Plant Anatomy and Field Research @ Micheltorena

Plant anatomy is slowly turning into my favorite lesson to teach and to learn from. Not only is this a great introduction to how our earth feeds us, but it’s also great in understanding why pollinators are so important. Hint, hint! without pollinators we would struggle to feed ourselves – either directly or indirectly.

We discussed the male parts of a flower – staMEN. And, the female parts of a flower (she’s a) pistil. After that, we walked around the garden and did some field work to identify the male and female parts of the flower. A big part of what I like to teach is journaling, so each kid has a field journal/farmers almanac, where they write down all of their observations.

The point of being in the garden isn’t so much to be taught through verbal instruction – that’s only part of the puzzle. Nature is our greatest teacher, and for kids to self-direct provides a freedom to identify what they’re drawn to. Some kids do so well in art, some in writing and some in bio. It’s just great to see little botanists in action.