In Mr. Manzano's third-grade Spanish Reading class at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, students recently took their learning beyond the classroom by creating a garden. As part of their first unit, the class studied narrative nonfiction, focusing on the sequence of events as a text structure. They read "Un jardín para todos," which tells the story of Kiku Sato, a young girl who built a garden in her community.
To bring the story to life, Mr. Manzano wanted to give his students a hands-on experience similar to Sato’s. "I wanted to give the students the experience of actually creating a garden in their school, which is their second home," he shared.
The students spent a day planting peppers, learning about teamwork and the physical effort that goes into cultivating a garden. “We got our hands dirty, we sweated a lot, and we planted peppers. The kids loved it,” Mr. Manzano said.
In the coming weeks, the students will take care of the garden, excitedly volunteering to water the plants. They’re looking forward to harvesting the peppers and sharing them with their families—bringing their hard work home.
This immersive experience ties academic learning to real-world application, strengthening the students' connection to their school and community.
