Materials
variety of garden and store-bought flowers (common dandelions
would work as well as longstemmed roses)
white board or poster
Instructions
1. Tell the children what "observe" means, and practice making observations in
the classroom. Explain that all of our senses may be used to make
observations.
2. Walk to the garden. Begin your observations by listening. Make a list of what
the children hear, from bees to traffic by writing down what the children say.
3. Next, look closely at the plants in your garden. List what you see. Have leaves
been damaged? Is a worm or caterpillar crawling up a stem? Does a spider
web link two plants? Has an animal dug up some roots?
4. Return to the classroom. Discuss what each creature was doing in the garden.
5. Hypothesize about those you could not observe directly. Note that the bees
and ants are looking for food. The worms and spiders have built houses. The
caterpillar may be seeking a cool shady spot.
6. Explain that many of these creatures live in the garden. It is their habitat.
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
* This is a good place to begin to discuss other things children observed, like
traffic noise and trash, or to consider ways to make the garden an even better
habitat.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* How well do the children observe creatures in the garden, directly and
indirectly?
* Do the children understand that the garden is a habitat for the creatures that
live there?
