Going Green In Kindergarten!

Going Green... It’s easy to go green! Teaches children about the world around them Where their food comes from Empathy and concern for the planet How to care for the planet How to be good stewards of the Earth

Today we will... Learn about Monarch Butterflies and their migration every year to Mexico Learn how to include some favorite literature into a green curriculum Learn about composting and how it can work in your school or classroom Make & Takes

Monarch Butterflies Here are some great books that along with Monarch Butterflies:

Squishy Bags Squishy bags are a fun way to incorporate science and sensory! egg caterpillar chrysalis butterfly

You will need… One snack size baggie One clear bead One pipe cleaner part One leaf One butterfly bead About 2 tablespoons of hair gel READY, SET, GO!

Why do we want to learn about Monarch Butterflies? There are fewer and fewer of them migrating Scientists cannot figure out how they know to migrate to Mexico every year Tie in cultural celebrations You can send symbolic butterflies to Mexico each year through JourneyNorth.org

Monarch Bracelets You will need: One clear bead (egg) One black bead (head) Three yellow beads (body of caterpillar) Three green beads (chrysalis) One butterfly bead (butterfly—can use orange beads)

Monarch Lifecycle Bracelets

Monarch Butterfly Song To the tune of “Up on the Housetop” First comes a butterfly and lays an egg, Out comes a caterpillar with many legs, Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin A little chrysalis to sleep in Oh, oh, oh wait and see, Oh, oh, oh wait and see Out of the chrysalis my oh my! Out comes a Monarch Butterfly!

Jack and the Beanstalk

Seeds

Books about Seeds Seeds by Ken Robbins The Tiny Seed (World of Eric Carle) by Eric Carle Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace From Seed to Plant (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler What Kinds of Seeds Are These? by Heidi Roemer

Sponge Gardens You can also use kitchen sponges and grass seed to make sponge gardens. The kids can “mow” them and watch how grass grows! Each child can have their own yard, or you can put them together to have a bigger yard.

Seeds Other ideas about seeds: Explore the differences between seeds and bulbs Ask children to match seeds with seed packets Challenge children to make a “Seed Book” where they glue on the seeds and then write the names in

Planting Magic Beans! You will need one cd case for each student or one case for each pair of students. The hinges of the CD case should be at the top. That way you can stand them up and dirt won’t fall out. Also this leaves a nice hole at the top for watering the plants with droppers. Plant your bean high in the soil. If you plant it toward the bottom the roots will grow out the bottom! You can also use a paper towel!! Tape the bottom shut. This will keep roots from growing out the bottom, and curious fingers from opening the case. Use masking tape and permanent markers to label whose plant is whose. Around day 5 or so I un-taped the cases overnight so that they could have a little bit of space to grow. I taped them back in the morning. By day 7 or so, you will be ready to label your plants. We used paint pens. Plant your bean with the concave side down. It should resemble the letter “n,” not the letter “u.” I didn’t tell my kids this. I just let them discover it… which was a nice learning experience. Just depends on which way you’d rather teach it.

Planting Magic Beans

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Planting Magic Beans You will need: One CD case 2-3 magic beans One paper towel Marker (to write your name on the outside) Fold your paper towel in ½. Dampen the paper towel. Place in the bottom of your CD case. Place beans on paper towel, close, label with your name.

Compost

Other ideas about compost: Children supply the food and record when and what they added Children measure the worms once a month to chart growth Write our own Diary of a Worm stories We use the compost to plant milkweed in our nature center and to help our mother’s day plants grow

Questions?? Blog: Thanks for coming!