Garden Visit and Plant Observation

Students in first grade enrichment will be actively studying plants throughout the year.  We will use a variety of activities to enrich our learning.  One of the objectives of this science study is to become observant, and then to use these observations to create scientific drawings that include details and labels.  I have teamed with. Mrs. Elliott, art teacher, to emphasize the closely connected skills of art and science, and first grade students have been practicing their observational drawings in art class. You can read about  this work here:

http://mrselliottart.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-shoe-game-res.html

This week in enrichment we spent our time in the RES community garden reinforcing these observational skills.  Students had ten plant pictures and had to match them to the correct plant.  Once students agreed as a group that they had a match, they took a picture to prove they had found the correct plant.  I heard great conversations as students debated about leaf shape and size, and discussed how they could be sure they found the right plant.  This was also a great opportunity for us to visit and explore the garden. I look forward to watching these great foundational skills lead to amazing scientific drawings as we continue our plant studies throughout the year! A special thanks to Mrs. Woodruff who went on our garden visits and helped students identify some tricky plants!