Biodegradable Pots

In honor of Earth Day and spring, we recently planted seeds with the children.  We made biodegradable pots using newspaper.  Here are directions to print and a link to a Youtube video showing the process.  Fifth graders were able to do the folding to create the pots, though they planted with their first grade buddies.

We then used popsicle sticks and paper from the recycling bucket to create flags for the plants.


Folding pots link video.

Another, easier variation on newspaper pots:  Rolling newspaper pots step-by-step directions.

Some books (there are SO many) to connect to this activity are:  

From Seed to Plant- by Gail Gibbons

Titch- by Pat Hutchins

Plant Package- by Susan Blackaby

The Carrot Seed- by Ruth Krauss

Sunflower House- by Eve Bunting

Planting Seeds

Planting seeds are a great science, math, writing activity that can be tied into literacy thematically with books like Titch, seed or gardening books.  They can be simply a fun activity or a daily exercise in graphing, writing, observation, and recorded through science journals.
Bean plants grow the most quickly and can be done as simply as by dampening a paper towel, folding it around a couple of seeds and placing them in ziplock bags.  This year I used sunflower seeds and clear Starbucks cups (reuse) and tied a ribbon around them as an end of the year present.

We grew them in math class and charted the growth on graphs each day.  A good tip is to always grow a couple of extra at home to switch them out if need be ; )