how would you help it grow by working together?

Instructions:

1. Draw: On your worksheet, draw a picture of one or two things you would plant in our class garden.
2. Write: Below your drawing, write 1-2 sentences explaining how you would cooperate with your classmates to make our garden grow big and strong.

Remember:

• Cooperation means working together and helping each other.
• Patience means waiting calmly for things to happen (like seeds sprouting!).

(Refer to the My Cooperation Garden Worksheet for where to draw and write.)

Think about these questions while you work:

• How can sharing tools show cooperation?
• Why is it important to listen to others' ideas for the garden?
• What if someone wants to plant something different than you? How can you cooperate?

My Cooperation Garden Worksheet

Name: ________________________

Date: ________________________

My Class Garden Design!

Instructions: Draw what you would plant in our class garden below. Then, write about how you would cooperate with your classmates to make our garden grow!

How I Will Cooperate:

(Write 1-2 sentences about how you will work with your classmates)

My Cooperation Garden Answer Key

This activity is designed to be open-ended, allowing for student creativity and personal reflection on cooperation. Therefore, there are no single

Garden Growth Cool-Down

Name: ________________________

Date: ________________________

1. What is one way you can be a patient 'gardener' in our classroom today or tomorrow?
   
   
   
   

2. What is one way you can cooperate to help our classroom 'garden' grow?