Aligned to the Common Core standards and Illinois State Learning Standards, Fresh from the Farm curricula are designed to engage children from 1st through 8th grades. Each lesson is assigned Common Core Standards. The complete list of Common Core Standards that the nutrition lessons will achieve can be found here.
Each set of lesson plans can be found to the left in their respective tabs with downloadable PDFs. If you have any questions regarding the curriculum, please contact us at
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Created by Matthew Czajka, MBA/RD student at Dominican University, former intern at Seven Generations Ahead and Illinois Farm to School Network.
Sow and Grow
Sow and Grow is an elementary curriculum designed to educate children about various plants and their parts, how plants grow, where our food comes from, and what is required to grow a healthy plant. Sow and Grow further covers topics such as School Gardens, plant life cycles, crop harvesting and seasonality, weeds, bugs and insects, the importance of soil, and how to compost. Click the image on the right to view the PDF, or click here.
Each nutrition lesson of Sow and Grow is comprised of objectives and goals. These are aligned with Common Core Standards as well as Next Generation Science Standards. The complete list of standards that are covered can be found here.
Roots and Fruits
Roots and Fruits combines classroom curriculum, school gardens, organic farm tours, school lunch reform, and whole school wellness strategies to obtain a positive impact on children’s diet and consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Roots and Fruits curriculum addresses themes of the environment, local farms and our food system, nutrition and health, and experiencing food with our senses.
Roots and Fruits lessons are designed for grades 3-5, but could be adapted for younger children. Click here for the student workbook. They are aligned with Illinois Learning Standards. To view and download the PDFs, click on the image to the right or click here.
Linking Plants and Food
By incorporating several core concepts, Linking Plants and Food instills a deep understanding of a sustainable food system and uses the local environment as a focal point for learning. This place-based education creates a meaningful and culturally relevant framework for learning. In addition, Linking Plants and Food assessments present opportunities for students to make collaborative decisions that affect the classroom community and incorporate student voices.
Linking Plants and Food lessons are geared to 5th-8th grade students. They are aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards. To view and download the PDFs, click the image to the right or click here.