Plants Prop Box

Prop boxes are a great way for children to explore everything there is to learn about a specific topic. Often times prop boxes are used to enhance a dramatic play area, but in this case I am using a prop box to teach a science lesson.

When we think of spring, we often think of flowers blooming. Many children also think this way, but they do not always understand the science behind flowers. To celebrate spring, I created a prop box based on a garden shop theme. There are several levels to my box.

 

1. Seeds! Explore different types of seeds and what flowers/plants they produce.

Seeds are an interesting concept-- especially to children who may have never seen or explored seeds before. As adults we sometimes forget how new some things are to children. Begin by collecting packets of seeds from a local store. Pour these seeds into clear plastic baggies or jars. Allow children to observe the seeds and make predictions about what type of plants they think those seeds will grow. It would be nice if you could use sunflower seeds in your sand or water table this week for children to play with.

2. How do "things" grow from seeds?

There are two options for this activity. The first might be to really grow plants over the course of a month in your classroom. Students could journal each day or every other day about what they are seeing in the plants. It would be important for you as the teacher or parent to help them understand what they are seeing or are not seeing as a result of this project.

Avocado seed growing in a preschool classroom. The students are hoping it sprouts roots and leaves.

Another option would be to explore children's books (there is a list provided at the end of this post!) about how plants grow. Children could then create a graphic organizer such as a comic strip showing the stages of a plant. It would be awesome if you gave children the choice between concrete materials like paper and pencil OR allowed them to use an online website to create their comic strip. The choice between the two will empower children while still allowing them to learn from the activity.

3. Garden planting

There are more pictures from this activity at the beginning of this post.

For the younger ages, create a garden in your dramatic play area for kids to play in. Have child sized plastic tools such as a hoe, rake, and shovel (very easy to find this time of year!) You can make or collect "seeds" for children to plant. I chose to use seed packets for the children to plant as their seeds. A good inquiry idea might be to include children in this process by asking what they would use as play seeds. You can scaffold them to an answer by discussing the pros and cons of using real seeds or smaller objects vs. larger child sized ones. For your dirt, use a large brown piece of felt or other type of fabric. Students can spread the material out on the floor and plant their seeds in the dirt. If interested, children might enjoy having real fruits and vegetables "grow" in their garden by replacing the seeds with materials from the play kitchen.

4. Cards to sequence the growth of plants

source: http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=26&detID=2957

Create a series of cards for children to order showing the different stages of a plant. This website where the photo above came from has a great activity for understanding a plan life cycle.

5. Pots for students to plant in

What good is a lesson on seeds without an actual station for children to plant and actually explore science hands on? This activity could easily be used in conjunction with the second activity to take the science exploration to another level.

For this activity walk students through the process of planting real seeds in pots and watching them grow. Students could choose what type of plant/flower they want to grow or you could choose for them.

6. Match that seed!

Have students match pictures of seeds to their matching plant. Ask students to write or talk about the characteristics of each seed or plant using their observation skills.

7. Dirt.

Everyone loves dirt. Or at least kids love dirt. Instead of having a sand or water table in your classroom today, have a dirt table. Place some potting soils without fertilizer in a tub and allow students to touch, play, and squish it. It may surprise you how many kids have never played in dirt before. This activity will allow them to use their sense to develop a deeper understanding on dirt.

For older students you can take this activity further by having them analyze the different parts of soil to figure out what type of soil it or if it is really soil at all.

Children's Literature 

While hands on activities are important, I think the most important part of this project is including children's literature to help explain concepts children are learning about in this prop box. I included a short list of books below that you can easily print and take shopping with you. All images are from amazon.com.

The Carrot Seed, By Ruth Krauss

A little boy tries planting a carrot seed to see if it will grow. Everyone says it won't. Read to see what really happens!

One Bean, By Anne Rockwell

Read this story to find out what happens when you plant one bean seed.

How a Seed Grows, By Helene Jordan

This book answers the question "How does a seed grow?"

Other Books 
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
Oh Say Can You Seed? by Bonnie Worth
This is the Sunflower by Lola Schaefer