Our lesson this week couldn't have come at a better time. We were telling the children about pollination!
The class props were set up for us already. Yellow, powdery pollen from the oak trees covered the ground and the cucumber seedlings were forming soft, orange flowers. A perfect situation to present the life cycle of flowering plants and tie together everything the children have learned from seed, plant, fruit, and flower.
The curiosity and intelligence of the children always makes me excited and keeps me motivated to continue the lesson for next week. The kindergarteners are amazed by the pink roots of the swiss chard, the purple leaves of the bok choy, and the fact that broccoli seedlings don't look anything like miniature trees they're used to. The third graders are understanding the concept of composting and how human food waste can go into producing thriving fruits and vegetables for us to eat. The learning experience for the children is the most rewarding experience that comes from teaching.
As far as the plants are concerned, the garden at Fairmount Park Elementary is doing great. The purple bok choy is still one of the greatest looking plants with the green and red leaf lettuce coming in at a close second. The tomatoes and green bell pepper plants are companions in a bed and are really growing up well. As I said earlier, the cucumbers are beginning to flower and kale is popping up in almost every bed we've got. Kelly and I gave the entire garden two good waterings and, being a scorching hot day, they needed it.
Till next time!
-Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment