Math becomes practical and relevant when students implement concepts they have learned in the classroom in a real life garden setting.

To most educators, "Organic Math" probably sounds strange, but in reality, scientific literacy requires skill in math, as does learning about ecology and environmental systems. There is plenty of math to be discovered in the natural world, from patterns in nature to nature's engineering, and a symbiosis exists between the order and design of nature and the mathematic principles that explain them.

Basic mathematics principles - percents, ratios, sequences, sampling, averages, growth, variability and probability - can all be observed within a garden. The hands-on applications presented by gardening activities can help to motivate students that may be otherwise confused by abstract textbook questions and examples.

Here is a sample list of Math-focused activities to do with students:

Grades K-5:

• Gardens give younger students a chance to identify, analyze, compose and compare shapes; classify objects; and count the number of objects in each category. For example, students can look for triangular shapes in the garden and explore their characteristics.

Grades 6-12:

• Gardens give older students the opportunity to work with numbers while planting seeds; gain foundations for place value; and solve practical computation problems.
• For a practical, garden-based application of area and linear measurement calculation, students could plan the area of a garden plot and then calculate the suggested distance between seeds or seedlings.
• Measure the growth rates of plants and display results on different types of graphs. Make predictions regarding future growth. Use standard and nonstandard units of measurement.
• Using information from seed catalogs, predict dates of germination and maturity.
• Plan backward from a desired harvest date to determine when each crop should be planted.
• Measure your garden parameters and calculate the area. Use graph paper to make a map to scale of your garden.
• Calculate amounts of fertilizer to use per quart and per liter of water.