Garden Experience Exit Slip

I learned a lot in the garden today. I was lucky enough to be raised in a somewhat rural setting and we had an orchard. Vegetable gardens were something we always had at our place while I was going up. This was so normal to me that I missed gardens and couldn't wait to live somewhere I could grow my own. It hadn't really occurred to me that not everyone has had that kind of experience. It was fun walking around with my classmates and helping them identify plants that they use every day.

I noticed people were very distracted in the garden as well, but I think that is a good thing. It shows how interested they were in their surroundings, how immersed in the experience. They were as excited and in love with the garden as I always have been!

One of the biggest surprises for me was doing the braiding dance. I hadn't thought of gardens as places to learn dance and math, let alone a place to combine these things. But there are plenty of chances to study math in a garden - fractals in a carrot leaf, golden ratios in plant leaves, angles and curves and symmetry everywhere. And you can't be more immersed in a subject than when you are surrounded by it!