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Native Hawaiian Plants & Pacific Voyaging

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Native Hawaiian Plants & Pacific Voyaging

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Follow the Hawaiian voyaging canoes that are traveling around the world to find the commonalities of indigenous people.
https://hokulea.com/moananuiakea/

Teacher resources are great:
https://waahonua.com/content-library/

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https://agclassroom.org/matrix/

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The National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix provides K-12 educators with relevant standards-based instructional resources. The lesson plans and companion resources use agriculture as a context for science, social studies, and nutrition education content. Search by keyword or use the Advanced Search console. Let us know if you have an idea you'd like to share for a new lesson plan or companion resource.

Want to keep track of your favorite resources? It's simple, create a personal binder - MyBinder! You will also receive monthly updates about what's new in the Matrix.

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Debra Spielmaker, Administrator and Yasuko Mitsuoka Grow, Designer

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The National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix provides K-12 educators with relevant standards-based instructional resources. The lesson plans and companion resources use agriculture as a context for science, social studies, and nutrition education content. Search by keyword or use the Advanced Search console.

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https://humanlibrary.org/

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Unjudge someone - The Human Library Organization

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The Human Library® is, a library of people. We host events where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations.

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https://rentmasonbees.com/

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LEAFCUTTER BEE

Leafcutter bees are found across North America and are used around the world for alfalfa pollination. Honey bees do not efficiently pollinate alfalfa due to a spring-loaded pistil mechanism found in the alfalfa flower, which they avoid. The small leafcutter bee effectively pollinates by "tripping" the pistil and is therefore responsible for creating a majority of the food for pigs and dairy cows. They are an equally gentle generalist bee that will visit a majority of types of flowers in your backyard during their flying months of July and August including your flowering vegetable garden. As their name suggests, leafcutter bees use leaf pieces, which they cut using their mouthparts, to construct their nests.

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LEAFCUTTER BEE Leafcutter bees are found across North America and are used around the world for alfalfa pollination. Honey bees do not efficiently pollinate alfalfa due to a spring-loaded pistil mechanism found in the alfalfa flower, which they avoid.

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Painted prompts/ signs for tools to gain independence

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Painted prompts/ signs for tools to gain independence

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I think having a scaffold for success is always a good idea, especially when working outside. For example, when looking at a worm, students can choose to look only, touch it, or hold it 

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I think having a scaffold for success is always a good idea, especially when working outside. For example, when looking at a worm, students can choose to look only, touch it, or hold it 

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Food memory lesson
Kitchen tool exploration
What is organic lesson
Provide more opportunities for movement

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Try to have culturally inclusive equipment and utensils

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The Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi.

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I speak about food in a very inclusive way and always model how students can express their thoughts on a dish.

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making art in the garden from garden materials- soil paint, plant dye- also nature journaling, drawing from nature

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making art in the garden from garden materials- soil paint, plant dye- also nature journaling, drawing from nature

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https://biggreen.org/

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Growing food improves nutrition security and mental health, increases time spent outdoors, and cultivates a deeper appreciation for our collective impact on the climate.

Special Projects and Experiments

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Growing food improves nutrition security and mental health, increases time spent outdoors, and cultivates a deeper appreciation for our collective impact on the climate. Special Projects and Experiments

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Opportunity for creativity and choice in that creativity have generally resulted in student engagement

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praying together. repeating after the teacher.

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I had the children make garden and welcome signs that we have placed all along the fence that surrounds the garden.

I also just put up signs in our garden showing where the different foods come from - E Asia, Africa, n America, Europe, s Asia, etc. We do multicultural cooking classes as well.

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made cards with different plant images on them - a  spiky cactus, a seedling, a plant in full flower or full fruit, and let the kids choose one picture to express how they are feeling. They can opt in or out, but tend to love it

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made cards with different plant images on them - a  spiky cactus, a seedling, a plant in full flower or full fruit, and let the kids choose one picture to express how they are feeling. They can opt in or out, but tend to love it

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I never thought of including students families, its not something we have in our curriculum but I would love to find a way to implement familiarity to students since everything they learn is brand new for the most part.

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music singing and dancing, shake hands, saying hello to each other, hugging and kissing cheeks. :D

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purposeful guided discovery of tools and equipment

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purposeful guided discovery of tools and equipment

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Always include fruits, vegetables, and herbs that support the cooking cultures of all of the students in your class. My students are beyond thrilled to have their signature cultural dishes to be proudly prepared and presented in class!

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Leave room for mistakes. (Celebrate mistakes). Model mistakes.

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Actively moving about, what motions do we do in the garden and the kitchen.

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Actively moving about, what motions do we do in the garden and the kitchen.

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I created "Hawaiian Mystery" series of close-up photos taken of local plants found somewhere on campus.  Students in grade 4 then develop their keyword search skills to find out what the plant could be and then we go on a hunt to find the actual plant on campus.
I also did this with a mysterious moth that we found outside our door and students in grade 2 and 3 created a life cycle chart based on the research of 4th graders.

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getting to know students - establish trust and group familiarity 

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getting to know students - establish trust and group familiarity 

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in a circle - each student shares their name and something they like (for example their favorite animal, food, or thing to do in garden). everyone greets student after they share their name and favorite thing

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Sentence frames and word banks (with pictures) to provide vocabulary/ or a way for express  themselves

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This is really intriguing and I'd like to understand more about how this works... could you please demonstrated this live so I can get a sense of how it works?

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Science and Teaching for Field Instructors

Student-Centered ♦ Nature-Centered

For a slightly longer introduction to BEETLES, watch the 7-minute video.

BEETLES: Infusing outdoor science programs with research-based approaches and tools to improve science teaching and learning.

Our professional learning resources are designed for program leaders to use with field instructors. They provide experiences and rationale about outdoor science instruction designed to inspire instructors to improve their teaching. Our student activities inspire students' wonder and curiosity about the natural world, support their innate tendencies for exploration and guide them to make explanations based on evidence.

All BEETLES resources embody our five research-based design principles.

People learn Outdoor Science best when they:

ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH NATURE

Experience Instruction based on how people learn

PARTICIPATE IN CULTURALLY RELEVANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

LEARN THROUGH DISCUSSIONS

One Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720-5200
Contact Us

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Science and Teaching for Field Instructors Student-Centered ♦ Nature-Centered For a slightly longer introduction to BEETLES, watch the 7-minute video. Our professional learning resources are designed for program leaders to use with field instructors. They provide experiences and rationale about outdoor science instruction designed to inspire instructors to improve their teaching.

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How our class topics related to students’ lived experiences

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https://threesisterskitchen.org/ournutritionalvalues/

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Three Sisters Kitchen's Nutritional Values project celebrates the complexity that shows up on our plates, honors the stories we all have to tell, and creates opportunities to have conversations about what we hope and dream for our communities, as we share meals around the table.

From May 2020 through November 2021, we hosted community panels and led food-storytelling workshops with our team at Three Sisters Kitchen, and with four community-based organizational partners - Centro Sávila, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, Encuentro, and Together for Brothers - to use food as a lens to explore the root causes of poverty in New Mexico and articulate values-based, community-driven solutions.

In November 2021, Three Sisters Kitchen partnered with five local, values-driven restaurants throughout Albuquerque to share the stories that emerged, and to plant seeds for community conversations about poverty, health, equity, and com mu nity. Over a thousand community members ordered Nutritional Values Meals at , , The Shop Breakfast & Lunch, Nexus Blue Smokehouse Buen Provecho The Street Food Institute, and Soo Bak Seoul Bowl; collected exclusive conversation guides featuring five powerful storytellers; and joined the Nutritional Values conversation (check out #OurNutritionalValues for some of what they had to say!).

It's not too late to get involved! We invite you to: Dig in. Savor the stories. Chew over the meaning and reflect on your own nutritional values. What nourishes you? We are excited to learn more about #OurNutritionalValues together! Join the conversation @ThreeSistersKitchenNM and request a PDF of the Nutritional Values conversation guides here:

For more information, or to request hardcopy Nutritional Values materials, send us a message at [email protected]

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Our Nutritional Values - Three Sisters Kitchen

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Three Sisters Kitchen's Nutritional Values project celebrates the complexity that shows up on our plates, honors the stories we all have to tell, and creates opportunities to have conversations about what we hope and dream for our communities, as we share meals around the table.

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https://www.marthastewart.com

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Martha Stewart | Recipes, DIY, Home Decor & Crafts

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From tried-and-true recipes and DIY crafts to home decor tips and holiday party planning, let Martha Stewart inspire you every day.

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create an honest safe warm loving and inclusive space for learning

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create an honest safe warm loving and inclusive space for learning

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Any activity with the 5 senses is always a winner! Also doing guessing games, and having students explore new foods, or plants with just touch or smell is a fun way to get them excited

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Always select the most omnivorous kid to try a dish first. They always will pronounce the dish “soooo delicious” and then excitement builds for others to try

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For Pre-K through Grade 2, I highly recommend the songs and dances on this site, they are free, and they have videos as well: https://talkinghandstalkingfeet.com/

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Talking Hands Talking Feet | inspired education songs in motion

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An Arts Integrated Education Resource for children of the 21st century, Talking Hands Talking Feet has produced award winning music with movement accompaniment loved by children around the world since 1997.

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Food Memory, I have been implementing this into a dining experience I run as a chef. I strongly believe the power of Food that is connected to some warm/loving memories of each individual. I have already seen the positive feedback and reflection from my guests, so I feel positive to implement also into the program for kids.

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We had a flea beetle infestation in the garden, and we are trying organic methods to control the bugs. We are planting cilantro, dill, sweet alyssum that will grow flowers to attract beneficial insects. I made a poster with photos of the flea beetles, flowers, and beneficial insects, laminated it, and posted it in the garden. I was so happy to see children studying it and identifying the beneficial wasps shown in the photo on the poster.

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student choice to help drive own learning-independent  activities and then teach out

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student choice to help drive own learning-independent  activities and then teach out

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Experiential learning and allowing students to learn by doing

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Open-ended scavenger hunt with six or so categories,Students select one, find some that interests them, write, draw,share verbally with partner 

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Open-ended scavenger hunt with six or so categories,Students select one, find some that interests them, write, draw,share verbally with partner 

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We work in teams searching for items in the garden that we could cook with.
The kids always like to look at the compost and the worms.
We do lessons on bees and why they are so important.

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Prompts during morning roll call for students to share something about themselves using questions like, "What is your favorite food?" or "What would you have an entire farm dedicated to?"

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When breaking learning into smaller groups, at least one person volunteers or is encouraged to be the team leader to help facilitate and check-in with their peers. Great for ownership and peer learning/support.

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When breaking learning into smaller groups, at least one person volunteers or is encouraged to be the team leader to help facilitate and check-in with their peers. Great for ownership and peer learning/support.

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My garden lines the front of my classroom and serves as a constant interaction every time we enter or edit the classroom. We observe and interact throughout the day.

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in my small group a person said that she started her class with questions that she knew the kids will know like: "what did you have for food last night" and then connect that with the lesson she was gonna give that day. I loved that idea & will use it for sure!

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in my small group a person said that she started her class with questions that she knew the kids will know like: "what did you have for food last night" and then connect that with the lesson she was gonna give that day. I loved that idea & will use it for sure!

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I will try to use this ALL THE TIME

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Including cross district student collaboration

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Including cross district student collaboration

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Food memories is a great. I never done this before. Not even for myself. or with my family.

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Food memories tying this into our International night and bringing in the food.  Obviously with Thanksgiving the food memories and interviewing an elder with their fondest food memories is a great one to tie in!

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Food memories tying this into our International night and bringing in the food.  Obviously with Thanksgiving the food memories and interviewing an elder with their fondest food memories is a great one to tie in!

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Students need to know what the instructions for the activity are before they can properly engage. Before your lesson, practice giving instructions for an activity using as FEW words as possible (they have short attention spans). When it’s time, ask for the WHOLE class’ attention before giving instructions (ask them to repeat back if you want). If a kid doesn’t understand the activity, they will likely invent their own and pull some friends into it, too

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I often  make up  songs with information  on  parts of  plants or parts of an insect and  incorporate  movement    

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I often  make up  songs with information  on  parts of  plants or parts of an insect and  incorporate  movement    

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Strategies for a more inclusive SNAP-Ed program. pg. 14 Nutrition and pg. 15 Garden.

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Inclusive Nutrition Strategies for SNAP Settings

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Daily tasks on white board for when students may not all be arriving at the same time. They can just dive in with little direction.

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Daily tasks on white board for when students may not all be arriving at the same time. They can just dive in with little direction.

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Garden beds raised on a metal framework allows young children to interact with the garden more intensively

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We do morning check in circles and after that lay the agenda out for the day. If we're doing farmwork that day, our farmer provides the different activities we're doing and we allow the youth to decide what they want to do for that time.

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https://www.instituteforsel.net/resources

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Summer SEL Institute - Chicago
The Institute provides participants with inspiration and current research as well as experiential lesson materials. Throughout our time together, IFSEL's facilitators will demonstrate a unique take on ten distinct educator practices that expand social and emotional learning, inclusivity and well-being..

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Kids Yoga Stories | Yoga stories for kids

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My daughter is terrified of spiders! My husband has taught her to be afraid of spiders from his upbringing in Australia. With all the poisonous spiders in his homeland, the children are taught to stay away from spiders and to always check dark places before putting their hands inside.

In contrast, growing up in Canada, I was taught to pick up spiders gently and take them outside. So I'm particularly taken aback by my child who freaks out about spiders! I see spiders as part of our ecosystem that need to be taken care of.

So when we moved to New England, where our back yard is full of bugs and insects, my daughter had to get used to the little critters. Our garden is full of dragonflies, ladybugs, snails, bees, butterflies, ants, caterpillars, mosquitos, beetles, and even our resident snakes.

Learning about bugs and insects is such a fun way for children to learn about nature, as well as how to respect other living creatures. My daughter likes to create mini-homes for insects with her neighborhood friends. It's a good time to talk about what insects need and how to be gentle with them.

5 Insect and Bug Yoga Poses for Kids

Besides exploring the garden, having interesting discussions, and reading books about insects, you could also add movement to your learning. Try these five yoga poses below inspired by bugs and insects that live in our garden. They are listed in a logical sequence to invite flow from one pose to the next. Feel free to use your creativity and add your own insect and bug yoga poses, as well.

1. Pretend to be a dragonfly.

How to practice Warrior 3 Pose: Stand on one leg. Extend the other leg behind you, flexing your foot. Bend your torso forward and take your arms back alongside your body. Pretend to be a dragonfly flying around the garden. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

2. Pretend to be a ladybug.

How to practice Child's Pose: Sit on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest on the floor in front of your knees, rest your arms down alongside your body, and take a few deep breaths. Pretend to be a ladybug resting on a leaf.

3. Pretend to be a snail.

How to practice Hare Pose: Come to sitting on your heels in a Hero Pose. Slowly place your head out in front of you on the ground. Take your hands back alongside your body. Then lift your buttocks, being careful to not put too much pressure on your head. Pretend to be a snail making its home in the dirt.

4. Pretend to be a bee.

How to practice Hero Pose: Come to rest upright on your heels with your palms resting on your knees. Pretend to be a bee collecting pollen from a flower.

5. Pretend to be a butterfly.

How to practice Cobbler's Pose: Sit on your buttocks with a tall spine, bend your legs, place the soles of your feet together, and gently flap your legs like a butterfly fluttering around the vegetable garden.

PIN IT FOR LATER

Bugs and crawly creatures fascinate children. Perhaps it's their size, their shape, or their movement that draws kids to them.

Invite kids to move and stretch while they pretend to be an earthworm, a mantis, and a dragonfly.

The deck of 53 colorful cards includes:

an index card listing the bugs keywords in a sequence

instructions for 20 bug-themed yoga poses

20 illustrated cards showing the postures

20 matching bug and crawly creatures cards

yoga teaching tips

Purchase your Bugs & Crawly Creatures Yoga Cards for Kids here.

Bug & Crawly Creatures Yoga Poses

Learn about the garden through simple yoga poses!
Pretend to be a bird, bunny, and butterfly! Download these 52 garden yoga cards to learn through movement in your home, classroom, or studio. The set includes an Index Card, Yoga Tips, Pose Instructions, 20 Yoga Pose Cards, and 20 matching Garden Cards. The multicultural yoga kids are from seven countries. Ages 3+.

"These cards are such a fun way to have kids practice yoga and relate it to the garden. They are perfect for doing in the garden or inside when a child needs a little relaxation. There are so many possibilities on how to use them, and the pictures are beautiful." - Carrie, Crafty Moms Share

"These are gorgeous! My kids are really finding the 'characters' of the cards to be really relatable, which makes it extra fun for them. I chose to print them four to a page and made them into little cards, perfect for our calm-down corner!" - Katie

Purchase the GARDEN YOGA CARDS FOR KIDS here.

Free Garden Yoga Poses for Kids Poster

Act out a day in the garden with Rachel!

Join Rachel as she and her adorable puppy look for signs of spring in the garden. Crawl like a caterpillar, buzz like a bee, and flutter like a butterfly. Discover spring, explore movement, and learn the colors of the rainbow! Ages 3+.

"Shardlow has mastered the art of integrating yoga, art, education, and story into engaging books that promote movement, relaxation, literacy and connection. Rachel's Day in the Garden is no exception and, in fact, might be the best one yet! The Kids Yoga Stories series belongs in the hands of every child, parent, and educator!" - Lisa Flynn, Founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms, Author of Yoga for Children and Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Card Deck

"Giselle Shardlow has done it again! Rachel's Day in the Garden, with its sweet story line and beautiful illustrations, makes it so easy for parents and teachers to bring simple, fun yoga poses into their homes and classrooms. The lovely depictions of the garden and natural world lend themselves to singing lots of traditional songs along with the book, too: 'You Are My Sunshine' and 'Rain, Rain, Go Away!'" - Kira Willey, Musical Yogini, Creator of Dance for the Sun CD and Mindful Moments for Kids CD

Purchase RACHEL'S DAY IN THE GARDEN here.

Rachel's Day in the Garden
Other Garden and Spring Links You Might Like

Click on the images below to find more garden and spring ideas:

You Might Also Like

Get Updates from Kids Yoga Stories

To find out about other thematic yoga sequences, join our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter by adding your name and email to the box at the top of the page.

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Insect and Bug Yoga for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories

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My daughter is terrified of spiders! My husband has taught her to be afraid of spiders from his upbringing in Australia. With all the poisonous spiders in his homeland, the children are taught to stay away from spiders and to always check dark places before putting their hands inside.

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With younger children, especially Pre-K thru Grade 2, my garden students LOVE acting out stories and moving to music and learning songs, and writing their own songs related to the garden. I make sure that at least 5-10 minutes of every class includes music, movement, and theatre!

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Having choices for activities (back pocket activities) and letting students vote on what they want to do. If it is possible, have more than one option going at a time to prevent "boredom"

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At the end of garden Clubs I always invite family/caregivers to do a picnic

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At the end of garden Clubs I always invite family/caregivers to do a picnic

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Games! Interactive activities and time for play (game can revolve around lesson topic OR can be a favorite/requested game from the students)

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https://www.facinghistory.org/how-it-works/teaching-resources/teaching-strategies

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Discover Versatile and Effective Instructional Strategies

Every classroom is different, and every student is unique. Our teaching strategies can be easily adapted for your classroom context and are designed to nurture student's individual strengths and learning styles. Whether you want to encourage group participation, help students connect emotionally with a subject, or spark more engagement through classroom activities, you'll find plenty of ideas in our library of proven instructional strategies.
Access our complete teaching strategy collection.

Featured Teaching Strategies

Explore some of our most popular and effective teaching strategies. Many feature classroom-ready handouts that you can print or share on Google Classroom for free.

See All Teaching Strategies

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Use our student-centered teaching strategies to strengthen your students' literacy skills, nurture critical thinking, and build a respectful and collaborative classroom community.

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having a variety of gardening jobs that students can choose from

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having a variety of gardening jobs that students can choose from

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Love the Food Memory exercise: who was there? What season was it? What was the occasion? What were tastes? Aromas? Sounds?

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Students are very interested and engaged with observations of insects and small critters in the garden.  Mason Bees (can be purchased from rent masonbees in PNW)  and honey bees are wonderful to watch. We have honey bee hives on campus which are an excellent but time-consuming resource. Only useful if teacher  or community member  wants to be a  beekeeper or if you can convince someone from the community to have a hive or two on your school grounds.  

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Students are very interested and engaged with observations of insects and small critters in the garden.  Mason Bees (can be purchased from rent masonbees in PNW)  and honey bees are wonderful to watch. We have honey bee hives on campus which are an excellent but time-consuming resource. Only useful if teacher  or community member  wants to be a  beekeeper or if you can convince someone from the community to have a hive or two on your school grounds.  

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ʻĀINA In Schools is a farm to school initiative that connects children
to their local land, waters, and food to grow a healthier Hawaiʻi.
ʻĀINA In Schools began in 2006, and focuses on:

* Addressing childhood health issues by fostering healthy eating habits;

* Encouraging environmental stewardship by connecting children to the land & water that sustains them;

* Contributing to a healthy local food system by supporting Hawaiʻi's farmers and their produce.
View Program Overview

'ĀINA in Schools is comprised of
Six Integrated Components

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ʻĀINA In Schools : Kokua Hawaii Foundation

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The Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi.

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Collectively establishing garden guidelines

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Working with students on first day of class to make a collaborative "agreement" for the class and the gardening projects.

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Learning lead by a question

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I just love the idea of circular seating, opening and closing circle as a routine, and restorative circles when needed.

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I like the story sharing idea, what is a tradition that you do with your family

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I like the story sharing idea, what is a tradition that you do with your family

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We have a chant that goes "we are farmers" and our students respond back with the jingle to redirect everyone on a task.

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Lots of visuals! And create activities that encourage kids to explore and interact around the garden

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Lots of visuals! And create activities that encourage kids to explore and interact around the garden

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We try to taste something from the garden each class. Sometimes it's simple, like a mint leaf, and other times it is a whole cooking class. The kids are ALWAYS excited to taste things, and having it at the end of class can help motivate them through the less exciting parts.

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The pandemic has come with countless challenges for school communities. Disruptions like school openings and closures, shifts between remote, hybrid, and in-person learning, new policies and procedures, and the loss of shared traditions have made things difficult for everyone. There's little doubt that these starts, stops, and shifts have taken a toll on students' motivation and engagement in school.

As we regain some sense of normalcy, many teachers report that students are struggling to get engaged in learning. From screen-time habits to social and emotional issues, many students are struggling. And let's be honest: Student engagement is almost always a big challenge -- even under "normal" circumstances!

But teachers should consider both the challenges and opportunities of this situation. On the one hand, the tried-and-true strategies we've always used to engage students might not work as they did in the past, and may need a refresh. But on the other hand, we've probably learned some new strategies for engaging students during the pandemic that we can adapt to in-person learning. Read on for tips, strategies, and reminders to help bring kids back into the fold.

Tips to help students get engaged with learning:

1. Acknowledge students' social and emotional well-being

Regular check-ins with students are essential -- especially as pandemic-related stressors continue in one way or another. With so much change happening, students will need some extra time to reflect and process their emotions and state of mind. Fortunately, when it comes to addressing students' social and emotional well-being, a lot of resources and strategies are available. Here are a few to check out:

Address the impacts of digital life. Even while returning to in-person learning, we're all more connected to the digital world than ever. Common Sense's SEL in Digital Life Resource Center has CASEL-aligned classroom activities, conversation starters for families, and professional development resources to help.

Set up structures for check-ins. Whether virtually or in person, you can use individual check-ins with students and families. Personalized outreach like this can help students reflect on their emotional ups and downs, and can go a long way toward helping them come to class ready to engage. Just the act of acknowledging that things may be stressful can help kids feel seen and heard, and make your class a bit more approachable.

Be mindful of students' needs during times of transition. Common Sense's article 4 SEL Strategies for the Transition Back to In-Person Learning offers helpful advice on addressing students' challenges during moments of change.

Weave in SEL throughout the year. SEL shouldn't be a one-and-done type of activity, or something we address at the start of the school year, only to abandon. Common Sense's We All Teach SEL series looks at the ways you can incorporate SEL-friendly digital tools into various subjects, and this article from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Magazine offers three ideas for weaving SEL into your curriculum.

Help your students develop the SEL skills they'll need to navigate the digital world.

2. Find balance with technology -- inside and outside the classroom

The screen-time struggle is real. Many of us have spent the better part of the pandemic glued to our screens, whether for work, school, socializing, or entertainment. Some students may be struggling to adapt to in-person social environments. And plenty of students and teachers are burned out from so many months of online lessons, videos, and assignments -- it's important to acknowledge this.

But now that we're back to learning in person, there might be an impulse to overreact and abandon digital media and tools altogether. But simply throwing technology by the wayside probably isn't the answer -- it's all about finding a balance. It's most important to use the tools and routines that best serve students' learning, whether they're digital or not. Additionally, teachers can use this year as an opportunity to help students to consider the impacts of their media choices outside of school. Here are a few tips:

Be mindful of media balance (or "screen time") in your classroom. Just like we think about "screen time" outside of school, it's important to reflect on this aspect of our classrooms. Don't shy away from opportunities to use pen and paper, as a lot of students may appreciate slowing down a bit. It's fine to use YouTube or show classroom videos, but be strategic about it. If you found tech tools or apps useful during distance learning, great -- don't necessarily abandon things that are working. Regardless of what you choose, make it transparent to students that you're thinking about this part of their learning experience.

Keep doing what's working. Learning Management Systems (LMSs), apps, and other digital tools have been essential for learning during the pandemic, and some are probably worth keeping, even if you're learning in person. This is a great time to reflect on your pedagogical toolbox -- keep using the digital tools that work, but also feel free to reconsider using anything that's redundant or unnecessary.

Teach some digital citizenship lessons on media balance. Common Sense Education has media balance and well-being lessons at every grade level. These lessons and discussions can help kids think critically about their media choices and the impacts that media has on all of us. Check out the full list linked above, or consider some of the standout lessons below -- each of which also offers a quick, 15-minute activity if you don't have time for a full lesson:

3. Jump-start class participation

For many teachers, getting students to participate during remote learning was a huge struggle. Now that students are back in person, it's time to reinvigorate the kind of excitement that comes from learning something new. Here are some tips on encouraging participation -- without necessarily putting kids on the spot.

Low-stakes strategies: There are plenty of ways to encourage students to chime in during class, both voluntarily and involuntarily. Tried-and-true strategies like index cards or popsicle sticks (aka "equity sticks") can help make class participation equitable, spur new voices, and keep students alert. Alternatively, if you're still using an online platform (like Google Classroom), you could ask students to respond to prompts with emojis, as outlined in this article from Edutopia.

Student-led discussion: Even with in-person learning, consider how you might still use asynchronous digital conversations as a way to ease students back into regular expectations for participation. If your students aren't feeling ready to share out loud in class, consider holding a discussion online first, to scaffold a more engaged, out-loud version of the discussion later. For more on this, check out the article 5 Online Discussion Tools to Fuel Student Engagement. Remote learning may have made it hard to stray from teacher-led lessons. Students who became used to teacher-centered instruction may have been reluctant to participate. This article from the online discussion tool Parlay offers useful ideas on elevating students' voices so they can take more ownership over their learning.

Use this comprehensive discussion platform to develop students' critical-thinking skills.

4. Be mindful about curriculum pacing

There's been plenty of media coverage about students' so-called learning loss during the pandemic, and some of the concern is certainly justified. While you may feel pressure to help students "catch up," speeding through your daily lessons or curriculum probably isn't the best idea -- especially when it comes to supporting student engagement! Consider the following ideas:

Resist the temptation to reteach: Even though students need enough exposure and practice to master content, remediation may not be very beneficial for students. Consider focusing your staff collaboration or professional learning community (PLC) meetings on examining what curriculum wasn't covered, then work together to find new opportunities for students to learn and demonstrate understanding.

Focus on depth over breadth: Time is a finite resource, and many teachers might feel a pull to "cover" curriculum to ensure that students are exposed to the maximum amount of course content. This is rarely a sound strategy, though. As students, most people remember very little if they don't have adequate time to process, reflect, and apply anything new that they've learned. Don't fall into the trap of trying to cover everything; instead, focus on the larger concepts with more depth, which will help students develop more of an enduring understanding.

Help students focus on what they'll gain -- not what they may have lost.

What research says about student engagement during the pandemic:

Research from Common Sense in March of 2021 showed that the number of teens reporting symptoms of moderate to severe depression increased by 25% compared with before the pandemic. Interestingly, this research also found that, for many teens, social media played an important role in helping them stay informed and feel connected during pandemic-related lockdowns. This positive outlook on social media may be something for teachers to consider as we're thinking about how to help students engage more with in-person learning.

According to data collected by the EdWeek research center in 2021, both students and teachers reported distressing levels of student morale and motivation compared with before the pandemic -- numbers that undoubtedly had a negative impact on students' engagement. As teachers, we may know our content inside and out, and we might even have access to the latest tech tools to help our students learn. But none of this will really help so much unless our students come to class alert and ready to participate in our lessons. Simply put, when our students are more engaged, they're better equipped to learn and do well in school -- now and in the future.
Images courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action

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Tips and Strategies to Boost Student Engagement | Common Sense Education

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Bring students back into the fold with approaches that help spark class participation.

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With high school and middle school, I've had fantastic results with the Edible Schoolyard's Strawberry Lesson!  https://edibleschoolyard.org/strawberries-and-pesticides

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Conventional (non-organic) strawberries can contain up to 20 pesticides. Why are so many pesticides used in growing strawberries? Do those pesticides hurt your health? What about the health of the workers who plant and harvest strawberries? In this lesson, you'll learn about the history and impacts of pesticide use in strawberry farming.

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Garden memories

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A warm greeting at the beginning of the class to check if everyone is fine with being in the class. And through asking them questions related to the class, I would get a general idea of students’ willingness so as to adjust my procedures of the class on that day

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We had an artist in residence create macro-photographs from things in the garden. We set up a drawing table with paper and coloured pens and primary students could make studies from either the photos or the garden itself. We are collecting the drawings to make a book of both photos and drawings.

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For an attention grabber we have students choose a fruit or vegetable of the day, and then if they hear a leader say the name 3 times, that means to circle back up. It also keeps them involved in the process.

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Incorporating more opportunities for choice.

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Providing many different ways to engage verbal written and storytelling. Read your students. be prepared to switch gears when needed. Auto pilot is not an option.

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sharing food from my own home, eg:dried apricot, pickled or brined cucumelons,sharing styrian pumpkin seeds. Kids love to eat(mostly). I made blackberry ice cream for a class, they haven't forgotten.

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sharing food from my own home, eg:dried apricot, pickled or brined cucumelons,sharing styrian pumpkin seeds. Kids love to eat(mostly). I made blackberry ice cream for a class, they haven't forgotten.

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Circle time - make a movement while saying your name

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I greet the children warmly as they enter the garden, and I let them know I am happy they are here. I have 4 or 5 tasks I think will be fun (plant, twine tomatoes, water, etc), and I let the children choose what they would like to do. They sort themselves out fairly well, either into shared or solo activities. I thank them for helping in the garden when they leave.

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observation games such as kims game to engage curiosity on a subject

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observation games such as kims game to engage curiosity on a subject