Gardening Unit: Days 4-6

It's been a busy two weeks, so I haven't had time to get the last half of our plants & gardens unit study up. Finally, here it is:

Day Four:

• Circle Time: Look at lapbook and review what we’ve learned so far.
• Read Pumpkin Town and What Kinds of Seeds are These
• Look at pictures of various plants and have the girls circle the stems (flowering plant, herb, cactus, vine)
• Do both “Why Plants Have Stems” experiment (Evan-Moor book)
• Do the “4 Ways Seeds Travel” minibook from HSS
• Explosion: Tear or cut up pieces of scrap paper to make confetti (seeds).  Place the tiny pieces in a lunch bag or baggy or balloon.  Now hold the end of the bag almost closed and blow air into the bottom.  Hold the end closed so that the air doesn't escape.  Now pop the bag.  What happened to the seeds?
• Flying: Make a Whirlygig to show how some seeds travel
• Floating: Put sunflower seeds in water and watch them float!
• People & Animals: Put on an old pair of socks, then walk in burr seeds next door. Notice how they stick on!

Day Five:

• Circle Time: Look at 2 new flower pictures (find ones that are native to NC) and 2 new tree pictures.
• Read I Am a Leaf and A B Cedar: An Alphabet of Trees  and Leaves
• Fill out lab record from yesterday’s experiments (Evan-Moor book)
• Gather leaves from outdoors. Bring them inside and compare them. How are they different? How are they the same? Do some leaf rubbings and put in lapbook. If possible, identify the tree from which they came.
• Draw a plant with green leaves for logbook and write what the purpose of a leaf is!
• Make a seed mosaic with extra seeds. Show pics to give them ideas!

Day Six:

• Go on a nature scavenger hunt at a local park or nature preserve. Bring along a field guide and identify trees, flowers and other plants encountered. For extra fun, bring your digital camera to take pictures. Later, incorporate those picture into lapbook.