Provocation Idea: Cultivate a Garden!

Some of the most breathtaking and beautiful things in the world are things that are not man-made.  Think about natural materials and matter, like water, flowers, or wild life.  The natural elements provide some of the most interesting and open-ended possibilities for learning for young children.

Image from http://www.shophawkvalley.com/kids-garden-club

Cultivating a garden with children provides so many opportunities to learn outside of a traditional classroom setting!  Boys and girls will enjoy taking part and sharing the responsibility of helping a homemade garden transform from dirt and seeds to lush plants and blooms!  Gardens not only promise the growth of plants but are also sure to attract a variety of wildlife.

 Image from https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/ride2school/95302/

To get started, round up your classroom of children and get them involved!  Allow the children to design the garden by selecting the seeds, plants, shrubs, flowers, and/or trees.  Nothing encourages children to participate more than by giving them choices and freedom!

 Image from  http://www.nationalgardenmonth.org/images/201103storyline/201103kids-garden.jpg

 
Teachers can also participate in the learning by inviting the children to bring in books and articles on how to care for plants and to select the ones that attract specific types of wildlife!  Inspirational short stories about gardening such as City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan, a tale about a diverse group of neighbours who work together to clean up a vacant lot and transform it into a community garden, could inspire a class full of children!

Of course, every class is different so feel free to select any piece of literature that would work with your group!