Plant Week

by | May 26, 2020 | STEM

“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”

Chinese Proverb

Let’s just sit back and watch the grass grow. This week will be all things plants. Join us to become a full-on botanist!

Challenge Accepted

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to design your own plant experiment. An experiment is a way to test a scientific question you are curious about. Are you wondering: can a seed grow without soil? What happens when I put a plant in the shade? Do plants grow better inside or outside? Do all seeds grow at the same rate? Does the same type of seed always produce the exact same plant? How are they different? How long do cut flowers last in water? Choose one of these questions or one of your own to design and carry out an experiment! Remember you need a step by step procedure and a way to collect data to show the results!

Virtual Field Trip

Our virtual field trip takes us to London’s Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. “We are fighting for a world where plants and fungi are understood, valued and protected. At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we harness the power of our science, and the rich diversity of our gardens and collections to unearth why plants and fungi matter to everyone.” Click the image below to tour the different exhibits in these gardens. There is even a video showing how they are caring for the plants during this closure! Or, if you want to check out our very own Botanic Gardens in D.C., check out this link!

Podcast

Let’s float like a dandelion seed on today’s podcast! Peace Out does a beautiful job connecting mindfulness, movement and visualization to support kids socially and emotionally. Click the image to join the ‘Dandelion Days’ episode on Peace Out.

Phenomenon

Click the image to check out this plant phenomenon! What do you notice? What do you wonder? Read below to find out more about this plant.

“The Venus fly trap lures its prey with nectar and, when the moment is right, its jaws close. Contrary to popular belief, flying insects make up less than 5% of the plant’s diet.” -Science Channel

STEM Story

Check out this read-aloud of “The Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krause with Mr. Ewing! Mr. Ewing was the STEM teacher at Ross last year and is now a STEM teacher in NY. Click on the image to hear the story and access many other ideas to go along with this book!

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