Keys to the Garden
What would you do if you discovered a forgotten garden hidden behind a locked door?
Step into the enchanting world of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden in this hands-on STEAM workshop where students will explore the connections between nature, engineering, science, and creative design.
Inspired by Mary Lennox's discovery of the mysterious garden, students will become garden designers and engineers on a mission to bring a forgotten space back to life. They will explore what plants need to grow and thrive before designing and creating their own secret garden. Students will use their creativity and problem-solving skills to plan the layout of their garden, choosing plants, pathways, special features, and spaces for the animals that call their garden home.
Students will also take on the role of habitat designers as they create a special birdhouse for Robin, the friendly robin who helps Mary discover the secret garden. They'll learn about bird habitats and consider how the size, shape, materials, and placement of a birdhouse can help provide a safe home for birds.
Throughout the workshop, students will explore the engineering design process as they brainstorm, sketch, build, test, and improve their creations. Through hands-on challenges, they'll discover how science and engineering can work together with art and imagination to transform an ordinary space into something extraordinary.
Students will:
- Explore the engineering design process through hands-on challenges
- Learn about the basic needs of plants and what helps gardens thrive
- Design and create their own secret garden model
- Explore garden planning, landscape design, and environmental science
- Learn about bird habitats and how birds interact with their environment
- Design and build a birdhouse inspired by Robin
- Explore how engineers and designers create habitats for living things
- Practice creative problem-solving, prototyping, and design
- Discover how STEAM skills can help us understand and care for the natural world
The garden is waiting to be unlocked. What will you grow, build, and discover inside?