Flower Power Field Trip!

Our exciting Flower Project has run its course.  Beginning with what the children already knew about flowers to studying seeds, how they open and sprout into seedlings, grow into flowers and flowering plants, bloom and die.  We even collected new seeds from withering plants and grew them again! Our technology expert, Anna Baralt, gave us a different perspective as well when she helped us to simulate the lifecycle of a seed with an online application.  A walk to the Lower Division gardens stimulated interest in learning about the smells and beautiful colors of flowers.  We called in a local florist friend, Mrs. Diane Cherry from Hayes Florist. The children continue to enjoy the flower shop they designed and set up in our classroom to represent what they learned through dramatic play.  The children next wanted to study the parts of a flower and some even made models using clay, beads and chenille stems.  All throughout the project the children had access to our Early Childhood garden and were able to get up close and personal, daily, with the flowers.  They were also quite busy watching the bees that became regular visitors to the garden.  Interests were flared and questions were asked about what exactly those busy bees were doing. We turned to books, websites, videos and more for information.  However, the most amazing experiences came from simply stopping to watch and draw pictures as the bees collected nectar from the flowers in our garden and at the same time their sticky little legs were grabbing up pollen to create more flowers. A visit from one of our Shorecrest eighth graders, Sam Angelides, who is also a beekeeper proved to be an awesome enrichment to our study of bees.   This project has taken quite a few fun turns and the children have shown interest from the very start. Our final turn was right into the Botanical Gardens of Largo, where we met Ms. Cat, a master gardener.  She shared all sorts of new information about herbs, flowering fruit plants and flowers, and also reinforced lessons we had already investigated.  Visiting and learning with Ms. Cat was a wonderful culmination of the project from beginning to end. Take a look!

Thanks, Ms. Cat!!!

A celebration of knowledge!

The children would like to "wow" you with the knowledge they have gained from this project on flowers.  We will have an open house celebration as a culminating event to our project.  Please stay tuned for more information about the date and time.

What's to come.....

*Field trip to Spa Beach: Wednesday May 15 (We would like as many parents to join us as can! We will enjoy, investigate and picnic at the beach)

*End of year party: Wednesday May 29

*final day of school: Friday May 31