Indigenous Teaching Gardens

Indigenous Teaching Gardens

Welcome to the Indigenous teaching and learning gardens in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. They are a site for learning from the Land and engaging with Indigenous perspectives in the teaching and learning of K-12 subject matter, with a specific focus on mathematics and the sciences.

Thinking about teaching, research and learning in and use of the gardens involves an ongoing series of conversations within the community we are building around them. The website is therefore a work-in-progress that changes as we come to understand new, differently and more.

History

Since 2000, most provincial and territorial governments, including Alberta’s, have mandated the integration of perspectives of Canada’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples across all K-12 curricula.

In 2011, the gardens project was conceived as a means of considering integration within preservice teacher education at UA. They were developed primarily for and by students taking courses focused on teaching and learning in the science and mathematics because these subject subject areas can be challenging with respect to integration.

Since the winter of 2012, the project has involved multiple courses in the Departments of Secondary and Elementary Education.

What are the gardens?

The gardens are places located in and around the Education Building on the University of Alberta North campus. They contain plant species mostly native to Alberta, making them sustainable and eco-friendly. The gardens exist as a learning space where faculty, students, and pre-service teachers can come together to learn in a natural and welcoming environment.

Where are they located?

There are three garden locations. The first is known as the West Balcony Planter, located on the 3rd floor of Education North, on the large balcony on the West side of the building (across from EdTech Services). This planter is less sheltered from the elements, and hosts many plant species that prefer moist conditions. This planter was filled in Spring 2012. Picnic tables are provided here for visitors to enjoy the outdoors, with the sun being strongest in the afternoon.

The next is the East Balcony Planter, located on the 3rd floor of Education North on the smaller balcony. This balcony can only be accessed through EdTech Services, and it hosts multiple picnic benches as well. This balcony is much more sheltered from the elements, so the plants found here prefer dry soil conditions. The sun is strongest here in the morning and early afternoon, and is a great place to enjoy your lunch or morning coffee! The planter here was also filled in Spring 2012.

The third location is the Naturalization Site, located just outside the windows and doors behind the Education Cafeteria on the main floor of Education North (on the East side of the building, in the courtyard). This site is older than the balcony planters, but contains many of the same indigenous plant species. Initially cared for and reclaimed by Sustain SU, this garden is a collaboration joining our projects together.

Contact Us

Locations:

3rd floor balconies (West and East), outside main floor cafeteria
Education Building, North Tower
University of Alberta North Campus
114 Street, 89 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada

Email: edgarden@ualberta.ca