Gardening with Kids

Summary: This project will introduce children to the necessary requirements for plant germination and growth. Students will meet the objectives by doing lab activities with seed germination and flower dissection. They will use this information to design, plant and maintain a vegetable garden in the fall and a flower garden in the spring. For those schools without available land, gardening in pots can be used. All information and graphs are to be kept in a journal.

8.) differentiate between plants that are "native" to the area to those that are considered "exotic".

b) oxygen : If there is too much water in the soil, the plants can not grow. If the plants are planted too deep, they can not get enough oxygen and will not grow.

c.) right temperature : Too hot? Too cold? They won't grow because the seeds drop to the ground in the summer and they don't sprout in the winter.

ACTIVITY : Bring in several packages of different seeds. Have students copy the following chart from the board and fill in the spaces with the information from the packets.

Before students ever plant a seed in the garden, they should look at different seeds germinating under identical conditions. Be sure to include both monocot and dicot seeds to compare.

ACTIVITY: Select seeds that are known to germinate easily such as radishes, marigolds, zinnas, cucumbers, rye grass... Each student or student group gets ten seeds of each type. Make sure the students don't mix the seeds! They are to spread their seeds of one type on a wet paper towel and fold the towel several times to make a package. Place in a sandwich bag and label which seeds are contained in the baggie. Students are to check the towels each morning and each afternoon to look for germination. Rewet towels at this time. The students must enter updated information in their journals. Each day they should draw, color and label their observations.

Plant (Seed)	Number of Days to Germination	# of Seed Leaves	Length of Stems

2.) After a week, the students must draw a bar graph of the number of seeds of each type germinating.What does this graph tell you about seed germination?

*****Plant the seeds for later use in plant requirements for growth. Do this in journal.

a) sunlight - is necessary for making food in the leaves. This process is called photosynthesis. All plants require light to grow. some plants require more light than others. It is important to pay attention to the light requirements of the plants chosen. DON'T plant a shade lover in full sun!

b) nutrients - plants require nutrients in a continuous supply. Some of the most important ones are potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N). These are the primary components in fertilizers.

c.) water - plants require the complete "balance" of water. They will die if they receive too much or too little water. The roots will rot if the plants receives too much water. If the plants receive too little water, the plant will undergo "water stress".

d.) air in the soil -The roots also need air! It is important that the soil be aerated. Make sure the soil doesn't crust over and try not to walk over the soil where the roots are growing.

e.) temperature - Most tender plants have a narrow range in which they thrive. Freezing kills many vegetable plants in the late fall. A late freeze would kill young annuals in spring. Mulching helps keeps the soil temperature moderated.

ACTIVITY: Break students into groups of 3 or 4. Using plants from the germination exercise, students will consider the effects of water on the growth. Each group needs five plants of the same type and the same size.. Label each as follows:

Every morning the students will water the plants according to this label. They will then make measurements and observations about each plant. It is important that all plants get equal sunlight each day.

Plant	Height in cm	# of Leaves	Color of Leaves	Healthy Leaves?
1
2
3
4
5

After two weeks of making observations, students will make a line graph. Each plant will be graphed with a different color pencil. Either height in cm or number of leaves can be used, depending on the level of the class.

All plants have three parts in common. Some of these parts may look different on various plants, but they are always present.

1. ROOTS - This part of the plant is found in the ground. Roots have three major functions. They are as follows:

a) holding the plant in the ground. The best type of root is the kind that spreads out over a large area. It "holds" the plant in place much like an anchor holds a boat in one spot.

b) absorbing water and nutrients. In order for water and nutrients molecules to get into the root,they enter through tiny root hairs. These are found at the tip of the roots.

c) storage of food. Certain plants use their roots to store food for later use. These plants are important sources of food for man. These include beets, carrots, turnips, horseradish, sweet potato, cassava, and radishes.

2. STEMS - usually found above the ground. They have the following functions.

c) stores food. Certain plants are food sources because their stems are needed for food storage. These include potatoes, celery, sugar cane, and rhubard.

3. LEAVES - are used to make food for the plant through the process of photosynthesis. Some leaf foods are spinach, lettuce, kale, mustard greens, watercress, collard greens.

4. FLOWERS - are reproductive organs. Some have only male parts; some have only female parts; and some have both female and male parts. The primary function of a flower is to make the seeds that will later become new plants. Often these seeds are protected inside of a fruit that developed from a flower. Examples of food that develop from the flowers are tomatoes, corn, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and rice.

EVALUATION : Cut out pictures of different "vegetables" from a seed catalogue ( i.e.- Park Seed)

Number and set them out around the classroom. Have the students classify them according to their type.

ACTIVITY: Assign each student a major food. In their journals, have them draw and classify it according to type. Then they are to tell how important it is to the world food supply. Give each student a world map and have them color in the areas where the crop is cultivated.

Students will chose three vegetables they wish to grow in the garden. They will then design and draw to scale their garden on graph paper. Remind them to choose cool weather plants in the fall. After the drawing has been approved , students will be assigned a one meter by one meter plot of land. Students will clear the land and prepare the soil. After the soil has been properly prepared, the students will plant their garden using their design.

Students are given graph paper. Each square represents a 10 cm squared area. They are to show placements of plants according to area required by each plant.

Students are to bring gloves, shovels, rakes, and soil additives to school. (Teacher could collect money and purchase additives.) Each child is required to dig his own garden area. The following are suggested for adding to the soil. (This will be sufficient for the spring flower garden.)

After digging the dirt, students will add the supplements and work in well. After the soil is mixed, a rake is used to smooth the surface.

Students will plant their seeds according to the pattern shown on their grid. They need to be careful to plant seeds to the correct depth. It is highly recommended to cover with mulch afterwards. Water well.

Sometimes weeds can be quite pretty, nice flowers, interesting leaves; but, they have to GO! They muscle in on the water and the nutients of the young plants. Mulching helps control the weeds, but not all of them. Students must pull the ones that come up. Some common weeds are as follows:

Students have to watch for insects and other pests also. It is important that students start watching for pests early. Snails and slugs can be a serious problem; they love young plants.

Keep a bucket of diatomaceous earth available for students. This can be sprinkled on the earth around young plants and it keeps the soft bellied creatures away! Anytime a student sees an insect or caterpillar, he needs to hand pick it off the plant and destroy it. It is very important to wear gloves because some of the critters sting!

ACTIVITY 1 : Visit the garden daily. Check for any new weeds. PULL! Check for any visible bugs, wearing your garden gloves. Know the difference between good and bad bugs. Ask your teacher if you have a question. Students are to keep a daily log in their journals. Some may want to take photographs.

ACTIVITY 2 : Seedling Growth Chart- Choose a seed in jar #1 and carefully measure it each day. You may wish to put a mark on the jar by the seed you choose so that you are sure you measure the same one each day. Measure the root and measure the stem. Which one started to grow first? Keep records of your measurements and transfer them to the graph below. Use one color pencil for the root and another color for the stem. Be sure to label the bottom of the chart "DAYS" and number each column from 1 to 25. Label the left side of the page "cm. in length" and number each row from 1 to 20.

Have a master gardener come and talk with the children about plant pests and weeds.

1. Carbohydrates are biochemicals made by living organisms. In plants they can be in one of three forms:

a) starch - a large carbohydrate that is usually found stored in plants, in particularly in the roots and in the stems.

b) sugar - smaller than a starch and sweet tasting. Found in high concentrations in sugar cane and in beets.

c) cellulose - a large carbohydrate that humans can not digest (ruffage) . Cotton is composed of this.

2. Lipids are biochemicals more commonly known as fats. These are produced in large amounts by animals. The primary cause of becoming overweight is by consuming too much of these.

3. Proteins are important biochemicals that are found in all living things. They are found in muscles. People that are vegetarians need to eat vegetables that are high in proteins in order to have a balanced diet. Plants high in protein are peas and beans.

Test different vegetables with iodine drops to see if they contain starch. Black indicates the presence of starch. Rub vegetables on a brown paper bag to test for fats. A greasy spot will indicate fat present in that food.

Native plants are those plants that are indigenous to an area and have the own niches in the community. Some native flower species are Louisiana Iris, hibiscus, holly hocks, pinks and violets.

Exotics are plants that come from some other area and crowd out native vegetation. Some rather famous examples are the water hyacinth, and kudzu vine.

ACTIVITY 1 : Field Trip to Botanical Gardens, Longview Gardens, or the Nature Center.

Have the children take a guided field trip to one of the places listed above. The tour guide will teach the students the name of the plants and will show them what each plant looks like.

Contact a botanist or horticulturist to speak to the students and tell why certain varieties of plants will grow well in Louisiana. The speaker will bring flowers and crops to illustrate his talk.

Cut out pictures of various plants. In the journal, draw a big circle and divide the circle in half. Label one half "Grows Well in Louisiana" and the other half "Does Not Grow Well in Louisiana." Glue the pictures in the correct section.

As was stated earlier, the flower is the reproductive organ of the plant. The following parts are found in flowers:

1. calyx: the outermost layer of parts. The individual parts are called the sepals. These are usually green, leaflike and form the outside of the flower bud.

2. corolla: the second layer of the flower. Made up of individual petals. In many flowers these are very bright and colorful.

4. pistil: the central female part of the flower consisting of the following:

The teacher will supply flowers from the student gardens. Students will have a overhead drawing of the flower to help in identifying flower parts. They will take the flower apart and find all components. They will draw and label the flower in their journels.

Using white paper draw the parts of the flower. Color the pistil yellow, the petals red, the stamen green, and the ovules brown. Cut out the flower parts. Place the petals around the pistil and stamens. Tape them in place. Place the sepals around the petals. Tape them in place. Now you have a complete flower. Watch out for bees!

Take a walk around your schoolyard. Bring your journal. Find each of the objects below. Draw a picture of each object. Next to each object write where you found the object.

1. Journals will be handed in and will count for one third of the grade. The students were instructed to enter data into the journals daily while working in the garden. Neatness, accuracy, and thoroughness will be considered when evaluating the booklets.

2. A grade will be given on how well the students maintained and cared for their assigned plot of land. Enthusiasm, attitude, and cooperation will be considered. This will be another third of the grade.

3. Weekly quizzes will be given over the material covered in class. Questions will come from the information given and on lab material. For example, students may be questioned about the meaning of a graph.

1. Students could make a collage, using flowers grown in their garden. This could be incorporated in the art curriculum.

2. Students could do artwork about their favorite flower or vegetable. Or students could do vegetable artwork using the vegetable as a means of putting paint on a surface. A student could also press flowers as part of an art project.

3. Poetry could be incorporated into this unit. Using adjectives, nouns, verbs, and adverbs, students can verbally describe what they have learned in class.

4. The clever teacher or enthusiastic student can design word searches and crossword puzzles for those rainy afternoons when the student can't visit his garden.

1.The American Horticultural Society. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening.

3. Seidenberg, Charlotte. The New Orleans Garden. Silkmont & Count, New Orleans: 1990.

4. Skelsey, Alice. Cucumbers in a Flowerpot. Workman Publishing Company, New York: 1984.

5. Sperry, Neil. Complete Guide to Texas Gardening. Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas: 1991.