CitySprouts Exploration

CitySprouts Exploration
Posted on 12/02/2015
First graders in both Ms. O'Donnell's and Ms. Swedberg's classes have visited the garden almost every Friday since the first week of school. They helped plant, weed, water, harvest, and prepare for winter. They don't look at the plants purely as gardeners though-- they're scientists. Each week they hone their observation skills, getting more detailed in their drawings and written descriptions as they get more experienced at looking closely. They make predictions about what they'll find in the digging bed, and are constantly asking "why?".

On their last fall CitySprouts day, first graders applied these skills to something extra special-- popcorn. After a read aloud they passed around whole cobs, feeling the hard red and yellow kernels and removing them. Watching and listening patiently, students signaled the start of the popping with their hands and predicted whether the red kernels would yield red popcorn. As the kernels started to sizzle and pop they noticed something. Though they all looked white from far away, up close students could see the remains of red shells on some kernels and yellow shells on others. By looking closely and comparing the corn before and after it popped, the budding scientists figured out that the corn bursts open. They also learned that some of the most satisfying science is also delicious.
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