This level of detail demonstrates to teachers her expertise and willingness to weave greenhouse projects into the broader curriculum. In September, for example, kids prepare to learn about greenhouse design and equipment. By the end of the month, they are monitoring poinsettias for the holiday plant sale. Come October, they are composting and forcing bulbs. As they continue to plant seeds and propagate from cuttings, they learn about growing media, watering, and light.
Kids dig in and find out for themselves.
Working with Teachers In the teacher-developed Growth Race project, teams of students compete to grow the tallest, healthiest zinnia. For more on the flower competition, visit Greenhouse Zinnia Race in our Resource Directory. After researching soil and air temperatures, nutrients, soil moisture content, and light, teams design investigations in the greenhouse. Not all plants have the same watering requirements. Suited perfectly to the greenhouse laboratory, the growth race highlights how plants require specific and controlled conditions for optimal growth.