Fast times call for Fast Plants

The third grade classes have begun an exciting unit exploring the life cycle of plants.  According to a strict experimental design, the students have set up growing cubes of Brassica Fast Plants.  These plants  have been bred to go through an entire life cycle from seed to seedling to flowering to making seed within about 5 weeks!

When the plants flower, students will be using actual (dead and dried) bees to pollinate the flowers.

 Along the way students will record the growth and development of these amazing plants.

We discussed how the near relatives of these plants are some of are favorite foods from the garden: Brassica oleracea--broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, kale, etc.

What is your favorite Brassica food?

Tracking Spring's Arrival with Journey North Tulips

It's November, so we are looking forward to Spring!  
We are planting Red Emperor tulip bulbs as part of an international experiment to track the arrival of spring.  School children all over the Northern Hemisphere plant these same bulbs in fall and record when the leaves first emerge and then when the flowers bloom.

This is the second year that students have contributed to this experiment that over time may help record evidence of climate change.
Check out the Journey North website to learn more about the project and to see Harriet Tubman School's garden literally "on the map"!

Journey North tulip test gardens

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/tulip_fall2012.html