| I am going to teach children 7-14 years old about starting seeds, marigolds in particular. Can you recommend any literature, on line or off line that might help me take this down to their level? |
| It's interesting to get kids to think about just what a seed is. Is it alive or dead? What does a seed need to grow? Would it grow in something other than soil? Other questions to spark ideas include: What makes a good planting medium? What is soil--what are the elements that make up soil? Why do roots grow down? Can you think of a way to make them grow upwards? For the older kids--What keeps seeds from growing inside a tomato or orange? What adaptations have plants made to ensure their seedsgerminate at the proper time (ex. chilling requirements, exposure to a certain amount of water, even scorching by fire!) National Gardening Association's GrowLab program is an inquiry-based curriculum bringing plant-based learning to the classroom. Visit the web site at www.garden.org and check out the Kids and Classrooms page. For ideas on integrating plants and gardening into the classroom, browse through some of the articles from the newsletter "Growing Ideas: A Journal of Plant-Based Learning": http://www2.garden.org/nga/EDU... For general information on seed starting techniques, visit Gardener's Supply's web site at: http://www.gardeners.com/garde... For linksto lots of other sites about gardening in the classroom, see: http://www2.garden.org/nga/EDU... Have a great time! |
