Waldorf Homeschooling Botany Resources

Steiner's suggestions:

Grade 6-8: Practical gardening. cultivating the soil, tending and harvesting plants.  Repeating this through these three years helps them understand rotation.

Grade 9: Focus on vegetable gardening, tending to flowers, fruit-bearing shrubs and trees.

Grade 10: Thinning out of trees and shrubs.  It is also suggested that manuring be discussed during this time as well as sustainable agriculture.  At this age they can really begin to make some strong opinions based in facts - show them all kinds of agriculture.

Now of course there is the discussion that children should have a knowledge of farming in grade 3 - this is so true!  This easily goes with the studies of the year.  Adam and Eve had a garden and then when they were cast out, they had to learn to farm and garden without the help of it being started for them.  A child of this age should be gardening alongside Mom, harvesting, cooking, etc. This is very cooperative. As they grow, you can allow them to be a bit more independent, just remember to keep it alive!

Early Childhood & Kindergarten: young children love berries.  It is natural to pull in some stories when you are thinking of gardening.  One of Sam's favorites was "Pirate Jam", it of course supports his love of strawberries! Another favorite is the traditional tale "The Giant Turnip".

First & Second Grade: where the land of fairy tales and fables is so alive for them, why not pull some gardening from great stories.  Even if you can't grow a wheat field, it would be fun to grow a bit just to experience it.

Third Grade: lends itself to Old Testament stories and some native stories too - what a wonderful time to think about some of the grains we still grow or some of the foods our ancestors might have eaten.  Farming for this grade gives us many ideas too.  Can you grow their favorite food?  

Fourth Grade: while you are exploring your local area, talk about what things grow best - by the way... what did those Vikings eat?  Can it grow where you live?

Fifth Grade: again, so much can go with the botany block.  I let Jacob make his list of favorites and then we added in what the rest of us wanted to, but he was all over it!

Sixth Grade: try grapes! While we are not wine drinkers, no one in our house missed the chance to eat grapes!

Seventh Grade: the Age of Exploration really brought so much in the way of food trade among nations.  You could grow corn, tomatoes, potatoes.

Eighth Grade: agriculture really becomes a major theme when we look at history.  People exist because of the food they could find or that grew native to their land.  This is apparent in modern times as we bring history up to date. Beginning in grade 7, you are bringing the ideas of nutrition from a physiological standpoint forward - how do we digest, what foods make us feel good, etc. This can easily play into our home gardens.

All through the curriculum there are going to be story favorites that will spark the desire to grow food - but don't stop there - there are so many flowering plants that speak to children too! I find it interesting when we look at the soul qualities of plants as Steiner describes in "Discussions with Teachers" they really speak to the children at these ages. 

Explore each grade of Waldorf Education more HERE.