Materials
book about the beach
blue construction paper
shells
sand
pre-cut sunbathers
glue
fingerpaint
sheet
Instructions
1. After having a group discussion and/or reading a book about growing
plants, let each child plant a few seeds in a cup. Write each child's name on
her cup.
2. Encourage the children to water their own plant, or make watering the
plants a classroom job for one or two children.
3. If a journal is unavailable, staple paper together to make a journal. Write each
child's name on a page in the journal. If children cannot recognize their
name yet, mark their pages with a special icon, sticker, or symbol.
4. After the plants start to grow, show the children how to measure the growth
of their plants by stacking cubes next to their plant and counting the cubes.
Encourage each child to record how high their plant has grown on their
page in the Plant Growth Journal. Show them how to date their entry using
the date stamp.
5. Some children may be interested long after their plant has outgrown its cup.
Make sure you have materials (pots and soil) available to transplant the
plants of those children who are interested in continuing to observe the
growth of their plant. Or, send the plants home with a note encouraging
families to continue the learning process with their children.
