~ Eliza Pennell
English Teacher, International Department
~ Eliza Pennell
English Teacher, International Department
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English Teacher, International Department
What makes a plant special? Why are there so many different kinds of plants? What makes the plant life around our own school unique? In the fall semester, Grade 2 students explored our very own Kang Chiao Nature Area with these questions in mind. Plants have needs, and they adapt to their surroundings to meet those needs. By learning about the needs of our local plants, students began to learn why plants have different characteristics.
Environmentalists in the Making
Our students are growing up in an age in which environmentalism is crucial. This generation will need to continue the difficult task of managing natural resources with a growing human population. An appreciation for plant life and an understanding of how plants benefit communities can teach young learners that caring for the environment is indeed something that happens right in our own backyards! In addition to being an abstract, global issue, environmentalism means caring for the plants our students can see, smell, and touch in our own backyard.
Observational Research
In one of the first texts we read this school year, You Can’t Climb a Cactus, the setting of the story was noticeably very different from Taiwan. The story mostly took place in a desert, and students noticed that desert plants and Taiwan’s plants are very different. From there, students began to learn why that was the case.
Students generated questions about why local plants are so different and what makes them special. Our young scientists worked together in teams to take notes about plants they chose to research in detail. Teachers guided students to use iPads to find facts about their plants, and our Natural Science Teacher made a wonderful video about the plants that grow in our school’s very own Nature Study Area. Of course, we were also able to get some firsthand experience with the plants as well, since they are right on campus!
Students were encouraged to use their senses (when safe) to observe the plants in the nature area. For example, some plants that were approved by the Natural Science Teacher could be touched. Others had leaves that could be looked at closely, and flowers could be sniffed. Our students used their research and observations to create beautiful, informative displays about the plant life on our campus. Now, future visitors can learn from these students’ observations, because several projects are currently on display in the Nature Study Area!
Interactive Learning
This year, teachers were impressed with students’ overall enthusiasm for this project. The interactive quality of the observational research made the project goals clearer and more attainable to students. Many experts in education believe that students should interact with their environment in order to improve learning outcomes, and our experience in the Nature Study Area certainly seems to support this belief! Some students were so motivated that they even spent extra time on their realistic drawing, trying their absolute best to recreate the real plant they saw outside. We encourage you to take a look at some selected G2 projects on the following page!
Plant Diagrams
Plant Diagrams
Guava Tree
★ Yi Ming Lin 林奕鳴 208
Guava trees have green fruits that grow on branches. In Spring, they will grow white flowers. The roots need a lot of space to grow and at least 3 to 4 years to grow into a guava tree. In our school, the guava tree’s guavas are not edible because it the tree is fertilized. Guavas are loaded with nutrients.
Water Lily
★ Bella Gou 郭曉嬡 202
Water lily flowers can be pink or white. The stems are long and thin. In warm weather, its flowers bloom all year round. The lily pads block the sun. The edges of the lily pads are bumpy. Its flowers have 2,000 seeds inside. Water lily petals point straight up. The roots need to grow in mud.
Star Fruit Tree
★ Fifi Chou 周一心 207
Starfruit trees have yellow or light green fruits. The fruits are star shaped. The leaves are smooth and flat. The trunk is short and brown. The branches are thin and long. A starfruit tree is also called carambola. It comes from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. It is 25-30 feet (7.5-9 meters) in height, 20-25 feet (6-7.5 meters) in width. It lives around 40 years. Star fruits are also used in medicine.
Formosan Ash
★ Dylan Liao 廖宇謙 205
The Formosan Ash is a large tree from Taiwan. They are a native species in Taiwan. Ash trees grow in large canopies like a big umbrella. They have smooth or finely toothed leaves with opposite buds on the leaf. They have five to seven leaflets per leaf. Beetles like to eat the sap inside the bark. You can see the beetle marks on the bark from them eating the sap! There are also seed pods that look like beans.
Pomelo Tree
★ Max Wang 王子雋 207
Pomelo trees have a tall trunk, and the trunk is brown. Pomelos have small seeds that are yellow. Pomelos have juicy flesh and this fruit represents good luck. It has vitamins B and C. It needs hot, rainy weather, lots of sunlight, no shade, and good air circulation. The pomelos on this tree are huge. There are one or two on each branch.
Traveller's Tree
★ Skyler Wu 吳冠宏 202
Traveller’s trees have a tall and big stem. They say it can show you east and west! It is not a palm. It is in the banana family. Its stem is hollow, so if a traveler can’t find water, they can drink traveler’s tree water. Its seeds are fertilized by lemur poop. It likes humid weather and a sunny spot to grow.
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