ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project was to design a curriculum which encourages nurturing behavior of two to seven year olds by introducing plants and flowers and to design an observation instrument to be used by the teachers involved in the implementation of the curriculum.
A six week curriculum comprising thirty lessons was designed to use materials to aid children in the development of nine nurturing behaviors. Each week’s lessons included sensory activities that were meant to foster practical life experiences. Books, music, outdoor activities, cooking and fantasy play were incorporated into the curriculum for at least one hour each day. The children were encouraged to learn positive social skills.
Out of sixteen evaluations by a range of professionals teaching varied populations of children, all thought that the nine goals had merit. They varied in their responses as to what ages would best be reached. They thought the six week curriculum could be easily implemented with not too much cost. They predicted that the children might enjoy working with the materials, but that some activities would have to be adapted for the various age levels.
