Children are naturally curious about their world and enjoy exploring their surroundings. Due to their inquiring minds, children are eager to learn and ask about the environment. Childhood is the time to encourage and nurture early interest in nature.
In order to develop love for nature and providing an opportunity for concrete hands on experience, Junior Montessori section organized an activity titles as “Seed Germination”. The aim of this activitity:
- Sensory input through touching soil
- Develop coordination skills through water pouring
- Refine fine motor skills through small seeds
- Indirect preparation for botany
- Teaching sequencing process of seed germination is great for developing children logical thinking along with that they are enriched with the new vocabulary.
To provide a better understanding and an ice breaker for this activity, a video was arranged in which all the procedure for seed germination were demonstrated and explained. Next, we asked the students to bring seeds and play pots. Next day student started working on this activity by following the sequence.
- First, they dug the soil
- They sowed the seed
- They watered the pots in order to start the Germination
- The students recorded their observations in a step wise observation worksheet. Demonstration of the parts of the plant was also given to the students. Islamic concept was integrated by showing them the Suraah Rehman video. Furthermore, to describe this activity well, students performed the presentation in an assembly with the props.
When the seed sprouted the faces beamed of all the students and the teachers. The students were given those germinated pots as a souvenir for their homes.
This activity has not only fascinated the students but also provided a great opportunity to inculcate curiosity children through scientific expectation as they developed critical thinking. This also gave the concept of “Al-Khaliq” (the creator) alhamdulilah!