Grade 9 Science Biology Unit Plan: Building a School Garden in Ontario

Teaching sustainability in a general science classroom can be intimidating with limited experience or lack of guidance. This unit plan was created to assist educators in providing both academic and hands-on ecological lessons. I have been fortunate enough to have specific training in facilitating local nature and wilderness education in urban environments through the organisation, the Pine Project. My experiences with the Pine Project inspired me to bring these ideas into the classroom and to motivate my teacher colleagues to do the same. With that in mind, I have included free professional development resources. My colleagues can facilitate the understanding of the interconnectedness of biology and chemistry through 12 flexible and scaffolded lessons including topics such as sustainability, nature connection, indigenous storytelling, social justice topics, drawings, graphing and activities on mental wellness.