Winter Garden
Bring some new life into your classroom!
Grades K-6
Subjects Science, Language Arts, Art, Math
Time Frame Several Weeks
Materials Shallow dishes, water, sweet potato tops (approximately 1 inch), carrot tops (approximately 1/2 inch), fresh ginger, pineapple top with the green leaves in the center, garlic. |
This is a good project for the winter when colors outside are drab. Students enjoy seeing the changes and growth in the plants from day to day. The plants will not grow another fruit or vegetable, but will sprout and grow into bushy plants.
When choosing carrot tops, they should be approximately 1/2 inch long, including some orange and some green; a carrot that shows signs of a shoot on top will work best.
Place flat stones in a shallow dish, fill with water almost to the top of the dish, place carrot tops, sweet potato tops, ginger, etc., between or gently resting on top of the pebbles, but touching the water. Top up the water as required.
Observe the changes and growth that occurs. Chart the changes in Science notebooks (journal style), or on large chart paper (depending on grade level) both in writing and in diagrams. A digital photo journal could also be made.
In a manner appropriate for the grade level, have students write up observations.
Middle grade students could research further information about each fruit or vegetable including origins, vitamins and nutrients in each food, necessary growing conditions, etc. This could be done in groups, one for each type of vegetable you are growing.
Book Tie-ins
Grow It Again by Elizabeth MacLeod and Caroline Price
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
Planting a Rainbow
by Lois Ehlert
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Printed with permission from Firefly Books Ltd.
Great Teacher Projects K-8 by Laura Mayne
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