Transcript

Text on screen: Investigating Life Science in the Garden (3– 5 Years).

Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.

Luscinda Silva: The garden lends itself to a lot of team activities. When we see something that's going on or catches a student's interest, we try to listen to their conversations and then we interject questions that may further their thinking or expand on what they're already observing. So today, the students started with planting seeds. We discussed the depth of the seed and that it needs water, the sunlight, and the nutrients from the soil. 

On screen: An educator passes out seeds to children. The children plant the seeds in garden beds. 

Luscinda: And then we discussed the life cycle, what's going to happen once the seed begins to sprout. 

On screen: A chart presenting five life stages of zucchini is shown. The stages are seed, seedling, zucchini plant, undeveloped zucchini, and mature zucchini. 

Luscinda: Then they went to drawing the life cycle. The first drawing they did was the zucchini plant. We take our clipboards to the garden and they make observations. Then the next was the flowering. So we came out again when the zucchini flowered. And then the next one was a drawing of the young zucchini with the flower still attached to it. 

Images on screen: Photos show the children’s drawings. First, a photo of a child’s drawing that includes labels for the soil and seed. Later a photo of a child’s drawing of the flowering stage, with a reference photo of the plant included on the page. Finally, a side by side of a photo of the young zuchinni and a child’s drawing of the young zuchinini. 

Luscinda: When they harvested, they did use their digital cameras to document the harvesting of the zucchini. 

On screen: A group of children and educators are gathered around a zuchinni plant. The children all have small digital cameras. One child crouches down, grabs onto a zucchini, and begins to harvest it by twisting and pulling. An educator offers a helping hand. 

Child 1: It is so big. 

Luscinda: Turn it. Twist it. Twist it. 

Educator 1: Look, let's take a picture of Aaliyah. Take a picture of her. Take a picture of her. 

All: Wow! 

Luscinda: Look at that! 

And then the last drawing was the mature zucchini. 

Images on screen: A photo of the children seated at a table with tomatoes and zucchini, drawing pictures of what they observe. A photo of a child’s illustrration is shown. Then, we see various video clips of the children harvesting vegetables from the garden as the educator speaks. 

Luscinda: From the garden, children are able to observe, compare and contrast between the different vegetables and fruits that are growing in the garden, the sizes, the different life cycles. And if they grow under the soil or if they grow above the soil. They also learn that their vegetables and fruit don't just come straight from the market, that there's a process. 

Okay. Are we done harvesting?

Text on screen: A special thanks to the children, families, and staff ofBrooklyn Early Education Center without whose help these videos would not have been possible.

Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.