School Seed Stewardship Project

The Seed Stewardship Project

Nine out of ten bites of food rely on seeds, but seed production is not as common as it once was. In 2022, FarmFolk CityFolk and Farm to School BC (a program of the Public Health Association of BC) worked together to bring seed stewardship, production and training to schools across BC.

The goal of the project was not simply to teach students basic seed saving biology and skills, but to impart a sense of seed stewardship with a real life example. Together we have created a collection of seed saving presentations, games, and resources that help educators bring seed saving training to their classrooms, school programs, nature camps, and more!

Presentations are designed to help educators to select, plant, and save seeds in their school gardens. After a season of seed saving there is advice on the dissemination of the seeds with future generations of students, a local seed library, or members of the greater community. In doing so, students learn that the responsibility of stewarding a seed variety is not just about growing the seeds, it’s about taking part in stewarding the future of that variety, as it has been stewarded for generations before us.

See below for a detailed description of the presentations, games, and resources. Contact your regional seed coordinator if you have any questions or requests regarding the resources.

Table of Contents

Each Bite Sized Lesson comes with slides, in both PDF and pptx. format. If you prefer a Google Slides presentation the pptx version can be dowloaded and then dragged into a Google drive. They also include printable activities and instructions. We have listed them in a suggested order however, each Bite Sized lesson plan can be used individually or as part of other school programming.

List of Bite Sized Lesson Plans:

  1. Seed Stewardship (Grades 1-8)
  2. How Plants Make Seeds (Grades 1-8)
  3. How Seeds Travel (Grades 1-8)
  4. Understanding Plant Species (Grades 4-12)
  5. Seed Saving and Cross Pollination (Grades 1-12)
  6. Population Sizes (Grades 1-12)
  7. Seeds and Biodiversity (Grades 4-12)
  8. Genetics, Phenotypes, and Genotypes (Grades 9-12)
  9. Planning a Seed Garden (Grades 1-12)
  10. Saving Seeds: Tomatoes and Cucumbers (Grades 1-12)
  11. Saving Seeds: Kale and Arugula (Grades 1-12)
  12. Seed Cleaning, Drying, and Storage (Grades 1-12)
  13. Starting a Seed Library (Grades 1-12)

Feel free to explore the curriculum connections for Grade 1-8, or High School. Find a List of Games and activities here.

1. Seed Stewardship

This bite sized lesson teaches students about the importance of seed stewardship and seed libraries.

Grades 1-8

Lesson plan: Seed Stewardship Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Seed Stewardship

Microsoft Powerpoint (has speaker notes): Seed Stewardship

Seed Saving Reference Cards: Seed Saving Crop Cards

Link to Indigenous Seed Keepers Network video: https://nativefoodalliance.org/our-programs-2/indigenous-seedkeepers-network/

Seed Story by Jacob Beaton:

 

2. How Plants Make Seeds

Learn how and when plants make seeds in this bite sized lesson.

Grades 1-8

Lesson plan: How Plants Make Seeds Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: How Plants Make Seeds

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): How Plants Make Seeds

Printable Seed Matching Game: Seed Matching Game

Printable Venn Diagram with example: Venn Diagram Example and Blank

 

 

3. How Seeds Travel

This bite sized lesson covers how seeds travel.

Grades 1-8

Lesson plan: How Seeds Travel Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: How Seeds Travel

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): How Seeds Travel

Link to SPEC website: https://spec.bc.ca/school-gardens/

PDF of SPEC: SPEC Activities

PDF  of Chicago Botanical Seed Dispersal (Grades 7-9): Chicago Botanic Garden seed dispersal lab

4. Understanding Plant Species

Learn how to read plant labels and put your knowledge to the test with a plant quiz.

Grades 4-12

Lesson plan: Understanding Plant Species Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Understanding Plant Species

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Understanding Plant Species

5. Seed Saving and Cross Pollination

Learn about different ways plants are pollinated in this bite sized seed saving lesson.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Seed Saving and Cross Pollination Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Seed Saving and Cross Pollination

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Seed Saving and Cross Pollination

Creating an Isolation Distance Chart instructions: Creating an Isolation Chart

Colouring Worksheet for Creating an Isolation Distance Chart: Vegetable Colouring Worksheet

Example of completed Isolation Distance Chart: Visual Isolation Distance Chart

Seed Saving Reference Cards: Seed Saving Crop Cards

6. Population Sizes

Further your understanding of how population sizes and the type of pollination are related. Includes a fun running activity called Go Pollinator, Stop Pollinator.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Population Sizes Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Population Sizes

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Population Sizes

Go Pollinator/Stop Pollinator instructions (Grade 1-8): Go Pollinator Stop Pollinator Instructions

Extra Resources: Seed Savers Exchange Chart

 

7. Seeds and Biodiversity

Teach students about the importance of biodiversity with this bite sized seed saving lesson.

Grades 4-12

Lesson plan: Seeds and Biodiversity Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Seeds and Biodiversity

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Seeds and Biodiversity

Spinach Survival Game Instructions: Spinach Survival Game Instructions

Printable Spinach Survival Game: Spinach Survival Game

 

8. Genetics, Phenotypes, and Genotypes

This bite sized lesson covers the basics of plant genetics.

Grades 9-12

Lesson plan: Genetics, Phenotypes, and Genotypes Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Genetics, Phenotypes, and Genotypes

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Genetics, Phenotypes, and Genotypes

Printable Frankenstein Plant Game: Frankenstein Plant Game

Example of Complete Frankenstein Plant Game: Completed Frankenstein Plant Game

 

9. Planning a Seed Garden + Teachers Guide

This bite sized lesson plan teaches you the basics to help you grow a crop to seed. It includes a Teachers Guide.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Planning A Seed Garden Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Planning A Seed Garden

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Planning A Seed Garden

Teachers Guide PDF slides: Teachers Guide To Planning A Seed Garden

Teachers Guide Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Teachers Guide Planning A Seed Garden

Seed Saving Reference Cards: Seed Saving Crop Cards

Extra Resource: Garden Design Worksheet pdf

Extra Resource: Garden Design Worksheet docx

Extra Resource: West Coast Seeds Planting Chart

Extra Resource: Seed Saving Chart

10. Saving Seeds: Tomatoes and Cucumbers

This bite sized lesson focuses on growing tomatoes and cucumbers to seed.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Saving Wet Seeds: Tomatoes and Cucumbers Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Saving Seeds: Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Saving Seeds: Tomatoes and Cucumbers

11. Saving Seeds: Kale and Arugula

Learn how to grow kale and arugula to seed with this bite sized lesson.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Saving Dry Seeds: Kale and Arugula Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Saving Seeds: Kale and Arugula

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Saving Seeds: Kale and Arugula

12. Saving Seeds: Cleaning, Drying, and Storage

Learn how to clean, dry, and store your seed crop after harvest.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Seed Cleaning, Drying, and Storage Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Seed Cleaning, Drying and Storage

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Seed Cleaning, Drying and Storage

13. Starting A Seed Library

Learn how to start a Seed Library at your school.

Grades 1-12

Lesson plan: Seed Libraries Bite Sized Lesson Plan

PDF slides: Starting A Seed Library

Microsoft Powerpoint (shows speaker notes): Starting A Seed Library