Emotional Connection To The Plants
In the school garden, learners often forget the plants they planted. Thinking about their schedule, it is challenging to take them to the garden daily. However, I want our kids to remember their plants and have a desire to take good care of them. I believe the emotional connection to the plants enhances it. So, I have been thinking about how our learners can emotionally connect to the plants.
I will introduce our ongoing long-term STEAM project in this post.
Planting Seeds & Naming Plants
In October, we paired fourth-grade learnerss to plant seeds in self-watering pots made from plastic water bottles. This not only saved time and resources, but also allowed the learners to learn about collaboration.
They even gave their plants names, such as “Believer,” “Broccolia,” and “Mr. Bones.” The students were excited to see their plants sprout and already felt a sense of ownership over them.
The activity was carried out by small groups of three pairs of learners at a time, taking turns. Other groups began journaling on the iPad using the digital portfolio called “Bulb”.
We grew the seedlings indoors for a few weeks so that our learners could observe how their plants sprouted and developed daily. I noticed that the students felt attached to their plants.
Transplanting & Creating Painted Rock Sign
“When they transplanted the seedlings into the garden in November, they created painted rock signs that excited the learners to see the growth.
By naming the plants and making personalized signs, the kids developed an emotional connection with their plants. As a result, they often returned to the garden during recess to check on their plants.
Some even sang the birthday song when transplanting the seedlings!
What will happen when it’s time to harvest them?
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