flowers

Sometimes it is the simple ideas that capture a child.  The children loved this project!  This is one of those projects that reinforces the understanding of how a plant grows AND gives the opportunity for imaginative storytelling in its “pop-up” (the flower can hide  and grow up as it pops up.)   The set up is simple.

Needed Materials:
– small dixie cups with slit in bottom (I pre-slit the cups with the tip of my scissors)
– left over scrap paper to wrap around cup.
– green popsicle sticks for stems
– scrap paper for flowers and leaves
– yarn for roots
– tape  (I provide tape for my students to use in creating.  I think it is a valuable tool for construction and I provide tape in the big heavy tape holders.  This is one of those projects that requires tape!  Otherwise it will be too frustrating for the children – or you will have to construct the pop-up and that is no good!!!)

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Step One:  Attach one end of a scrap of paper to the paper cup.  Wrap the cup and secure the other end.  Tape the paper to the top of the cup as well.
Step Two:  Cut out a flower.  I made strips of paper that the children could cut a design out of and then wrap it around the stick.  Attach it to the stick with tape.

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Step three:  Cut off yarn to attach to the bottom of the stem (stick) to create the roots.  Attach the yarn with a piece of tape.  I did not control the amount of “roots” they added.  LOL! Some of our flowers had an intense root system!

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Step Four: Push Stick through slit in the cup.
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Looking in you can see the roots.

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Tell the story of how a flower seed grows:
Once upon a time there was a little seed that was planted in the soft folds of the earth.  Slowly it grew roots deep into the soil.  Gently it began to peek up and stretch to the sun.   The little flower danced in the sunbeams.

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“Can I make another one?”  asks this student.

“You have two, how many more are you making?”  I question.

“Only Five.”  she answers.