During the first week of May your child had another opportunity to work in the outdoor classroom. (Click here to see some pictures of the activity). During library time, the students read about flowers, observed flowers under a microscope and with a jeweler’s loop, had a chance to look at the flowers they planted in the fall, and sketched something they observed in the outdoor classroom. They used an interactive web site to learn about the parts of the flower and pollination (www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html).
This activity sheet provides some additional ideas for you and your child to do at home.
Please feel free to send your comments, observations and suggestions to gloveroutdoorclassroom@comcast.net
1. Observe the flowers growing in your neighborhood. Count the number of each color you see and graph the results. Which colors seem most popular? The least? Why?
2. Discuss the difference between an annual and perennial plant. What kinds do you have growing in your yard or neighborhood? (For more info, see www.thegardenhelper.com )
3. Do some experiments! (www.kidsgardening.com has great ideas to help kids think like scientists).
4. Press flowers and use them to make bookmarks. (See www.grannysgardenschool.com)
5. Sit in a garden or other nature area and observe. What types of insects are drawn to what types of flowers?
6. Observe a bee in action and encourage your child to draw what he/she sees.
7. Observe a garden at different times of the day. Encourage your child to record his or her observations.
1. The pistil is the part of the flower that receives the pollen.
2. Petals coax the pollinators into the flower to transfer pollen.
3. When plants make their own food, this is called pollination.
4. Every creature on earth depends to some degree on green plants.
5. The main way pollination occurs is through the wind.
How many words can you make from the following words?
1. Name two ways pollen moves from one flower to another.
2. Create your own flower. What color would it be? What shape? Include all the important parts: Petals, Sepals, Pistil, Stigma, Ovary, Stem.
(See www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/ for more info.)
3. Use the following number code to complete the math problems below and fill in the missing word:
E=10
I=9
G=6
R=1
L=4
D=3
N=5
H=8
T=2
1. Student A and Student B planted pumpkin seeds. Student A planted his seed on June 11th. His seed germinates for 128 days. Student B planted her seed on June 5th. Her seed germinates in 95 days. When will Student A’s pumpkin be ready to harvest? When will student B’s be ready to harvest?
2. Student A planted 6 rows of daises. In each row she planted 3 daisies. In the first 3 rows, each daisy had 34 petals. But in the last 3 rows, each daisy had 55 petals. How many total petals were there?
3. Mrs. Henry planted 8 hosta Plants. After they grew, she divided each plant in half and replanted them. How many hosta Plants does she have now? The next season she divided each of her plants again. She replanted them. Now how many hostas does she have?
1. What is a hybrid plant?
2. What is Massachusetts’ growing zone for plants? When is it safe to plant outdoors in the fall and in the spring? (click here for help)
3. How does the Fibonacci theory in math apply to flowers? (click here for help)
You can download these activities as Adobe Acrobat PDF files
BOOKS TO INVESTIGATE
1. Audubon First Field Guide:Wildflowers
2. Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie
3. Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
4. Fun with Nature by Mel Boring
5. Kids Garden! by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell
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