A guide for using our resources

Children will sequence the steps of growing a bean plant.

Science Focus: plant life cycle

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• A small kid wants to take care of a big garden, and the task seems too much for him until he asks for help.
• A story about perseverance, especially when trying to grow plants.

• Create a chart of plant-related words that children can use in their writing or while observing plant life.
• You can start with words from the issues, such as semillas, tierra, and tallo. Then add more words, like flor, hoja, and pétalo.

Skill: plant science

Materials: clear jar, cotton wool or cotton balls, beans

• With this planting method, kids can see the roots grow down as well as the stems grow up!
• Stuff a clear jar with cotton and put in a dried bean. Place it next to the glass, where it will be visible.
• Water the cotton so it is damp, but not saturated, and place the jar in a sunny window.
• Soon, kids will see a sprout, roots, stem, and leaves! If you like, kids can draw their plant's progress every few days as it grows.
• If you'd like to keep your plant, you can transfer it to a pot with soil.