Dallas Independent School District

The overarching goal of science education is to ensure that by the end of 12th grade, all students have some appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science; possess sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues; are careful consumers of scientific and technological information related to their everyday lives; are able to continue to learn about science outside of school. Learning Science in Informal settings such as outdoor classrooms and school gardens is crucial to assisting students with the development of not only reasoning skills such as understanding correlations between the flow of energy and feedback mechanisms, but also in the development of global citizenship and understanding how humans directly impact the environment around them. School gardens in Dallas ISD are maintained by campus personnel and utilized to provide instruction over science and health standards through field investigations. Types of gardens currently found on campuses in Dallas ISD include vegetable, pollinator, hydroponic, and aquaponic gardens.