Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goals: In this activity students take action to increase the biodiversity of the school by planting and looking after a tree, shrub or grasses. They begin by conducting an experiment around planting seeds to see how seeds grow and what types of 'drinks' seeds need to grow into healthy plants. Students then communicate what they’ve done with the wider school community by creating a biodiversity diorama.

Teacher content information: For information about biodiversity - what it is, how it helps us and what we are doing to protect it, read this short article.

In this activity, students are to investigate plant life cycles and deduce what resources plants need for survival. Each student can plant their own seeds to water and grow into seedlings in preparation for planting in Enviroweek. Older children can experiment with different 'drinks' for their seeds, testing which substances in certain quantities creates the healthiest seedlings.

For some of us, particularly those people born in cities, the natural world may seem distant, unfamiliar or even scary. Growing seedlings is a great way of bringing nature into our lives in a simple way. It allows us to experience nature even in urban places where there isn't very much plant life. All seeds need is a little soil, some sunlight and water. Life cycle of a bean fact sheet.

Which seeds to plant? You could try some of the following:

Sunflowers - sunflowers will sprout in 1 week, become small seedlings in 2 weeks, and should be 5cm tall in a month.
Lettuces - these seeds will germinate in 7-10 days; their growing season is 40-50 days.
Radishes - radishes germinate in 3-10 days, and have a very short growing season of 20-30 days.
Peas and mung beans - these seeds germinate in 2 - 7 days depending on the species.
Mustard seeds - these seeds will sprout within 3 - 10 days.

If you plant your radish, pea or mustard seeds on a Friday, you will see growth by Monday.

The Tune In activity includes different information for younger students and older students. Younger students will need to be led by the teacher while older students can work independently from the Plant growth experiment observation and instruction sheet.

Student and classroom organisation

Part 1: Tune In - Let's get growing!

Preparation: Place your soil, seeds, tubs, tray, gravel and spoons in an outdoor area. For older students, prepare a range of different 'drinks' for the plants, such as milk, juice, and water.

Step 1.

Explain to your students that they will be conducting a science experiment to see what plants need for survival. Have a class discussion about what type of things seeds need for healthy germination and growth.

Step 2.

Explain to students that they will now plant their seeds.

Older students can work from the Plant growth experiment observation and instruction sheet. Older students can complete a science experiment to test what the seeds like to drink. Explain that they are going to water one seed with plain water as the 'control'. They will give the other seeds a drink of juice or milk rather than water. It is important to keep all the other conditions the same and only change the type of liquid given to the seeds (this is the control variable). Make sure they label which seed is the control. Older students can also make some predictions about what will happen to their seeds. Older students can use the Plant growth experiment observation and instruction sheet to record their predictions and observations.

Younger students should be led by the teacher. Each younger student should plant at least two seeds in separate containers (older students could have more). Record the following instructions on the board so students can refer to them as they plant their seeds.

Collect two small tubs for each type of drink you are giving to plants (ensure that they have small holes in the bottom). For younger students this will be just two tubs as younger students will only be watering with water. Older students will need more tubs, depending on how many different types of drink you decide to feed your seeds. If you are watering your seeds with milk, juice and water you will need two tubs for each type of drink (e.g. six tubs).
Place some gravel in the bottom and fill the rest of the container up with soil using a spoon.
Create a small hole in each tub with your finger about 2-3 cm deep. Place your seed inside, cover with soil and press the soil down lightly.
On each container write your name and the type of seed you planted. You could use sticky labels for this task.
Place your tubs in sunlight and water it once or twice a day.

Step 3.

Once complete, place all the tubs into a tray and place in the sunlight. Students should water their plants each day. For younger students you can work as a class to fill in the growth chart on the Student Worksheet. Older students should use the Plant growth experiment observation and instruction sheet to record their observations.

Step 4.

After a week ask the students which plants are growing and looking healthy and which ones aren't growing at all. Note the ones that don't look very healthy. Ask students to consider how they can tell which ones are healthy and which ones are unhealthy. Make a list of these visual clues. You could also consider measuring the height of the plants and charting their growth on a sheet of paper. Have students suggest reasons why the 'drinks' produced the results that they observed.

Step 5.

Plant the healthy seedlings into the garden for Enviroweek. Keep encouraging your students to watch them grow into bigger plants.

Connecting lessons: Who Needs A Tree?, Snappy Science - How do seeds grow?, Snappy Science - Talk to your plants, Adopt a habitat tree - Years 3 & 4, Flipped Classroom - Biodiversity - Years 5 & 6.

Part 2: Act - Enviroweek Green Thumb Project Action Planning

The aim of the Green Thumb Action is for students to explore and increase schoolyard biodiversity and to care for existing trees. Teachers may choose to use this activity to follow up their National Tree Day plantings. Students will begin to understand the significant benefits green spaces have on the health of people and the environment.

The fun part of Enviroweek is allowing your students to plan your school's activities. This places students in charge of their own learning and encourages them to learn in a real-world context. Students will follow a project-based learning style that allows them to develop skills from a range of educational areas.

Step 1:

Introduce the Green Thumb Action to students, outlining the aims, the starting date of Enviroweek, and the specific environmental benefits of taking part.

Step 2:

Talk to your students about the many different activities that can be undertaken for this Action. Use the table below to spark some ideas.

In small groups, ask students to draw a picture of their class planting and caring for their seedlings during Enviroweek. What tasks are people doing? Ask them to convey their feelings about these tasks in their illustrations.

Step 3:

Set up a gallery of all your students' artwork. Students can explain their picture and what the activities entail.

To help you select the activities you will do during Enviroweek, use a voting system. Give each student three small stickers (all the same type and colour). Display pictures of the Enviroweek activities from which students will be selecting. Ask them to put one sticker on each Enviroweek picture that appeals to them. Tally the stickers to find the most popular activities and announce which ones the class voted to do for your school.

Green Thumb Challenge Ideas

Drought tolerant planting	Find out which local native species can be planted in an area that doesn't get much rainwater.
Food and herb gardens	Fresh food and herbs from the garden are yummy! See our Fact Sheet: How to Start a Veggie Garden
Fruit tree planting	Nothing tastes better than fruit right off the tree. Find some fruits that grow well in your area that the students love to eat.
Bush tucker garden	There are many native plants that can be eaten, and we can learn about these from Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples. We can find out which ones grow in our area and have a go cultivating them. See our Fact Sheet: How to plant a Native Garden
Native planting to encourage native birds	Which plants do your local native birds prefer? Find a spot where you can plant them, nurture these plants carefully and watch as your bird population increases. See our Fact Sheets: How to plant a native garden How to build a nesting box Nesting box construction guide
Create a frog bog	Learn which types of frogs live in your area and create the habitat/s they prefer. You’ll know it’s working when you hear their calls in your frog bog!
Create a quiet shady garden where people can relax, read and study	There might be an area of your school yard that just needs a few items, such as platforms or benches, where people can relax, read or study. This fact sheet might help: How to control garden pests the green way
Care for existing green spaces	Identify which existing green spaces in your garden need some TLC and develop a plant to water, compost, weed and nourish these spaces so they grow into lush, verdant and healthy green spaces.
Measure and audit the schoolyard's biodiversity	Measure and improve your schoolyard’s biodiversity. You have to know where you are starting from, right? Link to biodiversity audits: AuSSI Biodiversity Audit - Lower Primary, AuSSI Biodiversity Audit - Upper Primary.
Follow up on National Tree Day planting	Help your plants to survive and thrive with water, mulch, compost, pest control and general care. Planet Ark Website

Don't forget to document your Enviroweek journey with pictures and videos!

Part 3: Share

Students are to select a ‘greening up’ tip and create a diorama as a class. A diorama is a model of a particular setting in a box. Make the model in a large box with the top removed (about a 1.5 m x 1 m rectangle shape is ideal). The model should show people an ideal ecosystem with strong biodiversity.

The contents of a diorama can be constructed from foam, cardboard, paper mache, plaster of Paris, clay, plasticine, Play Doh, Lego, wooden blocks, scrunched paper, tissue or crepe paper, real plants, toy or model plants and innumerable other objects and materials. For an additional challenge, try making the entire project out of recyclable materials.

Encourage students to include representations of plants and creatures from different categories, including flowering plants, grasses and trees, reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, fungi and insects. Placing pathways and seating can encourage people to protect and respect the safety of the plants and animals in the environment.

When the dioramas are completed, students can invite other students and teachers into the classroom to look at their work. Alternatively, they could ask permission to display the diorama in a prominent position in the school.

List of actions - biodiversity tips

Let the plants grow by not stepping on them.
Keep your dogs and cats inside at night.
Leave fallen wood for wildlife habitats.
Leaf litter is good for wildlife!
Don’t dump your waste in the bush.
Plant local species.
Put out water for wildlife when there’s been little rain.
Build a nesting box.

Other ways to share

Share what you have done in the school newsletter or local paper
Present your project or results at an assembly or another gathering of interested people.

Enviroweek - Seeds for Survival

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