Check out our Garden and educator designed resources, as well as many additional recommended resources, to take your Garden experience into the classroom or to take your classroom outside!
For BC Teachers
The following resources have been created by UBC Botanical Garden staff and B.Ed students, and are designed to showcase BC curriculum connections to programming or spaces at UBC Botanical Garden.
Plant Unit
Grade 1
Topics Covered: Plant Life Cycles, Clean Water and Sanitation, Science
Specifically designed for Grade 1 students, this unit plan emphasizes the acquisition of plant knowledge. Each lesson is thoughtfully structured, comprising a distinct objective, educational book, interactive activity, and guiding questions to complement the educator's instructions. All lessons in this unit plan intersect with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
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Comparative Relationships in Drawing Native and Non-Native Plant Diptych
Grade 10-12 Visual Art
Topics Covered: Biodiversity, Ecological Conservation, Climate Change, Speciation, Native /Non-Native Plant Identification, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12, Visual Art
This activity is a visual exploration of native and non-native plants through drawing. Creating diptychs, students will compare two plant species. This activity is to take place following a guided tour of the UBC Botanical Garden, with a focus on biodiversity, ecological conservation, climate change, speciation, and native/non-native plant identification.
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Evolution Project
Grade 10 Science & Grade 11 Life Science
Topics Covered: Evolution, Macroevolution, Microevolution, Adaptations, Natural Selection, Grade 10, Science, Grade 11, Life Science
After a tour at the Garden centering around evolution, students complete a creative project focusing on the evolutionary history of a species, either one discovered at the Garden or that students discover themselves.
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For Everyone
The following resources have been created in collaboration with UBC Botanical Garden and our partners to promote sustainability and environmental education.
Environmental Education Resources Kit:
Plants and Pollinators
Young Learners (ages 4-12)
Topics Covered: Pollination, Plant Identification,
UBC Botanical Garden and Butterflies in My Backyard (BIMBY) collaborated to create resources for educators who want to implement environmental education into their teaching. These resources focus on themes such as pollination and plant identification explored through engaging, inquiry-based activities. They are designed for younger students (4-12 years old) but can be adapted for any learner, and are available in French and English.
Download Files (English)
Download Files (French)
Additional Resources
Videos
Experience health and wellness benefits of visiting a BC rainforest without leaving your home. The Greenheart TreeWalk is a canopy walkway, an aerial trail system that allows people to journey through the upper parts of the forest. Its structure enables visitors to explore the flora and fauna that thrives in this lofty environment.
This immersive 360 video was filmed on the Greenheart TreeWalk located in the David C. Lam Asian Garden at UBC Botanical Garden. Learn more about the Greenheart TreeWalk HERE.
Learn more about what springtime flowers may be blooming in your neighbourhood! Explore the connection between these flowers, bees, butterflies and birds in celebration of Earth Day. We will teach you how to draw your own botanical wonders, dissect the parts of a flower, and how plants reproduce and grow strong.
Calling all kids ages 9-12! Citizen science is an exciting way to connect with nature while also advancing our understanding of the world. Join us as we explore the biology of butterflies and learn how to observe and record butterflies and plants on iNaturalist. Don’t forget to bring some paper and colouring materials (pastels, pencil crayons, paints) as we identify and draw common butterflies in Metro Vancouver.
Explore the history and diversity of apple trees. Learn about tastes, colours and textures!
The diversity of apple varieties tells the story of sharing seeds and recipes. Students (grades 4-7) will be introduced to biodiversity as a beneficial principle in food and agriculture. The importance of the 4 B’s (bees, butterflies, bats and birds) in pollination is revealed with many fun facts shared. They will explore the lifecycle of apple trees, with the big reveal of the 5-star apple seed. The diversity of BC's apples will be celebrated.
Note for teachers: To enhance the student experience, we invite teachers to supply apples for their students or ask students to bring in their own to pair with watching this video.
Online Resources
- Garden Explorer: Our plant database excellent tool to explore and locate plants in our collection.
- Grow Green Guide: Browse the collection to find the best plants for your garden space and personalized design ideas. Created and maintained by Metro Vancouver in collaboration with UBC Botanical garden.
- Pacific Northwest Plant ID Cards: A pocket-sized set of cards with a native plant photo and plant profile. An excellent resource to identify plants in the field.
- Plants of Coastal British Columbia by Pojar and MacKinnon: An excellent book of the plants of our region
- Tree Book: Learning to Recognize Trees of British Columbia by the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.
- Spencer Entomological Collection: Explore specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection Online Database. Hosted by Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
- E-Flora BC Identification Help Tool: Electronic Atlas of the flora of British Columbia.
For more information about School Field Trips and Guided Tours, please visit our Group Experiences and Tours page!