Age groups: 8 and up
Keywords: Outdoors; Natural area needed; At-home activity; Individual activity; Pen and paper needed; Observation; Extended; Creativity
One-sentence summary of activity:
In this week-long assignment, students will monitor the activity of a certain plant, whether that is the animals that were seen interacting with it, any changes to the plant’s physical appearance, etc., and then take their observations and express them through writing a poem.
Diagram of activity:
Learning Goals for activity:
- Skill: Observational
- Value: Relational
- Information: Local environment
Step-by-step instructions for activity:
- Students will select a plant of their choice in their home environment to observe for about a week.
- Throughout the week, students will take notes on what they observe, whether that be animal interactions with the plant, falling leaves, the wind shaking the leaves, etc.
- After compiling a week’s worth of observations, students will then utilize their notes to express the life of the plant through a poem and an illustration.
Ecological concepts involved:
- Local Environment – By observing their immediate environment, students can understand how local systems work and foster a sense of place.
- Ecosystem processes – Students can understand different relationships between organisms by observing interactions and movement.
- Ecological Perspective – Students can take a look at an organism from an ecological perspective to foster a relationship with the species and the system.