Session 3 - Native Plants

This week the students learned about some of our native plants by observing them in the classroom and using their observations to write a poem or song. The students found out last week that rhyming facts makes it easier to remember - shiny leaves of three, let them be (poison oak), round and red you may be dead (holly and red elderberries), rushes are round, sedges have edges (difference between wetland grasses). Here is a collection of their poems from the class:

Native Plant Poems

They had also a chance to drill holes into a wood block for their mason bee nest. These bees are small, non-aggressive insects that are very important pollinator of native plants. The students will finish their nest at the next class (Oct 24th) and will be able to bring it home to hang in your yard. If you would like more information about how to make a mason bee nest, I have uploaded the directions we used to Google Docs:

Mason Bee Nest Directions

Have fun planting your new native plant! If you misplaced the information card for the native plant your child brought home, here is the link to the full document:

Native Plants Info