Plants
We will explore and discover more about plants and the environment they need for strong and healthy growth. This includes reading about plants and gardens, and writing our own plant books. In another activity, we get together in small groups and take an up-close look at our own classroom plants. The children are thrilled to share their observations with the rest of the class. We discover what all of the plants have in common as well as their differences. We ask questions such as, “What happens to the seed when you put it in the ground and water it? How does it grow? What does it need? Why is this plant different from that one?” To help answer these questions, we grow some seeds in the classroom. Some in plant pots, some in paper towels and baggies in drawers and on the window sill. We also soak beans in water overnight and examine the changes the next day. The germinating seeds show us all of the early-growth plant parts. When we plant in pots of soil, the children experience the growing process even more closely and learn that plants need air, water, food, and shelter - just as people do. We continue to watch our plants as the weeks go by. The plants, both old and new, that we care for in the classroom, provide information on flowering, insects, soil compaction and crowding, feeding and watering needs, as well as aesthetics. The children are proud to bring their plants home in the spring to plant and watch blossom. After our earlier learning experiences in Nutrition, we can now start to see the connections between all living things for air, food, water, and a safe habitat. We will further expand on this with our study of the farm.
How does a venus flytrap work?
