“It took one seed to make a difference”
The Preschoolers are learning all about plants. One morning as the children ventured out for outside play, they were curious to find lots of brown leaves on the ground under one of the almond trees. They began to enjoy an instant lesson about why the leaves were changing colours and dropping, and how its almond seeds are edible fruits that can be planted to grow into a new tree. The children were given opportunities to explore the leaves – from raking them to laying in them, looking up into the tree and enjoying shade it provides.
The leaves were gathered and taken to their sensory table for them to continue their exploration. Once the children were finished playing with them for a few days, the leaves were then used to make crafts projects like leaf rubbing, which were then used to make a big paper tree.
It is wonderful how nature provides a perfect teachable moment, with the children being able to explore first hand and share conversations about what they observed. It was also a perfect time to teach social skills as they worked collectively, took turns, shared and helped one another.
The morning’s exploration reminded the children of the ‘One Seed’ story and song by Rosemary Phillips that they had previously watched. It is about a seed that grew when all the other seeds said he would not survive.
The children have also been planting bean and local cow bush seeds. They were excited to observe the changes after they planted them in their green houses. The children noticed that the bean seeds sprouted before the local cow bush seeds.
Please feel free to visit the classroom to see all the children’s work on display and to find out more about their learning.