Curriculum Work
Lesson Plan #1
Goals:
* To give the children a better understanding of Calendula and for healing with the herb.
*Teach the children about respectful harvesting techniques: 1. Ask an adult, 2. make sure there is plenty to harvest, 3. Ask the plant, if it says yes harvest it. If it says no move on, 4. Thank it whether you harvest it or not.
*to learn how to plant garlic (the children and Amy and myself)
Steps:
- As a group talk about Calendula, find out what the children know about it.
- Read the Calendula story out of “A kid’s herb book” by Lesley Tierra.
- Split into two groups, one will go plant garlic and the other will harvest Calendula, then switch.
- Come all together to make Calendula cookies.
Garlic Steps:
- Peal garlic cloves
- Set up rows in the beds
- Mark every 5-6 inches, where garlic goes
- Plant! 1 inch into earth
Calendula Steps:
- Talk about respectful harvesting
- Show them how to pinch off the heads of the flowers
- Each child collects 5-6 flower heads
Cookies:
- Wash the flowers and hands
- Ingredients and supplies will already be set up
- Follow cookie recipe on the board from the book “The Green Guide to Herb Gardening” by Deborah c. Harding.
Calendula Cookies
Ingredients:
* 6-8 fresh Calendula blossoms
* ¾ cup butter, room temperature
* ½ cup sugar
* Grated rind of 2 oranges
* 2 tablespoons orange juice, room temperature
(from the graded oranges)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 cups flour
* 2½ teaspoons baking powder
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* Almond halves
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Rinse flowers and pull off all the petals, set aside. In a bowl, cream butter, sugar, and orange rind until fluffy. Add in orange juice and vanilla. Stir in eggs until well blended. In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt, add flowers and mix into creamed mixture. Grease cookie sheets and drop dough by the teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Add almond half to the top of each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, let cool. Makes 3-4 dozen.
- Let cookies bake and cool
- Eat! Talk about what the children learned
Lesson Plan#2
Amy Pille and Nikki Mohabir
11.09.05
Lincoln Elementry
Michi Thackers 4th grade class
Fennel and Calendula Candy
Before class:
1. Get Michi’s approoval and feedback.
2. Reserve Activity Room.
3. Check on fennel and calendula bounty in the garden.
4. Gather supplies: wax paper, sugar, extra fennel,
toothpicks.
5. Set up kitchen area
Step One: Harvet Fennel
1. Bring first group of kids to the garden.
2. Introduce fennel.
3. Discuss/practice ethical and safe harvesting.
a. Ask adult for positive ID first.
b.Look to see if there are enough plants.
c. Ask the plant for harvest.
d. If yes, harvest gently. If no, wait for a better
time, or choose a different plant.
e. Thank the plant.
4. Bring group back to classroom.
Step Two: Harvest Calendula
1. Bring second group of kids to the garden.
2. Introduce fennel.
3. Discuss/practice ethical and safe harvesting.
a. Ask adult for positive ID first.
b.Look to see if there are enough plants.
c. Ask the plant for harvest.
d. If yes, harvest gently. If no, wait for a better
time, or choose a different plant.
e. Thank the plant.
4. Bring group back to classroom.
Step Three: Prep. and Mixing
1. Bring third group to kitchen.
2. Prepare Calendula syrup: 1/2c. water, 2/3c. sugar,
boil for 10 mins.
3. Prepare fennel candy mixture: 1tbs. seeds, 1ts
suger, 1/4 ts. water
Heat until sugar dissolves and coates
seeds.
4.Bring group to classroom.
Step Four: Finish Candying
1. Bring 4th group to kitchen.
2. Dip flowers in flower syrup and set on wax paper to
dry. Straighten with toothpick.
3. Pour fennel syrup into bowl, add 2tsp. fennel and
2tsp sugar; mix and let cool.
4. Clean up.
5. Bring 4th group back to classroom.
Step Five: Eat!
1. Amy and Nikki bring cooled treats to classroom.
2. Eat!
3. Read a fennel/calendula story.
