Life C5.2. Parsley Planting

Shu-Chen Yen's On-Line Montessori Albums

PRATICAL-LIFE DEVELOPMENT ALBUM

CARE OF ENVIOMENT

C5.2. PARSLEY PLANTING

MATERIALS:

Box, small container, round tub, dishpan, watering can, new, unsharpened pencil, lid of a coffee can, 2 scoops, sponge, soap dish, strips of contact paper, pieces of broken clay pot, gravel, potting soil, parsley seeds, water, clay pot and saucer.

PREPARATION:

Child should have experience with scooping and wet pouring. Materials are ready. Invite child. Show her where activity is set up. Name activity.

PRESENTATION:

1. With both hands, reach underneath table and pick up one clay pot. Place in white box.

2. With both hands, reach underneath table and pick up clay saucer. Place on table near the bottom right hand corner.

3. Take out one strip of green contact paper. Ask teacher to print child's name with permanent marker.

4. Ask teacher to remove backing from contact paper. With one hand on each end wrap label around top of clay pot.

5. With both hands, raise pot and observe hole in bottom of pot. Lower pot back into box.

6. Using dominant hand and three finger grip, choose 1 piece of broken clay pot. Place in pot to cover hole.

7. Pick up scoop from round tub in dominant hand. Lower scoop into gravel. Scoop up gravel. Pour into pot. Return scoop to original location.

8. Pick up scoop from dishpan in dominant hand. Lower scoop into potting soil, Scoop up soil. Shake off excess, pour into pot.

9. Repeat step 8 three times to fill pot. Use bottom of scoop to smooth out soil.

10. Observe seeds.

11. With index finger and thumb of dominant hand, pick up one seed. Place on dirt.

12. Repeat step 11 three times.

13. Observe where seeds are located.

14. Grasp pencil with dominant hand and use unsharpened end to push seeds gently into soil. Replace pencil.

15. Use both hands to lift pot out of box and place on saucer.

16. Check for spilled dirt in white box. With both hands, raise white box. With dominant hand tap side, indicate corner and pour excess soil into dishpan containing soil. Replace box.

17. Point to green line on watering pitcher.

18. Grasp handle with dominant hand, use sub-dominant hand for support.

19. Carry to sink. Obtain water. Fill to green line.

20. Carry watering pitcher back to table where activity is located.

21. Pour water into clay pot. Wipe spout with sponge. Replace sponge.

22. Choose a sunny window for pot. Ask teacher to place pot on window sill.

CONTROL OF ERROR:

1. Placing saucer in white box.

2. Not using piece of clay pot to cover drainage hole.

3. Watering seeds with pot in white box.

4. Pushing seeds in too deep.

5. Seeing water spilled on floor and/or materials.

6. Materials not restored.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

1. Smoothness of the piece of clay pot

2. Sound of the gravel as it falls into clay pot.

3. Seeing the soil compact as the water is poured.

4. Picking up the tiny parsley seeds and placing them on the soil.

5. Appearance of materials.

6. Choosing a place to put the pot.

DIRECT AIMS:

Development of a sense of order, development of eye-hand coordination, development, of self- esteem, development of concentration, development of small muscles.

INDIRECT AIMS:

Learning to plant seeds, preparation for outdoor gardening, learning to create an environment conducive to seed growth.

VOCABULARY:

Box, small container, round tub, dishpan, watering can, unsharpened pencil, lid of a coffee can, piece of clay pot, gravel, potting soil, parsley seeds, clay pot, saucer, sponge, soap dish, scoop, plant, germinate, window sill, carry, pour, water.

AGE:

3 years old and up.

VARIATIONS/EXTENSIONS:

1. Use a sponge as the planting medium.

2. Plant bulbs indoors for forcing.

3. Use different seeds.

4. Use pint milk cartons as the pot.

5. Place pots in a dark place and observe what happens to the seeds.

6. Use parsley in a food preparation activity.