Award certificate form

Grades K-12. $19.95. Additional packets (same family discount) $12.95. Braden Road Farms, 1323 Two Acre Lane, Walla Walla, WA 99362. (509) 522-4253. www.bradenroad.com.

Sow a seed and reap a harvest of learning with Braden Road's Gardening Unit Study, a multi-level unit study complete with materials kit and student workbook. Everything you need is provided except the garden--which isn't even required for completion of this intriguing course.

In the materials kit you will find all the supplies for conducting the experiments: six packets of seeds, plastic bottles, cotton, Desiccant Pak, labels, bags, and garden markers. The 11/42 inch thick 8 11/42 x 11" student workbook contains eighteen projects and delves into: weather, math, geography, spelling, vocabulary, biology, zoology, botany, soil science, seed saving, art, photography, and nutrition. In the weather project, for instance, you will record and graph temperatures taken from where you live and plug them into a gardening calendar color-coded by frost dates and varying increments of temperature. While this project involves several weeks of charting, other project sheets may involve only a day's work, such as spelling and vocabulary, or even zoology.

All projects are written directly to the student, allowing for independent study (although you'll probably want to get in on the fun and get your hands dirty too!) The use of different-colored sheets per project makes it easy to quickly locate where you are in the workbook, and samples printed on the back of chart pages enable you to see what the finished project should look like.

Each project has clearly defined levels with reward points associated to each. The older you are, the more levels you must complete and the deeper you dig into the study. Upon completion of the course, you tally up the points, fill out a form, and send your results in to Braden Road Farm. They will then send you a calligraphied certificate. For those desiring extra incentive, if a copy of the project sheets and photos are sent in by November 15, it will be reviewed for outstanding work and considered for selection of a special reward. Winners and high-point earners per age grouping will be mentioned in a year-end newsletter sent to all customers, and student's work may be displayed on Braden Road Farm's website. What a great learning experience!