About Learn, Grow, Eat & Go!
Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! is a 10-week program that teaches 3rd – 5th grade students about gardening, healthy eating, and being active. The easy-to-follow program combines hands-on lessons (learn), garden activities (grow), opportunities to taste fresh vegetables (eat), and physical activity breaks (go). The goals of the program are to:
- Increase student knowledge of nutrition and plant science
- Improve student preference for vegetables
This is a 20-lesson curriculum extension that coordinates with Texas TEKS for 3rd – 5th grade students. The curriculum includes daily engagement lessons, group activities, and journal prompts to help students grow through multi-sensory experiences. With all of these experiences, students will be guided to create their own thriving vegetable garden. Weekly featured songs, literature connections, and classroom garden recipes are also provided to make learning more meaningful and fun. In addition, a host of parent engagement tools are included to carry over to the home. These include social media tools, news templates, at home family learning activities and a culminating event that the families can participate in together.
Program Components
- 10-weeks of lessons (2 lessons per week)
- Printable student pages & garden journals
- Parent/guardian newsletters
To host a program, schools will need:
- Raised beds or other gardening space (Example School Garden Kit)
- Supplies for activities & recipes (Classroom Supply List)
Alignment to TEKS
A full summary of the TEKS by lesson is included in the curriculum. Below, the TEKS are highlighted for each grade level.
3rd Grade: Link to 3rd Grade TEKS
4th Grade: Link to 4th Grade TEKS
5th Grade: Link to 5th Grade TEKS
Additional Resources
Interested educators should connect with their local 4-H or Family & Community Health Extension Agent for more information. Find their contact information here: https://counties.agrilife.org/
Find the full program website here: https://jmgkids.us/lgeg/
Evidence supporting Learn, Grow, Eat, & GO!:
- Students who participated in Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! reported significant increases in the number of vegetables tasted, vegetable preferences, and nutrition knowledge compared to students who did not participate in the program.
- Children who participated in Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! and Walk Across Texas had a significant decrease in BMI percentile compared to children in comparison schools.
- Before 3rd grade students participated in Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! approximately 31% had no gardening experience.
