Taming the Wildflower

With storytelling, a little detective work and dramatic movement, we help to generate enthusiasm for Ontario’s wildflowers. Students reenact how flowers are pollinated, how bees dance to find wildflowers, and by following a series of clues, students discover the beauty and diversity of 6 local species.

Curriculum Links 

ARTS

Dance

• A1. Creating and Presenting
• A1.1 imitate movements found in their natural environment in a variety of ways and incorporate them into a dance phrase (e.g., modify the movements of animals, snow falling to the ground, ice melting, plants growing; connect a series of insect-like movements together to make a phrase). 
• A1.3 create dance phrases using a variety of pattern forms …

Visual Arts

• D1. Creating and Presenting
• D1.1 create two- and three-dimensional works of art that express personal feelings and ideas inspired by the environment or that have the community as their subject

P.E. Active Living

• A1. Active Participation
• A1.1 actively participate in a wide variety of program activities …, according to their capabilities while applying behaviours that enhance their readiness and ability to take part … 

Reading

• 2. Understanding Form and Style 
• 2.1 identify and describe the characteristics of a variety of text forms

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants 

• 1. assess ways in which plants have an impact on society and the environment, and ways in which human activity has an impact on plants and plant habitats 
• 2. investigate similarities and differences in the characteristics of various plants, and ways in which the characteristics of plants relate to the environment in which they grow 
• 2.2 observe and compare the parts of a variety of plants 
• 2.6 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including stem, leaf, root, pistil, stamen, flower, adaptation, and germination, in oral and written communication 
• 2.7 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes 

Understanding Basic Concepts 

• 3.1 describe the basic needs of plants, including air, water, light, warmth, and space 
• 3.2 identify the major parts of plants, including root, stem, flower, stamen, pistil, leaf, seed, and fruit, and describe how each contributes to the plant’s survival within the plant’s environment (e.g., the roots soak up food and water for the plant; the stem carries water and food to the rest of the plant; the leaves make food for the plant with help from the sun; the flowers grow fruit and seeds for new plants) 
• 3.3 describe the changes that different plants undergo in their life cycles (e.g., some plants grow from bulbs to flowers, and when the flowers die off the bulb produces little bulbs that will bloom the next year; some plants grow from germination of a seed to the production of a fruit containing seeds that are then scattered by humans, animals, or the wind so that new plants can grow) 
• 3.4 describe how most plants get energy to live directly from the sun (e.g., plants turn the energy from the sun into food for themselves) and how plants help other living things to get energy from the sun (e.g., Other living things, which cannot “eat” sunshine, eat the plants to get the energy. They also get energy when they eat the animals that eat the plants.)

Post Camp Kawartha Visit

Music and Mouvement!

1. Have the students create their own flower identification schema. Here they can use pencil crayons and paper.
2. Create groups of 3-4 students. Have your students create a song and/or dance relating to the seed to flower cycle or ID schema. They could make a dance to an existing song that references flowers (ex: Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, Daisies by Katy Perry, etc.) and their dance has to include various motions that showcase a flower’s growth. Small groups could also choose to write a simple song (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bFU_wJgvBI) that helps them understand the seed to flower cycle or flower identification features. 
3. Ensure the students are using appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including stem, leaf, root, pistil, stamen, flower, adaptation, and germination

Poems 

Take your children outside. With clipboards they can work on the following: 

• Sensory poems: there are various ways to structure this type of poem, one way would be to provide your students with time to explore their surroundings. Then have your students choose a subject (ideally a flower for this unit, but this can be applied to various other units). Have them draw a picture of their object, if desired, and then answer the following prompts: 
  • Emotion:
  • Colour:
  • It smells like
  • It sounds like
  • It feels like
  • It tastes like
  • It looks like
  • It is
• Haikus: This is a three lined poem with five syllables in the first line, seven for  the second, and five in the third line. Practice syllables outside in a circle with your students clapping through various words or songs or phrases. Then have your students choose a subject (ideally a flower for this unit, but this can be applied to various other units) to write/reflect about. 

These poems could be created and then used as the basis for found material collages or art, math, or dance projects. 

Petal Counting 

Have children “survey” the plants in your outdoor space. With paper and clip boards give them the chance to count leaves and petals (and whatever they want). Ask them if they notice any patterns? This could provide the basis for an ratios, ordering, fractions, addition, multiplication, division, or subtraction lesson (amongst others!). 

Planting Native Wildflower Seeds

You can purchase Ontario wildflower seeds online. You could also collect your own milkweed seeds with your class to plant (https://monarchjointventure.org/get-involved/create-habitat-for-monarchs/milkweed-seed-collection). The collection of sunflower seeds is also relatively accessible (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/sunflower/harvesting-sunflowers.htm). Being able to plant these with your students in an (ideally) outdoor or indoor setting, depending on the time of year, is a cross curricular activity. 

Other Resources

When we observe small creatures  (as described by Youth in Food Systems)

An Awesome article for ideas on winter plant ID – Kid’s Guide to Winter Plant Identification By Natalie Hay Updated On February 05, 2020