Recent emphasis in early childhood curriculum is on aspects of inquirybased
learning and on teaching integrated with nature education (Meier &
Sisk-Hilton 2013; Davis 2010). The interplay of listening, observing, conversing,
feeling, thinking, and representing are processes essential to teacher
research and to the children’s inquiry into the nature world. The connected
experiences in the herb garden encourage the children to construct complex
understanding for deeper thinking that supports children’s cognitive development.
Ultimately, Ursula learns to use the herb garden as a place to stimulate
the children’s inclinations to nurture, which promotes stewardship and
the development of social and cooperative skills. These skills are fundamental
to confronting social and ecological challenges on a more global scale.