Life Cycles in Classroom F

Spring is here! After several months of space exploration, Classroom F has decided to come back down to Earth to take a look at all the amazing changes the plants and animals are experiencing right now. Their exploration began with the discovery of seeds and seed pods at Washington Market Park. The young learners in Classroom F filled pockets, cups, and hands with these seeds and it was clear to their teachers that they had a new curriculum on their hands! While they weren’t able to get the park seeds to sprout, they wanted to keep trying with lima beans. The lima bean sprouted quickly with sunlight and water, and the classroom was thrilled to see their planting was a success! 

Soon, crocuses began to bloom in Washington Market Park, much to the excitement of the learners in Classroom F. Each trip to the park was an exciting adventure and full of questions, “what will we see today?” “will there be new flowers?” As more flowers grew, they began to take a closer look at the parts of a flower and the life cycle of plants. A new work was introduced on the science shelf for the children to label the basic parts of a flower - the petals, stem, leaves and roots. As they began to master this, the work evolved into learning the more detailed parts of flowers and other plants.

Classroom F’s study of flowers and plants overlapped with Earth Day, and they began to focus on the importance of plants and their life cycles on our planet. Caring for our environment and incorporating works that connect to the natural environment is an integral part of the Montessori philosophy and learning process. Using plants as an approach to emphasize caring for our planet and all living things, helped the learners in Classroom F conceptualize the importance of taking care of the Earth.

Soon after their plant study came the bugs! With the return of warmer weather, all sorts of insects appear, including butterflies! A long-standing tradition at The Washington Market School is learning about the life cycle of butterflies. Each classroom experiences this life cycle, from caterpillars to chrysalis and finally, butterflies. Classroom F received their caterpillars and watched them grow into their current stage, chrysalis. As they learn the life cycle of a butterfly, the children are able to experience it first hand. They are patiently waiting for their butterflies to emerge so they can release them into the wild!