On Friday we explored seeds all day with both kindergarten classes and their older buddies. Kids this age are almost always delighted with the licorice scent and taste of fennel, so it's a good seed to start with. I like students to be able to use their five senses to explore seeds.
As part of the process, students were given a bowl of mixed bulk seeds and tried to find five kinds of seeds and separate them from the chaff. They decorated their own seed packets to take home.
We talked about beneficial insects: the ladybugs who are attracted to fennel and the bees attracted to sunflowers, calendula, marigolds, and buckwheat. We studied the stages of life of a ladybug: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
The students collaborated on drawings of seeds and ladybugs and some glued seeds to the artwork. Students were engaged and focused. I think seeds have the magical power to create a meditative state. One of the grade five students said wryly: "Look at us sorting seeds like a bunch of old grannies."
The afternoon class planted some marigold seeds. The quote of the day: "Can you help me? Because I don't like to get my hands dirty when I'm gardening." Indeed. I did manage to get him to stick his pinky into the potting soil. The afternoon class staged a mock royal wedding in honor of William and Catherine, complete with security, imaginary horse-drawn carriages, cookies (proper biscuits) and plastic crowns. I pretended I was a visiting reporter from the CBC, capturing their smiling faces for the Canadian public.
On Friday we explored seeds all day with both kindergarten classes and their older buddies. Kids this age are almost always delighted with the licorice scent and taste of fennel, so it's a good seed to start with. I like students to be able to use their five senses to explore seeds.
As part of the process, students were given a bowl of mixed bulk seeds and tried to find five kinds of seeds and separate them from the chaff. They decorated their own seed packets to take home.
We talked about beneficial insects: the ladybugs who are attracted to fennel and the bees attracted to sunflowers, calendula, marigolds, and buckwheat. We studied the stages of life of a ladybug: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
The students collaborated on drawings of seeds and ladybugs and some glued seeds to the artwork. Students were engaged and focused. I think seeds have the magical power to create a meditative state. One of the grade five students said wryly: "Look at us sorting seeds like a bunch of old grannies."
The afternoon class planted some marigold seeds. The quote of the day: "Can you help me? Because I don't like to get my hands dirty when I'm gardening." Indeed. I did manage to get him to stick his pinky into the potting soil. The afternoon class staged a mock royal wedding in honor of William and Catherine, complete with security, imaginary horse-drawn carriages, cookies (proper biscuits) and plastic crowns. I pretended I was a visiting reporter from the CBC, capturing their smiling faces for the Canadian public.
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