Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts

Thursday, October 2, 2008

What happens to seeds when we plant them?


There has been a sudden interest in seeds and plants recently. I think it started with a visit to our friend Carmen's home and her guided exploration of the garden and all that plants need. A few weeks later, we planted our first set of seeds: beans, tomato and green peppers. It may be a little late in the year for peppers and tomatoes, since they aren't thriving like the beans.

I love projects like these that can be used to explore so many things. Take a look at our germination bags (talked about condensation) and out Popsicle sticks for labeling (handwriting), our very well sprouted beans, and less mature mung beans which were added a few weeks later and our window planter that had our transplanted plants (plant care, how delicate young plants are .... since a few of our beans died with the handling). We worked on some sensory issues (chiefly mine) since we had to handle the dirt to transfer the plants to the planter. We also discovered that young plants that have been bent, not broken, can reinforce the bent area and straighten itself.. and that Jaedon
loves to poke dirt and dig out small plants. we just have to help him to
identify which plants are weeds and which plants stay in the dirt!

Homeschooling allows me to learn alongside my children. I realised that children are like plants. They grow in the right environment, they are resilient and can recover from some mishandling (whew!), they grow towards the sunlight (praise and everything positive) and that so much is happening for them, even when I don't see it. I realise that learning is like breathing, it's happening all the time while they are alive.