OBJECTIVE

Students will practice identification by comparing flowers to a picture. Students will practice observation skills in the garden.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What flowers are growing in our garden?

MATERIALS NEEDED

Flower worksheet, markers or colored pencils, clipboards

PROCEDURE

Introduction:
At the table, ask the students to point out where the flower section of the garden is. Ask them if they remember why we grow flowers in the garden, even though we can’t eat them. It’s because they attract pollinators, which help the other plants in our garden too. Tell the students that we’re going to try to name some of the flowers that are in the garden. Show them the worksheet and explain the steps- find a flower, identify it on the worksheet, then color it in. Encourage students to use their observation skills and color the flower on their paper so that it looks just like the one in the garden.

Activity:

1. Start together with a flower most children will be able to identify, like a sunflower. Ask the children to find the sunflower in the garden, and the sunflower on their paper. Ask them what colors are in the sunflower? Yellow petals, a brown/black center, and a green stem and leaves. Let them color in their sunflower.
2. Let the children explore the garden and find flowers. When they find one, tell them its name, then let them try to find it on the worksheet. They may need help finding the flowers on their paper- help them by holding a flower next to the image and pointing out similar petal and leaf shapes. You can also work as a team, focusing on one flower at a time and letting the children work together to find it in the garden.
3. Once they’ve found the flower on their page, ask them what color it is. Let them color in each flower with the correct color.

Wrap up/ Assessment:

Before leaving, ask the children if they can name one flower they found in the garden today. You can also sit at a table and go over each flower name together.

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

This lesson can be adapted for younger children- print out color photos of each flower that’s in the garden. Hold up one photo at a time, then let the children work together to explore the garden and find the flower in the photo.
It can also be used for older children- instead of coloring in a picture of the flower, give them a worksheet with written descriptions of each flower, let them find it in the garden, then draw a detailed picture.

Pick the flowers in the garden and press them in a flower press.