Our Learning Garden - Kindergarten Lesson 1-6 “Using Paper in our Garden ” Lesson Summary- Kindergarten students learn about diversity in the plant / tree

Our Learning Garden - Kindergarten Lesson 1-6

“Using Paper in our Garden”• Lesson Summary- Kindergarten students learn about diversity in the plant / tree world

with interactive exercises and activities (Cluster1)• The concept of colors and classification is practiced in activities of observing and sorting

seeds. Students can classify seeds by color, shape, edibles and size. (Cluster 2)• Cluster 3-Students use the Potmaker (included in the kits) to design paper seedling pots.Critical thinking and observation skills are developed when experimenting with the various

materials to determine what is the best paper material to use for making potmakers• This reinforced by planting sunflower seeds and observing what materials work best• Students water and care for sunflower greens and they can harvest them to eat• The lesson can continue in late May by planting sunflower outside or in a greenhouse

using the potmakers. • Students can count the number of potmakers they make and sort them by color and

softness / strength of material•

CLASS FUNDRAISER- You can sell the paper pots as a fundraiser during the spring season• All lesson plans and related files for download - ourlearninggarden.ca • FILES ARE OPEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CHANGE THEM AS YOU WISH

ourlearninggarden.ca


Lesson 1-Specific Learning Outcomes. In Kindergarten, an investigation of trees capitalizes on students'

curiosity about the world around them. Our lesson engages the students with activities that allow them to examine the tallest tree and smallest flowering plant as well as the oldest trees.

These activities help students understand the trees (plant kingdom) as living entities with great diversity .


• Learning Outcomes• GLO: C2, D1 Kindergarten, Cluster 2: Color Sort

and classify objects by color The lessons and activities in lesson plans 2 and 3 are designed to teach

kindergarten students to sort and classify seeds by color. Students also learn about the diversity of seeds and that the brightly colored edible seeds / foods are usually the healthiest. Utilizing critical thinking students can develop the foundations for understanding the relationship between color in nature and healthy natural food.


• Cluster 3 Paper -Specific Learning Outcomes• Lesson plan 4 is cross curricular as the students make environmentally friendly paper pots with the PotMaker.

The students use recycled newspaper to make pots that are used to grow sunflower greens. • This activity meets the overview for Cluster 3 Paper- By identifying, describing, and manipulating different kinds

of paper and paper products found in the classroom, students are introduced to the concept of characteristics of materials. Hands-on investigations allow students to determine how well different kinds of paper can be cut, torn, and folded, and how these characteristics help to determine their uses. This study of paper culminates in students developing their design process skills by constructing a paper product for a particular use.

• K-3-06 Explore to determine an appropriate kind of• paper for a particular task.• Examples: paper towels are useful for soaking up• spills...• GLO: B1, C3• K-3-07 Use the design process to construct a paper• product for a particular use.• Examples: paper cup, envelope, paper mat, box...• GLO: C

• Students can count the number of potmakers they make.• Sort them by color and softness / strength of material• Critical thinking and observation skills are developed when experimenting with the various materials to

determine what is the best paper material to use for making potmakers• This reinforced by planting sunflower seeds and observing what materials work best• The lesson can continue in late May by planting sunflower outside or in a greenhouse using the potmakers.

Newspapers potmakers degrade easily into the soil.


Lesson Plan 5 involves many of the skill sets and learning outcomes that students need to develop in Cluster 1, 2 and 3.

It culminates with growing indoors sunflower greens that the students harvest and eat.

The paper pot holders that the students make are an important part of the activity.

This activity seamlessly integrates into other gardening activities


Kindergarten Kit Contents Lesson Plan 1- None required

Lesson Plan 2 – A wide assortment of seeds that students can sort based on many criteria, size, shape, edible, and or for planting

Lesson Plan 3 - None required

Lesson Plan 4Requires Potmaker available from Lee Valley and Richters.comGoogle-“Potmaker”Various type of paper, soft Kleenex, toilet paper, newspaper, bond paper, these should all be readily available in the classroom.

Lesson Plan 5 – Sunflower seeds, soil, bowl to soak seeds, pots to grow seeds in, light to place planted sunflower seeds in pots under


Lesson 1-

Kindergarten, Cluster 1: TreesLesson has activities and images that illustrate the diversity of trees and the plant world.One of the activities in the playground or gymnasium gives students an indication of the height of tall trees.

The exercise of drawing a tree and plant together is to help students understand the concept of scale


Plants come in many shapes and sizes.

Tall tree just as tall as the building


Small Plant

Photograph by Christian Fischer.

Sprinkles


• Go outside into the field and have the class form a line that is 100 meters long

• Have each student then run the 100 meters to get an idea of the distance and height in relation to the tree

How tall is that tree?


Oldest Tree-4000 Years Old


4000 Years is a long time

A long bridge


Trees live for more than 2 years. Plants live a short time


Draw a vegetable plant and tree together. Remember to draw the roots


Lesson 2

Kindergarten, Cluster 2: Colours

Students learn to classify seeds by color and shape.The students learn to further classify seeds by “seeds you can eat” and “seeds you can plant”. Students learn that we can eat and plant most seeds.

One of the objectives is for students to learn that seeds come from gardens and they are very healthy to eat.


SEEDS


SEEDS


• Sort the seeds by color


• Sort the seeds by shape


• Sort the seeds we eat• Sort the seeds we plant• Sort the seeds we can eat and plant

Find the Black Sunflower Seeds


Save them as we will be planting these seeds soon


MANY SEEDS WE CAN EAT AND PLANT


Do you eat seeds?

Can you draw your favorite seed?


Lots of food are seeds from the garden. They are good for you to eat

Healthy foodFrom the garden.They are plain and simple


Can you draw some seeds you eat?


Lesson Plan 3

In Lesson 3 we continue the theme of healthy food comes from plants in the garden. In cluster 1 students would have learned about the role of leaves in trees. The concept is expanded as we explore the leaves that students eat from the plant world

Students also explore flowers that we can eat


Food from the garden is healthy


Do You like eating leaves?


Lettuce is a leaf

Can you draw a leaf?

Can you eat the flower of the plant?


Broccoli and cauliflowers are flowers


Lesson 4

Cluster 3: Paper

This activity meets many of the required Cluster 3 Paper – Specific Learning Outcomes

The PotMaker is an very simple device that all students can make biodegradable plant pots from newspaper.

Using strips from newspaper and other paper materials students can experiment and observe what paper products work and why

Students can classify and sort the paper pots by color and material.You can expand the lesson by explaining why the paper pot holders are good for

mother earth compared to plastic.



It is easy


Very easy


Can you make a pot for a plant with








What paper works best for paper pots?


Plastic Litter Stays Newspaper becomes part of the soil


Lesson 5

Students get the opportunity to use the pot makers to grow sunflower greens , harvest and eat them.We reinforce many of the outcomes in the previous lessons. The sunflower green is a leaf, so they learn about another healthy leaf to eat.

Students can record and observe the results of how different types of paper work as pot holders.

Student observe phases of plant growth and care.Student can start a variety of plant indoors in the pot holder for planting in school or home garden.


Teachers Notes

Try grow some sunflower greens in the paper pots the class made.Show the class the video “my Sunflower Time Lapse” –download video from ourlearninggarden.ca

Instructions for Growing Sunflower Greens CLASSROOM ACTIVITY 1) Soak the seeds in cool water for 12-24 hours. Use the solid black seeds2) Rinse the seeds before planting3) Put the soil into the paper pot planter that the students make4) Put 2 seeds in the planter 5) Cover the seeds with 2 centimeters of soil6) Water well (mix a fertilizer in the water)7) Put under a light (preferably a grow light)8) Keep the soil moist9) In about 7-10 days you should have sunflower greens10) Cut when 2 leaves are on plant 11) Rinse and eat

• Why is it named a sunflower?

• With their big, bright, yellow petals, sunflowers look like the sun!

Photograph by Fir0002, flagstaffotos.com.auourlearninggarden.ca

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License_1.2

http://www.flagstaffotos.com.au/gallery2/main.php

Click to advance to next Link to videoGo to File Folder Videos-“My Sunflower time lapse”


Teachers Notes

The following slides are to let the students compare and observe classroom planted sunflowers to the PowerPoint slides







Lettuce is a leaf Sunflower Greens

LEAF

LEAF


Try eating some plain, in soup or on a sandwich.REMEMBER TO GET YOUR TEACHER TO RINSE THEM!Sunflower Greens taste great and are very healthy!


Enhanced Learning Section-Lesson 6








Documents

Our Learning Garden - Kindergarten Lesson 1-6 “Using Paper in our Garden ” Lesson Summary- Kindergarten students learn about diversity in the plant / tree