Materials:

• cardboard clipboards
• drawing paper
• camera
• chart paper
• markers, crayons, pencils, colored pencils
• tape recorder (to record interview)

Developing Skills:

• social awareness
• language
• science

In Advance: Plan a trip to a local botanical garden, neighborhood garden, plant store, or farm so that children can meet and interview someone who has expertise growing and caring for plants.

ACTIVITY

Explain to children that they will interview the person and will need to think of questions they would like to ask. Record their questions on chart paper and write them on a smaller sheet of paper to take along on your trip.

Give each child a cardboard clipboard to take along. It can be made with pieces of cardboard and a large metal clip. Attach a few sheets of paper to each clipboard. Bring along sharpened colored and regular pencils so children can create observational drawings. Bring a camera to photograph the experience.

Invite each child to ask a question. If possible, record the interview so that children can revisit the experience later. Provide time for children to touch, smell, and observe the different plants they see. Invite them to draw plants they find interesting and encourage them to learn the correct names for the different plants.

Play their interview during meeting time and develop a chart to summarize what they've learned.

Give them the photographs from their trip to sequence and write about. Then create a wall display using their observational drawings, photographs, and charts.

Remember: When planning a trip, it's important to make sure that there are enough adults present so that children receive enough attention to allow for optimal learning.

TAKE-HOME ACTIVITY

Family Nature Walk. Send home a copy of children's plant-learning summary to share with families. Suggest that families take their child on a nature walk or visit a plant store. Ask parents to encourage their child to share what he or she has learned about plants.

Curriculum Connection: ART

Thank-You Drawings. Explain to children that they will make drawings to send to the expert they visited as a thank-you gift. Encourage them to create drawings about an aspect of the trip they enjoyed or something they learned.