Nature School, March 19th, 2012
Signs of Spring
Spring will be here in two days! How can we tell that spring has arrived? What happens to our world in the spring? (days get longer, days get warmer, spring rain, tulips, daffodils, Easter, etc.)
Spring words: Here are some words that remind me of spring. Talk about the words with the kids. What do they think each word means and how it relates to spring.
Bud
Blossom
Flower
Stream
Melt
Green
Sunshine
Warm
Easter
Smell
Nest
Birds
Insects
Role Play: Find a place near a tree or bush.
Let’s pretend to be little seeds. We dropped from this tree last fall. We fell down to the ground and got covered up by leaves and dirt. We lay in the ground all winter long, feeling very cold and small. It was dark! The rain fell, the wind blew, the snow piled on top of us. Now the snow has melted. The rain falls, seeps through the soil, and we get wet! We are swelling up! Our tough seed coat that protected us all winter is getting soft. We burst through our seed coat!! Now our roots are uncurling deep into the soil. Then our stems begin to grow up, up, up, toward the soil’s surface. This is hard work! We have to push through the crusty, frozen surface of the soil. Finally! We break through and see the sun and feel the air. We begin to grow toward the sun. Our stem reaches upward higher and higher. Using the sun’s energy, we make food for ourselves which help us grow more. Our stem grows strong, our branches grow outward, our leaves begin to unfurl! We are now grown up plants with strong roots, stems, branches and big leaves!!
Signs of Spring
Spring will be here in two days! How can we tell that spring has arrived? What happens to our world in the spring? (days get longer, days get warmer, spring rain, tulips, daffodils, Easter, etc.)
Spring words: Here are some words that remind me of spring. Talk about the words with the kids. What do they think each word means and how it relates to spring.
Bud
Blossom
Flower
Stream
Melt
Green
Sunshine
Warm
Easter
Smell
Nest
Birds
Insects
Role Play: Find a place near a tree or bush.
Let’s pretend to be little seeds. We dropped from this tree last fall. We fell down to the ground and got covered up by leaves and dirt. We lay in the ground all winter long, feeling very cold and small. It was dark! The rain fell, the wind blew, the snow piled on top of us. Now the snow has melted. The rain falls, seeps through the soil, and we get wet! We are swelling up! Our tough seed coat that protected us all winter is getting soft. We burst through our seed coat!! Now our roots are uncurling deep into the soil. Then our stems begin to grow up, up, up, toward the soil’s surface. This is hard work! We have to push through the crusty, frozen surface of the soil. Finally! We break through and see the sun and feel the air. We begin to grow toward the sun. Our stem reaches upward higher and higher. Using the sun’s energy, we make food for ourselves which help us grow more. Our stem grows strong, our branches grow outward, our leaves begin to unfurl! We are now grown up plants with strong roots, stems, branches and big leaves!!
Hike: Let's take a hike around the wetland and look for our very own signs that spring is here. Give each child a laminated "signs of spring" worksheet and a dry erase pen.
Signs of Spring
bud | blossom | nest |
bird | water | frog eggs |
pussy willow | thimbleberry | indian plum |
Link to "signs of spring" scavenger hunt worksheet
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