Grade Level TGAL
Embedded Files
Our 4th Grade TGAL initiative provides students with an authentic, hands-on dive into the vital world of pollinators, the birds, bees, butterflies, and bats that allow our ecosystems to thrive by moving pollen from flower to flower. Through this study, students explore how biology, environmental responsibility, and habitat restoration work together to support our local food systems.
To help protect these important creatures, our students, teachers, and community partners worked together to build a special Pollinator Garden. This garden includes three different types of habitats designed to help many kinds of wildlife. Students researched and chose local plants that give pollinators the exact food and nesting materials they require throughout their life cycles. By planting a diverse range of colors, shapes, and blooming seasons, our students have created a reliable refuge that ensures local pollinators have the resources they need to thrive.
Student Impact
In 4th Grade our initiative centers on creating and maintaining a healthy, thriving, pollinator garden. Each classroom is responsible for observing and recording pollinator populations and using data gathered about soil, water, climate, and growth to determine the most successful environment for the plants and pollinators.
This project has a meaningful impact on students by providing them with authentic responsibility and a clear sense of purpose. Students observe and document pollinator populations while analyzing data related to soil ph levels, soil texture, and plant growth to identify the conditions that best support both plants and pollinators. Students actively care for and sustain this living ecosystem.
Beyond learning about plants and pollinators, students develop a strong sense of ownership, responsibility, and teamwork through their work in the pollinator garden. They experience firsthand how small, consistent actions such as watering, planting, and maintaining habitats support the health of an entire ecosystem. As students care for the garden, they begin to understand the important role pollinators play in food production and environmental balance. Most importantly, they learn how sustainable practices can protect local ecosystems and benefit their community. This experience allows students to move beyond simply learning about environmental stewardship to actively practicing it through meaningful, real-world action.
STEM Journal Exemplars
By engaging their senses to observe vibrant colors, unique textures, and distinctive scents, our 4th-grade scientists develop a "scientist’s eye" for the intricate details of our school pollinator garden. These hands-on observations allow students to identify key plant traits and monitor habitat health, turning our local garden into a living laboratory for the Think Global, Act Local mission.
Student Engagement
Think Global, Act Local: Our 4th Grade Pollinator Project
Think Global, Act Local: Our 4th Grade Pollinator Project
Our fourth graders embraced the TGAL (Think Global, Act Local) philosophy through a yearlong STEM project centered on pollinator conservation. The journey began with the Georgia Pollinator Census, a statewide citizen science initiative where students acted as field researchers in their own school garden. By selecting specific plants and meticulously recording visits from bees, butterflies, and other insects, students transformed from learners into active contributors to environmental research.
In the classroom, students analyzed their data to understand the vital link between local biodiversity and global food systems. This project went beyond simple observation, fostering data literacy and civic responsibility as students saw firsthand how small-scale stewardship supports large-scale ecological health. By connecting their garden work to a broader scientific mission, our students realized that informed local actions are the key to driving meaningful global change.
Stemsgiving Parade: Pollinator Garden
Stemsgiving Parade: Pollinator Garden
Our 4th graders celebrated STEMsgiving by building creative parade floats to show off their TGAL project. Some students dressed as bees to represnet pollinators. Other students built colorful flowers to represent the new garden we made. These floats showed how our class researched and planted special local flowers to give bees and butterflies the food and homes they need to stay healthy.
Life Cycle of a Honey Bee
Life Cycle of a Honey Bee
Students explore the life cycle of a bee by creating models that represent each stage of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Through this hands-on activity, students deepen their understanding of how bees grow and change while learning about the important role bees play as pollinators.
Butterfly Observations
Butterfly Observations
By gently observing a butterfly’s delicate anatomy, students get a firsthand look at how specialized mouthparts like the proboscis are perfectly engineered for sipping nectar. This up-close encounter helps children overcome their hesitation, transforming a simple science lesson into a deeper understanding of how pollinators and plants rely on one another to thrive.
Planting Day
Planting Day
Students welcomed our community partner, Courtney Dye, who spoke with them about which plants were currently thriving in the garden and recommended new plants that would support continued growth. Students then helped design and create a new garden section by planting additional plants and applying mulch to help protect and nourish them.
Honey Production
Honey Production
Students had the opportunity to learn from local beekeeper Ray Supple of the Forsyth County Beekeepers Association, who visited our 4th graders to share his expertise about honey bees. He taught students about the important jobs within a honey bee colony, including the roles of worker bees, drones, and the queen bee, as well as the fascinating process of how bees produce honey. This engaging experience helped students better understand the importance of honey bees as pollinators and their vital role in supporting ecosystems and food production.
Community Partners
4H
4H
4-H is a premier youth development organization that empowers students through a "learn by doing" philosophy rooted in agricultural science and leadership. By bringing hands-on expertise directly into our classrooms, 4-H helps students bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and real-world application. Their specialists lead our students through technical agricultural practices, such as conducting soil samples to test for nutrient density, understanding the complex growth cycles of corn, and mastering the fundamental techniques of planting and maintaining a sustainable garden.
Beyond general agricultural literacy, 4-H provides vital support for our 4th Grade TGAL (Think Global, Act Local) project. They serve as expert mentors, guiding students as they design and maintain our school pollinator garden. By teaching the children which native plants specifically attract and sustain local pollinators, 4-H helps students understand how small-scale local efforts address the global challenge of biodiversity loss. This partnership ensures our students aren't just growing plants—they are engineering a functional habitat that supports the local ecosystem.
Courtney Dye
Courtney Dye
Our community partner, Courtney Dye, is a vital force behind our pollinator garden, visiting several times a year to share her infectious enthusiasm for botany and hands-on conservation. Whether she is leading a planting session or teaching students the importance of soil health, Courtney helps children get comfortable with the "dirty" side of science: encouraging them to dive into mulch, handle soil, and master the physical techniques of gardening. Her direct mentorship transforms the garden into a vibrant outdoor classroom where students don't just learn about ecology; they actively build and sustain a thriving habitat for our local pollinators.
TGAL Data
Our 4th Grade TGAL Pollinator Night at Big Creek Greenway was a wonderful hands‑on learning adventure! Students, families, teachers and even animals came together to explore pollinator plants and the wildlife that depends on them.
During our scavenger hunt, students discovered a variety of pollinator‑friendly trees and plants while observing the many creatures that visit them. They were especially excited to find unexpected pollinators, including several unique species of spiders!
This event helped our young scientists learn how pollinators interact with their environment, and how seasonal changes from summer to fall affect both pollinators and the plants they rely on. It was a fun and meaningful way to build awareness of the important role pollinators play in our local ecosystem—especially the ones we don’t always think about!
Our school’s Pollinator Garden is an outdoor learning lab that supports hands‑on STEM exploration for multiple grade levels throughout the year. Students regularly use the garden during TGAL lessons to observe pollinator behavior, track plant growth, and conduct real‑world investigations. The space is filled with pollinator‑friendly plants that attract insects, birds, and other wildlife, giving students an up-close view of how living organisms work together in an ecosystem.
While 4th graders often visit the garden to study pollinators and seasonal change, the space is shared across grade levels. Second graders use it as part of their studies on frogs and life cycles, while third graders explore soil, plant needs, and environmental changes in this same authentic setting. The garden continues to grow as a collaborative, schoolwide STEM resource—helping students make meaningful connections between classroom learning and the natural world right outside their door.
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2022-23
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