House 1
Students will attend to a winter cue and choose one plant-care action.
Lesson 22 • Garden skills & food
Help Plants Through Winter
Sort seasonal garden jobs and help protect plants for colder weather.
Classroom lesson: Preserving Plants for Next SeasonToday I can…
choose one way to help a plant during winter.
Words to know
Our five words
WINTERCOVERMULCHMOVEDORMANT
Follow along
What we will do
- 1
Check the season
Notice cold-weather pictures and the garden calendar.
- 2
Sort plants
Choose move, cover, mulch, leave, or remove.
- 3
Add mulch
Practice placing mulch around, not against, a stem.
- 4
Cover or move
Help use breathable cover or move a safe small pot.
- 5
Label
Mark the plant and when we will check it again.
Speech, sign, point, eye gaze, or AAC
Tell us what you need
COVERMOVEMULCHLEAVECHECK
Teacher & para guideMaterials, House objectives, access, and safety
Materials
- Season and plant picture cards
- Breathable frost-cloth sample
- Clean mulch
- Small demonstration plant
- Move/cover/leave labels
- Winter check calendar
Safety first
Adults handle pruning, heavy pots, ladders, utilities, and roadside work. Do not seal plants in plastic or pile mulch against stems.
Follow each student's IEP, health, feeding, allergy, behavior, and mobility plans.
Objectives by House
House 2
Students will match a plant with move, cover, or leave using two choices.
House 3
Students will follow a winter-care sequence and demonstrate correct mulch placement.
House 4 & 5
Students will sort plants by seasonal need and complete or document an appropriate winterization task.
Access supports
Communication Model five core words; accept speech, AAC, eye gaze, gestures, object choices, signs, and partner-assisted scanning.
Sensory Present one material at a time. Offer tools, gloves, observe-only, a scent-free choice, and a quiet break.
Motor Stabilize containers, pre-loosen parts, use adapted grips, and offer seated, standing, partner, or directing roles.
Learning Show the finished result, model first, use short visual steps, repeat, and record the least support needed.