Science

Valentine’s Day Botany

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 02:16

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download related lessons Where did that Bouquet Come From?

and Flower Power: Making Flower Arrangements.

The cacao tree and rose bush are the botanical royalty of Valentine’s Day. What better way to show your love than through a gift of chocolate and flowers?

With plant products in the limelight, Valentine’s provides you with the perfect opportunity to show students the important role our green friends play in our celebrations and traditions. Here are a few fun facts to share with your students this Valentine’s Day:

The Cacao or Chocolate Tree

Know Your Food

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 16:05

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

The 2012 Food Day School Curriculum was designed for educators as a Food Day resource that can be used in the classroom or to increase your own knowledge about what it means to Eat Real: Download the 2012 Food Day School Curriculum

Many times gardening is promoted as a way to teach youth where their food comes from. This phrase, “know where your food comes from,” is one that has received much attention and rightfully so.

Companion Planting

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 02:01

By:

Eve Pranis, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Download related lesson plan Growing Garden Companions.

Arranging crops so they complement each other in some way is known as companion planting. Plants that have different requirements — for nutrients, sunlight, and space, for instance — often make good garden buddies. Because they are unlikely to compete for resources, you can plant them close together to save space. What's more, some combinations can actually help one or more of the companions flourish. Consider the following factors:

Growing Food

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 01:10

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download a sample lesson plan, "The Producers," from Growing Food

Ask your students to tell you where our food comes from. Do they respond with a restaurant or a grocery store name? Do they suggest it is made in a factory? What about on a farm? Do any of your students hint about our food supply's connection to nature and our environment?

Plant a Thankful Gardener

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 10/28/2012 - 21:56

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download this month's lesson plans:

Pressed Flower Thank-you Notes

Tree ID

Thanking volunteers and sponsors is an important activity for all youth garden programs. Although appreciation for contributions should be shown year round, Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in the celebration of harvest, is a great time to present your loyal supporters with a special gift to acknowledge their generous donations of time, talents and funds.

Teaching Kids about Sunlight, Wind & Microclimatic Conditions

Submitted by pauls on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 17:37

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Right Side Box:

To learn more about sunlight, wind and microclimatic conditions, download our activity handout.

Throughout the year, the use of the space surrounding your home is directly impacted by the regional climate. It includes hot and cold temperatures, direct sunlight, shade, forceful winds and gentle breezes. The immediate area surrounding the home is called the microclimate.

Taking It To the Bank

Right Side Box:

Check out these lesson ideas:
My Seed Bank
Researching the Past, to Discover the Future

Have you ever considered the importance of saving seeds? A seed represents the promise of life -- a new plant in a ready to grow package. It also contains that species’ genetic code including the traits the plant hopes will ensure its survival over the long haul.

Researching the Past, to Discover the Future

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:54

Grade Level: 8-12

Materials:

Posterboard for six groups of students

Exploration

1. As a class, list what the students think are the most important plants for their nation. Discuss why each of these plants may be on the list. Ask the students to give a general location of where these plants (regions and climates) are grown.

Maple Syrup, Step-by-Step

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 20:52

Materials:
- Maple Syrup
- Sugarbush Spring by Marsha Wilson Chall. A girl and her grandfather tap sugar maple trees and tell the story of making maple syrup. ISBN: 978-0688149079

Exploration

1. Hold up a bottle of maple syrup and ask the students if they know how syrup is produced?

2. Tell the students that syrup comes from trees, but do not tell them how it is extracted.

Mountains as Water Sources - Appalachian Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:47

Evidence of mountain top mining in the Appalachian Mountains. Photo: Library of CongressYou worry that the proposed mountaintop mining activities on Blair might have an impact on the quality of these water supplies. If the top of Blair is removed to uncover the low-sulfur coal at its center, rocks and debris will be dumped in the valley. This would fill in at least part of the river, eliminating it as a water source and destroying any aquatic life that is present.