Park Avenue School is a K-4 school in Nashville, TN located between Park Avenue and Elkins Avenue and 37th and 38th Avenues North.

The schools grounds are home to a community garden maintained by the Sylvan Heights Neighborhood Association.

Beginning in 2006-07, first grade teachers started to teach as much as possible of the first grade science curriculum out of the garden.

This webpage follows the progress of the garden and science teaching that comes out of it.

Studying meteorology in the garden

• Drought: What is a drought? Are we in a drought? What can we do?
• The three states of water and how they affect the garden
• Greenhouses: The sun heats the earth like a microwave
• Heat and the color of the earth

Studying biology in the garden

• Parts of plants
• Introduction to plants
• Identifying animals from the soil
• Food webs in the garden
• Plant reproduction: seeds and cloning
• Plant life cycles: annuals, bienials, perennials
• Animal reproduction: insect and spider egg cases.
• Butterflys and moths in the garden
• Plant families: the cabbage family
• Preserving the harvest: drying, pickling, jam making
• Feeding the birds - Are they carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores?

Studying social studies in the garden

• An American history garden
• A Kurdish garden
• An African garden

Studying mathematics in the garden

• Is the corn as high as an elephant's eye? an introduction to measurement.