Teacher Workshops
Teachers are required to attend one four-hour workshop. Workshops are typically held at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City, but can be held closer to your school if you are in central or southern Utah. The workshop is free, but registration is required. Principals and District Science Coordinators are invited to attend. Please call Sara Sorensen at (801) 581-7230 or email education@redbutte.utah.edu to reserve a spot.
1st Grade Lesson Plans and Materials
This eight-lesson curriculum is designed to teach segments of Utah’s new integrated core curriculum in science, language art, math, and visual arts. Activities are for inquiry based, hands-on teaching and learning.
The curriculum is given to the teachers at the teacher workshop. Every teacher who attends the workshop and arranges for a classroom visit will receive all the supplies and materials needed to teach the lessons the first year. Most of the original materials can be used year after year.
A Red Butte Garden staff member comes to your classroom, teaches the first lesson on seed structure and germination, and plants the Wisconsin Fast Plant seeds with the students. The lesson is 90 minutes long.
Teacher Commitment
Teachers should be ready to have fun! Students love studying the plant that they have grown from seed, and this program makes it easy! Teachers are required to attend the workshop, assist the Red Butte Garden staff member during the classroom visit, complete the lesson plan, and continue to use the Grow Lab year after year. Because the lesson plans are designed around the growth cycle of the Wisconsin Fast Plants, the lessons must be completed in sequential order within the 40-day time period. Teachers are also required to complete a program evaluation after their first year.
To get this program started in your classroom or to give us feedback about the program, please contact, Sara Sorensen, the School Programs Manager at 801-581-7230 or e-mail education@redbutte.utah.edu.
