All Redondo Beach Unified School District elementary schools along with Hermosa View School have LiveWell Kids gardens provided by Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) and maintained by the Garden Coordinator and Garden Angel volunteers. The LiveWell Kids Garden program provides five interactive lessons per year.
LiveWell Kids Garden Education at Home: To go along with distance learning due to COVID-19, there are two garden lessons for the 2020-21 academic year, provided below in a virtual format, for all elementary schools throughout the Beach Cities. The lesson packages include instructional videos, parent/caregiver handouts, student handouts and visual aids.
Lesson 1: Understanding Plants
Students will understand the basic role of plants in our lives, as well as their structure, function and lifecycle. Plants provide us with our habitat, and supply us with oxygen, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water. Plants are also at the beginning of the food chain for all living organisms.
- Understanding Plants Part 1 Video
- Understanding Plants Part 2 Video
- Lesson Plan - All Grades Student Handout
- Lesson Plan - All Grades Adult Handout
- Parts of a Plant Visual Aid
- Photosynthesis Visual Aid
- Life Cycle of a Plant Visual Aid
Lesson 2: Planting in the Cool Season
Students will learn how to prepare soil for planting cool season crops and understand proper seed planting procedure. They will be able to pick up a STUDENT PLANTING KIT from their school to grow “mystery seeds” at home. Accompanying instructional materials will guide them through the process of determining what they planted by providing clues. This project is designed to keep them engaged in caretaking and exploring their growing plant as they become “Plant Detectives” to solve the mystery of the unnamed seeds they planted. They are asked to submit a photo of their plant and guess its identity when they think they’ve figured it out.
- Planting in the Cool Season Video
- Plant Detective: What Does Your Plant Look Like? Video
- Plant Detective Handout
- Planting Instructions Video
- Lesson Plan - All Grades Student Handout
- Lesson Plan - All Grades Adult Handout
More Resources
- LiveWell Kids Recipes
- Composting tips and resources
- Learn about our water system at West Basin – free public tours
- Learn how to create a sustainable yard at Be Water Wise
- Find answers to gardening questions from a reputable educational source
Local resources for garden-related workshops:
For more information, please contact:
Mishell Balzer
Garden Coordinator
Mishell.Balzer@bchd.org
310-374-3426 ext. 8264
Interested in becoming a Garden Angel volunteer for the LiveWell Kids Garden Program? Apply today!
Childhood Obesity Decline in Redondo Beach
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in partnership with Beach Cities Health District. Recent Trends in Childhood Obesity Prevalence in the Redondo Beach Unified School District: A Case Study; June 2020.
Palacios, C., Simon, P., Steward, A., Garner, T., Hameed, H., & Shetgiri, R. (2022). Impact of an Elementary School-Based Wellness Initiative on Child Obesity Prevalence: LiveWell Kids. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399211065717