Although there is still snow on the ground here in New England, it is the time of year when we begin teaching about seeds and life cycles. I started my seed unit this week. We began by reading the book, How A Seed Grows, by Helene Jordan and Loretta Krupinski (available on Amazon). This is a great book for introducing the unit.
Then we completed a sort - a seed?, or not a seed? I teach in a suburban area, but I have found over the years that many of my students have little to no exposure with seeds and gardening.
To begin, I place the tray on the rug in front of the students and we examine one seed/object at a time. You can place each seed on a plate and provide a magnifying glass so each student has an opportunity to examine it. I use two plates and start one at each end of the group to save time. I keep the seed packets behind me. Once we identify if it is a seed or not, I have them guess what kind of seed they think it is. If they don't get it after a few tries I tell them and then I show them the seed packet so they can recognize what it will become. One of my favorites is the marigold seed. I have never had a student guess that it was a seed. They almost always think it is a stick. They are also very surprised to discover that a kernel of corn is a seed.
After the seed sort, we place bean seeds into ziplock bags with a wet paper towel and tape them to our classroom windows. We document the progress of our seeds on a seed observation sheet. I remove one seed a day from the window and pass it around so that students can get a close look. The "oohs," and "aaahhhs" are beyond adorable. Of course I build the excitement by saying, "You're not going to believe what is happening now..."
My little ones have been amazed at how quickly their seeds are sprouting. It is heartwarming to see how happy they are for a friend's seed that is sprouting faster than their own! Once the seeds begin to reach for the top of the bag we send them home. This should be within the next week or so.
I think we will move on to the life cycle of frogs next.
I know many of you are on spring break this week and I hope you have a wonderful and restful break. Our spring break is in two weeks, and I can't wait!
I am also participating in a sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers today and tomorrow (4/5 and 4/6). Everything in my store will be 20% off - no code required at checkout. It's a great time to grab some bundles at a very low price!
Have a great week!
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