 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
We've heard from many teachers who have developed fresh and exciting approaches to propagating plants that help students attain learning goals across the curriculum. Here are some sample stories:
As these stories suggest, there's more than one way to get new plants, and that in itself can be a fascinating notion for young gardeners. Planting seeds is referred to as sexual propagation because seeds arise from the pollination and fertilization of flowers, which combines genetic material from both male and female sources. Because plants can't move around to find pollinating partners, many have adapted alternative methods of propagating from a single plant. This is referred to as vegetative or asexual propagation, achieved by removing roots, stems, or leaves of existing plants and creating conditions so that these parts develop into new plants. These plants are clones, or exact genetic replicas of the “mother” plant, because there is only one source of genetic material. If you are new to starting plants from seed, or want a refresher on the process before you introduce concepts to your class, you’ll find it spelled out in the Propagation by Seed section. Likewise, the Asexual Propagation section guides you through some simple techniques to introduce to your students: rooting cuttings and dividing plants.
|
Contents Spotlight
Article: Planning for Sustainability, Part 3 Lesson
Feature: Asexual
Propagation
|
||||||
Most
school children have planted a marigold or bean seed
in a paper cup to witness the miracle of germination. Or they
have placed a carrot top in a saucer of water and wondered that
leaves
keep growing despite the root being severed. The propagation
of plants is a process that keeps students interested because
they're invested in the progress and outcome of their green charges.