Spring Has Sprung
Read & Do
Grow: A Family Guide to Plants and How to Grow Them
Vocab:
germinate - when a seed or spore puts out shoots
pollinate - transfer of pollen that allows for fertilization of plants
Grafting - is an ancient method where you take a cutting to produce the fruit you want from one plant and carefully attach it to another with a healthy root system
deciduous - to fall off or shed seasonally
bolting - the stage when a plant is about to flower and end its life cycle
anthocyanins - the pigment that gives carrots red, purple, and almost black colors
taproot - a larger central root that other roots can sprout off diagonally
sap - the liquid inside a plant
cucurbitaceae - the gourd family of plants that includes pumpkins, watermelons, and cucumbers.
toxic - poisonous or harmful
After you are done reading Grow: A Family Guide to Plants and How to Grow Them, ask your students these questions:
What plant is nicknamed the hero of remedy, and what are some common uses?
What was the first plant astronauts grew in space?
Why are mushrooms called community builders?
What flower bulbs are scientists working with to hopefully find a compound to use in treating cancer?
What plant is pollinated by bats and hummingbirds who feed on its nectar?
What is the life cycle of an apple tree?
Who brought carrots to China in the thirteenth century?
How does the aloe vera plant resist drought?
What are some benefits of drinking from the tea plant?
Activity
Watch this video to learn ways plants defend themselves
Planting a Garden in Room 6
Vocab:
chlorophyll - the substance that plants use to trap sunlight to enable photosynthesis
mineral - a chemical substance that occurs naturally in the earth, like iron or calcium
fertilizer - food for plants added to the soil
photosynthesis - the process a plant uses to turn sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into sugar used for plant growth
seedling - a young plant grown from a seed
After you are done reading Planting a Garden in Room 6, ask your students these questions:
How do you prepare the soil before planting?
How are earthworms beneficial to a garden?
What is a seed coat?
What is the function of roots for a plant?
Inside each new seed is the beginning of a new plant called an ____________.
What is the purpose of removing some young seedlings from the garden?
How are aphids destructive to plants?
What natural predator can you use to stop the aphids?
What plants would you like to try to grow in a garden?
Activity
Watch and learn how easy it can be to start your very own garden
The Secret Signs of Nature - How to Uncover Hidden Clues in the Sky, Water, Plants, Animals and Weather
Vocab:
cumulonimbus clouds - a type of cloud that grows to extreme heights and can produces thunderstorms
snow drift - fresh snow that has been moved by the wind
deciduous - a tree or bush that loses leaves every fall
petrichor - the sweet smell of damp earth after rain
sea swell - waves that are generated by distant weather systems
orbit - the curved path of an object as it goes around a planet, moon or star
refraction - when light changes direction or goes through another material
downwind - situated or moving in the direction in which the wind is blowing
After you are done reading The Secret Signs of Nature, ask your students these questions:
What is a young navigator's most important tool?
What are the cardinal directions?
What is a prevailing wind?
The Coriolis effect is what?
What can hummingbirds do that humans do not when it comes to viewing a rainbow?
Zebras stray no more than how far from a water source?
A ring or halo around the sun is caused by what?
What is the only natural satellite of planet Earth?
What are the phases of the moon?
What did sailors rely on to navigate prior to navigational instruments?
Activity
Love nature and want to learn more? Watch how one becomes a junior park ranger and the many ways you can support our National Parks.
