Theme: Toilet Paper Tube Seed Starters!

Got toilet paper tubes?

Check out this video of me making a seed starter out of a toilet paper tube:

Why plant in a COMPOSTABLE cardboard tube?

*Because some seeds (like sunflowers and squash) 

don't transplant well:

*They don't like their roots to be disturbed!

*The cardboard tube can be planted directly into the ground when the seedlings are big enough and the cardboard will decompose into the soil!

As a follow-up for 4th and 5th graders, I had also recorded a quick math lesson on fractions: 

What other fractions can you notice wherever you are?

Theme: Starting a Science Journal

Good morning! The sun is shining, my seeds are in the backyard starting photosynthesis! On this day, what are you grateful for?

Many people keep a daily journal of feelings, dreams, and thoughts. 

You can ALSO keep a SCIENCE JOURNAL with observations that you make from your window or while out exploring!

Your journal can be made of scrap paper, a paper bag, or it can be a book-journal. IT DOESN'T MATTER!

When you journal you can use:

- Words

- Pictures

- and Numbers 

...to describe what you see!

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT and you can journal about any object. I recommend starting with something small that doesn't move. 

Draw and write for at least 5 minutes PER OBJECT (or longer!)

* The more time you spend with an object, the more you'll learn!

Have fun and be safe! Try to journal every day!

This is an AMAZING resource (free PDF's of Nature Journaling activities) from facilitators Emilie Lygren and John Muir Laws: How to Teach Nature Journaling


Need a nature craft? Try Nature Weaving from my friend at Roaring Brook Nature Center!
Nature Weaving!

Theme: Getting Started

Welcome!

Anyone can be a gardener... 

anyone can be a scientist...

anywhere!

Gardens don't have to be fancy and you don't need a special lab to do science. Anyone can be a gardener or a scientist, no matter where you are. 

Use scrap paper or a journal to make scientific observations! Use pictures, words, and numbers to describe what you see. 

If it is safe, go for a walk. You can also make observations from a window! Have fun and be safe while you explore.

Try some of these activities to get your own garden started:

* You'll need some soil

* A small scoop

* Seeds 

(dry beans from a bag work great!)

* A place that gets sun

* And some water

Plant in any container! 

Literally any old container can be a new home for plants!

Save yogurt containers, use old mugs, and cups for planters. 

Also, save egg cartons and toilet paper rolls for seed starters!

Place your plants outside or leave them inside near a sunny window. Make sure they get enough water, but not too much (the soil should be damp, not wet). 

Seeds should be kept inside until they are big enough to plant and it may take a couple of weeks for them to sprout. 

Use your patience tool!

Observe them everyday and draw what you see.

...you're a gardener AND a scientist!

Check out this awesome video of starting some plants from what you might have already:

Try it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJuXpiEjdcc