Happy Mother's Day to every mom who works tirelessly to make sure that their kids have everything that they need. My remarkable second graders were able to give their moms a present that was truly grown with lots of love, a little science and a scoop of curiosity. Six weeks ago we embarked on the journey of learning about the life cycle of plants. On day one, each student chose a seed to plant - radish, zinnia or lemon basil. I placed rocks at the bottom of the clear plastic drinking cups and challenged my students to figure out why as they added soil and seeds .
The plants were placed excitedly on a window ledge so that each one received plenty of sunlight and students eagerly watered them each day. We recorded our observations in a plant observation journal daily and wrote written reflections each Friday. Some questions asked were:
- Why do the leaves seem to turn towards the window?
- Why do the seeds grow at different rates?
- What will happen to the plant if it receives too much water?
- Can a plant grow in the dark?
- Why are leaves different colors?
- How come some kids plants grew taller than mine?
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| My Plant Journal: Life Cycle of a Plant |
Wow! Six weeks later we have learned all about plants and have awesome blooms to give to moms in honor of Mother's Day.
My fantastic intern, Emilee, attached tags to each plant. On Friday, my students lovingly took their plants home to give to moms for Mother's Day along with a card.
Oh... a few students figured out that the rocks aided in water drainage from the soil and helped to increase the humidity levels in the small clear cups!
So, from my family to yours... Have a wonderful Mother's Day!
