In this lesson students put their garden learning to music as they explore the concept of habitat in the garden setting.
The Great Seed Hunt
Published April 15, 2012
| Updated September 20, 2012
Subject: English, Math, Science
Season: Spring, Fall
Place of Learning: Garden Classroom
Resource Type: Lessons
Grade Level: Grade 1, Grade 2 , Grade 3
Uploaded by:
Johnna Hampton-Walker Program Affiliations:
In this lesson students will search for evidence of seed production in the garden. They will talk about the life cycle of the plant, then use seed specimens they collect to practice mathematical concepts of sorting. Make sure pockets of the garden are in a solid stage of seed production to ensure a successful search.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Identify seeds and seed pods on a plant
• Better understand the plant life cycle.
• Sort and categorize a group of real objects based on a variety of properties.
Materials
• One or two seed specimens you collect from the garden prior to the lesson
• Plant Cycle illustrations from books or internet resources (optional)
• Garden journals (or blank paper with clipboards if students do not keep garden journals)
• Pencils for each student
• One or two pair of scissors or garden pruners
• Basket or bowl for collecting seed specimens
• The book, A Seed is Sleepy, by DIana Hutts Aston (optional)
Procedures
Show children the seed samples you collected from the garden prior to the lesson. Review the process of the plant life cycle, if necessary, to remind students where seeds fit in the life cycle of the plant. If you started plants in your school garden from seed with your students and have watched them grow to maturity togehter, then you will have a prime example already in place for which to base your review. If not, you may find that using examples you access from books or internet resources will be helpful.
Conduct the seed hunt with students in small groups of no more than 10. As children search, allow each child in the group to use scissors or pruners to cut a few seed samples from plnats. Make sure all cutting is done under your supervision. Collect seed specimens in a basket or bowl as you work.
As you search, have students record what they find in their journals or on blank paper attached to a clipboard. Students should sketch and label the seeds or seed pods and note the plants from which they collect the specimens.
After the hunt, have students work together to sort the seeds in a variety of ways, according to different properties. They should record results in the journals or on their papers. Seeds may be sorted any number of ways, including vegetable/flower/herb, dry/not dry, edible/not edible, size, color, etc. Last, students will record their thoughts and feelings about the hunt to share with one another.
As a culmination to the day's work, read the book, A Seed is Sleepy, aloud to students. It is full of beautiful bontanical illustrations and scientific information and is presented in an engaging format for young learners and gardeners.
In this activity students are introduced to the garden space as a learning environment in which to discover geometric shapes found within and among plants and structures in the garden area.
Area: Garden Classroom
Type: Lessons
Rating:
Comments
Great sorting activity!
i love this. we did this recently with flowers and dandelion seeds for our 10th grade biology. love the math integration of yours.