ISHS Acta Horticulturae 672: IV International Symposium on Horticultural Education, Extension and Training
CULTIVATING YOUNG MINDS: USING A PLANT SCIENCE WORKBOOK TO INTEREST GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HORTICULTURE AS A CAREER |
| Authors: | E. Lamb, A. Neal |
| Keywords: | K-12 curriculum |
| Abstract:
Recruitment activities for colleges and universities commonly focus on high school and community college students who may lack knowledge of the field and potential careers. Early exposure to hands-on activities in Plant Science during grades K-12 can encourage students to explore Horticulture as an educational and career option. However, as it is difficult for college staff to provide these experiences, it falls upon grade-school teachers to integrate Plant Science into the curriculum. A needs assessment survey of all 3rd-5th grade teachers in St. Lucie County, Florida, indicated that 75% of respondents already included Plant Science materials in their science, math, social studies and language arts curricula, but there was a strong (80%) perceived need for additional activities and information. Eighty-five percent indicated a lack of basic experimentation skills or background resources as limiting their ability to introduce Plant Science concepts to their classes. Therefore, a workbook of Plant Science based activities was devised to aid grade-school teachers in integrating Plant Science and Horticulture into their classrooms. The objective of this paper is to discuss how a Plant Science workbook can be developed, demonstrate the workbook devised for the Florida school system and propose its use to encourage interest by students in Horticulture as a career. | |
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