The seeds to Plate Curriculum

We are extremely proud of the Seeds to Plate curriculum that we have developed over many years at Mark Twain Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is an academically integrated curriculum for sixth to eighth graders, created using the California Common Core, California Next Generation Science, and California Health Education Content Standards.

We have over 100 lessons in: History, English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Food Literacy, Environmental Sustainability, Art, and Multicultural topics.

Each lesson has been approved by credentialed middle school teachers. Some are specific for our climate but can serve as templates for similar lessons at your school. Some are appropriate for two or more subjects and are indicated as such in the Table of Contents.

Here, you will find a database of lessons and a Curriculum Toolkit to help you start your own school garden and implement these lessons. You can view a complete list of our lessons with brief overviews here.

We have had much success with our program, and this curriculum is truly a labor of love we want to share with you and your school communities. Please be inspired and, of course, we welcome all feedback!

In order to access our Full curriculum, please fill out our lesson request form.

If you have already filled out the form, click here to access the curriculum.

sample lesson plans

A week to remember. Four years ago under the direction of the talented Ms. Angela Hughes, one of our favorite collaborations-a pop up restaurant! Students were able to learn culinary skills and hospitality pro tips to create a garden lunch for their
"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." Charles Dickens Our schoolyard habitat is thriving- not only is it beautiful, but it continues to provide food for families in need.
Life in the garden without students is different- seeds that were dropped or scattered by kids or critters have taken root with no foot traffic. Happy accidents! What has remained unchanged are the cycles of the natural world. Our thriving garden wil
Happy Earth Day from Seeds to Plate. The planet, and the food cultivated on it unify us all. Mother Nature teaches us impermanence, renewal, hope, connection, independence beauty, generosity and so much more. Sharing opportunities to connect students