Seeds to Go
Saving and Sharing Treasures

Author: Eve Pranis

"Late one summer, my first graders noticed that the lettuce plants in our school garden were getting taller and sending up flowers," reports Westfield, IN, teacher Nedra Hoard. "So we took our hand lenses, observed what was happening, and eventually noticed that seeds were forming where the flowers had been."

Nedra explains that the students were amazed at this transformation. Most of her urban kids had no idea that plants went through such a change and produced seeds. With an eye toward gathering the newfound treasures, students left some flowering plants outside so they could observe what happened next, and brought others into the classroom to dry. They spread the harvested seeds on a tray to dry in the warm classroom until school resumed in the fall.

When they returned, the students decided to plant some of their salvaged seeds under lights in the GrowLab. They wondered whether they would grow into plants that would, in turn, go to seed. The students were rewarded on both counts. Further inspired, the decided to package their bit of garden magic to share with others.

Students created simple paper envelopes for seeds, then made hand-illustrated or computer-generated labels and planting instructions. They sent the seed packets and letters out to other classrooms that they had located with help from the local Master Gardener group. "The kids were delighted whenever they got return letters and photos of lettuce plants that other students have raised from their gift seeds," says Nedra. In the spring, the "graduating" first graders made sure to leave a plot of lettuce for the incoming first graders to discover in the fall, so the cycle could begin again. With this simple activity, Nedra's young scientists have begun to develop their own understanding of life's magic and its cycles, and they've fostered a genuine desire to protect their bit of Earth.

Related Resources Saving Seeds