Yardscaping
Provided by: Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District|Published on: August 7, 2025
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
Region: Maine
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource from the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District is a collection of guides for various elements included in yard care.
- Readers will learn how to manage pests, improve soil health, address runoff issues, incorporate edible landscaping, and a range of other skills.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Each section is no more than two pages, making the reading accessible for most students.
- With a wide range of topics, students will likely find something that can apply to their living space.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand composting.
- Teachers may want to begin by reading the Why Yardscape section as an introduction to the topic.
- Teachers should be mindful of students who may not have much green in their outdoor space or live in apartment complexes or other housing situations.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can use these resources to help with the upkeep of a schoolyard or class garden.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can discuss how warming climates impact the prevalence of invasive species. Teachers can then have students read the sections on grubs, weeds, and invasive plants.
- Teachers can also make climate change connections by combining the section on pollinator gardens with a lesson on the impact of climate change on pollinators. This lesson has some Maine-specific information and can help with this concept.
- Teachers can combine the section on mosquitoes and ticks with this module to connect the prevalence of ticks to climate change.
- Students can practice summarization by reading a section of their choice and condensing it into one or two sentences.
This resource contains a number of pages about different yardscaping techniques and things to consider. All of these pages, and yardscaping in general, encourage people to think about the environment as a whole and participate in activities that will benefit both the environment and people. The page does not provide an introduction to yardscaping and may not work as a stand-alone resource; however, the website does contain more information about yardscaping that can address these topics. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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