Plants have amazing abilities of regeneration that few animals are able to do. A piece of plant severed from the adult plant, by accident or with human intervention and a pair of scissors, can grow into a new plant. Gr 4 classes at Sweet Valley Primary learnt the basics of plant propagation and made their own mini propagation unit out of recycled containers.
Plants have flowers, stems, leaves and roots
All plants have roots, stems, leaves and flowers. To consolidate this information, learners were asked to construct their own plant using leaf rubbings. It was amazing to see the variety of different plants they made
Drawing is a scientific skill
Making a cutting of a plant requires an understanding of nodes and internodes on a stem. Each child spent time really looking at their piece of plant material (Cape Lavender = Plectranthus neochilus).
They seemed surprised to be doing ‘art’ in the science lesson. In the age of photography and digital images we seem to have forgotten to use our observation skills.Drawing and writing down what you observe is all part of science and needs to be practiced.
Making the propagation unit
Everybody enjoyed cutting their bottle, poking holes in the bottom of the yoghurt tub and scooping sand to make their little greenhouse.
Protected environment inside a plastic cooldrink bottle
The cutting is placed in washed river sand in the yoghurt container that has holes in it. The cut cool drink bottle keeps the atmosphere moist and prevents drying out. the dab of plant hormone on the bottom of the cut stem will stimulate the stem to make roots. In a few weeks time these cuttings should have developed roots and will develop into a normal plant that can be planted outside.
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