Garden Scavenger Hunt

We went on a scavenger hunt in the garden to look for various things such as rocks, plants, bugs, and more. The students identified objects as living and non-living. They identified the parts of a plant. They talked about what animals use the garden as a habitat.

Terrariums

During our study of plants, we built a terrarium using a 2L Coke bottle. I cut the bottle in half and then the students added rocks and soil. The students then poked holes in the soil and added seeds. They then covered the seeds with soil and added water. I then added the top. As we built the terrarium, we discussed what plants need. We also discussed what would happen when the water heated up; it evaporates. We connected this back to our lesson on precipitation and how clouds hold water. We placed our terrarium in the science lab so it can get sunlight. After building the terrarium, the students created a foldable to write about and illustrate the steps that they took. We have been visiting to watch the changes in the plant and to see the water droplets forming at the top.

Carrot Descriptive Writing

Since we were learning about the parts of plants and it was close to Easter, we decided to write about carrots. The students created a carrot and then used a Tree Map to answer questions about it. They wrote about what parts it has, where you can find it, and what you can do with it.

Celery Experiment

To demonstrate that stems carry water from the roots to the leaves, we conducted a celery experiment. We placed stalks of celery with the leaves still attached in water with red food coloring. The students observed the changes in the celery over a few days to see the celery stalk, or stem, and the leaves change colors.

Garden Expert

As a part of our research over the garden habitat, we invited a  garden expert to come talk to the students. Mrs. Flowers (yes, that is her real name) from Pat's Plants in Grand Prairie, brought various types of plants for the students to learn about. She talked about the parts of the plants, their needs, and their purposes. She then answered questions which the students then added to their research notes in class.

Parts of a Plant Technology Diagrams

The students used Pixie 2 to create computer based plant diagrams. They filled the background with a sky background using the fill feature. They then used the paint feature to paint soil, grass, the stem, and the roots. They then used the search feature on the stickers section to add leaves and a flower. They had to resize the flower and flip the leaves to make them fit the stem. Then, using text boxes, they labeled each part and at least one function of that part.

Parts of a Plant Diagrams

The students made flowers and then labeled the parts with their name and function. Their diagrams were added to our class garden bulletin boards.

Parts of a Plant: Vegetable Sort

Last week we began our research over the garden habitat in reading and our study of plant parts in science. As a part of these lessons, the students learned the parts of a plant and their function. For hands on experience, the students worked in groups to sort the part of vegetables that we eat by their parts. They were surprised to learn that some of the vegetables they eat are actually roots.

Measuring in the Garden

To review measuring and comparing length, we took our math lesson out to the school garden. Using pop cubes, the students took turns estimating and then measuring the various heights of plants. They compared the pop cube lengths to one another to determine which plant was the longest and which was the shortest. While we were in the garden we reviewed the parts of the plants and how bugs and plants are interdependent upon one another.