Planting and Growing Inquiry Continued

Our Planting and Growing Inquiry has really bloomed this past week!  Here is a look at what we have discovered and learned.  

We discovered roots and stems sprouting from some of our jars.  We wondered about roots and how they worked.  So...

We explored roots from a dead orchid plant.  We observed SO MANY roots swirling around the dried soil.  We wondered why the roots did this?

Ms. Marrella and I provided our students with some resources that explained how roots function.  The students learned that roots are important for plant growth.  Not only do they look like straws for drinking, but they also act like them too - drinking up water and other nutrients to help plants grow strong and tall. 

Once we learned about what roots do, we wondered if all roots looked the same, so we took a vote.

Finally, we did an experiment with celery and coloured water.  Just like the roots of a plant, the celery drank up the coloured water.  WOW!

We have been documenting the stages of plant growth using watercolour paints.  This medium has given our students a chance to express their learning in an alternative way.   It has also provided our inquiry space with a beautiful backdrop display of the learning our students have done. 

In addition to watercolour paintings, we have created a chart to document and compare each plant's stages of growth.  

Something interesting we noticed this week was that one of our plants dropped all it's leaves.  We wondered why the plant would do this in the spring.  Though we are still investigating this, we noticed tiny baby leaves forming on this plant.

We also noticed that the soil shifted as the stems began to sprout.  How interesting!

Here is the latest image of our growing inquiry area.  Until next week...

The Glory of Gardening:

Hands in the dirt,

head in the sun,

heart with nature.

To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body,

but the soul.

Alfred Austin