Finally we have a good deal of growth in our little indoor garden, well, a collection of jars really. The students are very happy at the progress and take great pleasure in announcing that their bean is taller than somebody else's bean!
Here's a short video I made to show what's going on!
So far I'm really pleased with the students' enthusiasm, now I just hope that the one bean that isn't growing decides to get on with it!
Wonderful stuff Richard. I did a variety of similar projects with YLs in Korea, including the follow up project reports you featured here. It's amazing how "into it" children get with plants, and my own 5-year-old is nuts about flowers and growing them and taking care of them (makes his old grandpa frown a little, given he thinks a little lad ought to be more passionate about things like football and cricket).
ReplyDeleteAnd the potential analogies with teaching/learning... I shall halt here on the grounds that this is reasonably self-evident!
Look forward to your next Bean Update!
Cheers,
- Jason
Hi Richard
ReplyDeleteIt might be a good idea to introduce the story of Jack and the Beanstalk! You could use their beanstalks to show how it grew, making Paco's the one Jack climbs. Why not get them to act out the story with the beanstalk and a little dolls, like Playmobile (Clics in Spain) or Legomen? Or you could make a short stopmotion film for them and record their voices over the top, or get them to write the story.
Just a few ideas!
Looks like a great project, by the way - I know how your students feel after planting a pot of various seeds little over a month ago they are getting really big now. I think seeing something you have planted grow from nothing to a plant is quite magical for kids.
Thanks Jason and Michelle,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed reply, I've been really snowed under with exams, marking and reports etc, you know the thing!
It is amazing how much the kids got into it, they were so excited when they came into the classroom and saw how the beans had grown and they all wanted to say how their bean was taller than a friend's bean, which is the gramar area we've been focussing on in a unit about plants. It was so much better to look at the plants and talk about the vocabulary rather than a picture in the book.
The beans have now been taken home as we're finishing term now, but the kids were very proud taking them out of class and showing the parents.
Thanks for the project ideas, Michelle. I've no time now, but they're definitely things for the future!