Saloni2201
As rightly said by Audrey Hepburn and I quote “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
Planting is a therapy where you not only sow seeds but hope for a better tomorrow. Observing your plant grow from the seed makes you feel empowered.
As a Science educator having green thumb, I am always excited about teaching the unit “Plants” to my students. The idea about sowing seeds, observing them germinate and seeing that little sapling growing out of all the odds makes me and my students grow more fond with plants.
Science being a practical subject should be taught to students with a variety of hands-on activities and experiments. Specially for primary year program students need to access education through real life scenarios and cross curriculum connections. Teaching plants not only ignites the scientific interest in student’s minds but helps them to make connections with mathematical concepts about estimation and approximation, units of measurement etc when they prepare the pots for sowing, after activity reflections help students to have language connections and polish their writing skills.
We as educators should always believe that each student is a competent being and they all have some or the other strength areas. When we thought of the idea of having the same kind of planting activity for grades 1-4 we were determined to instigate Scientific thinking skills of observation, forming hypotheses, and also asking questions in students with clarity on academic concepts like: parts and functions of plants, processes happening in plants according to grade level of students.
The activity turned out to be a big success project where each student took accountability for their sown seed. The ownership of the ideation and process tapped their potential and interest not only in academics but for our environment too. The beautiful surroundings blooming with a variety of self grown plants makes each student release that they are capable of anything and everything.
Just like each plant has different needs and requires special care to grow to its full potential, each student is different. If catered to their required needs and care they too will bloom to its full potential. It’s just a matter of belief for our better tomorrow. May it be with plants or our students, they will grow.
-Saloni Mehta
CAIE Educator
Saloni Mehta’s reflection on the “Plants” unit wonderfully illustrates the profound connection between nature and education. Her passion for hands-on learning in science, especially through activities like planting, fosters not only academic growth but also instills a deep respect for the environment in her students. The cross-curricular approach she describes highlights the multifaceted benefits of teaching plants, from enhancing scientific thinking to integrating math and language skills. The success of the planting project underscores the power of belief in students’ potential, drawing a beautiful parallel between nurturing plants and nurturing young minds. Overall, her insights are both inspiring and a testament to the transformative impact of experiential learning in education.