Annotated Plant
Bibliography
Teacher/Parent Information
Intended as a resource for entering science fairs Botany Projects For Young Scientists can serve nicely as a lab manual for the botany portions of either life science or biology courses. Some of the activities may be suited to younger grades with appropriate supervision. Packed with over two hundred plant science projects dealing with everything from the germination to photosynthesis. Under each topic more than one project is suggested, allowing students studying the same topic to conduct different projects. It is an excellent resource for both teacher and student.
Hunken, Jorie, Botany for All Ages: Discovering Nature Through Activities Using Plants, 1989 The Globe Pequot Press, Chester, CT. 155 pages. [0-87106-616-5]
Botany for All Ages begins with an excellent section on "teaching with plants"
Shermer, Michael, Teach Your Child Science: Making Science Fun for The Both of You, Lowell House, Los Angeles, CA. 148 pages. [0-929923-08-1]
This book has some valuable insight to the teaching of science for non professionals. Descriptions of some of the key aspects of science instructions are introduced, e.g. scientific method. One word of caution, however, is that the author does not see the relationship between God and Science. If you can ignore this obvious bias you will find some useful information.
Sisson, Edith A., Nature With Children of All Ages: Activities and Adventures for Exploring Learning and Enjoying the World Around Us, 1982, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 195 pages. [0-13-610444-4; 0-13-610436-3 paper]
While the title is Nature With Children of All
Ages, it is really geared to younger students. Nonetheless it is a fantastic resource
for teaching botany. The first part of the book is intended as an introduction to teaching
nature study. It contains short chapters to help any adult become comfortable in taking a
child or a whole group out-of-doors. The main body of the book consists of specific
activities, grouped under six general concepts. Activities for learning the names and
functions of the parts of plants are first, followed by chapters that deal with growth
requirements, seasonal changes, and interactions between the plant and its environment.
Interspersed are uses of plants. Many activities give specific age groups, but there is no
listing according to age for each activity.
Note: there is one section on "meditation and "centering" which some
may find offensive.
Nature With Children of All Ages offers practical and entertaining suggestions for nature related activities. While it covers more than botany, the activities related to plants are excellent. It is a great unit study resource offering group and individual projects, games, art projects poems and more. The introductory section provides information on dealing with groups, attention-grabbing techniques and other suggestions to help you stimulate young people to explore and participate nature to its fullest.
Wassermann, Selma and Ivany J.W. George, Teaching Elementary Science: Who’s Afraid of Spiders?, 1988 Harper & Row, New York. 320 pages. [0-06-043243-8]
Intended for teachers of primary aged students (K-3) this book explains how to approach science without using textbooks. While much of the book is not applicable to home educators it does have some interesting ideas. Particularly helpful, are ideas on getting students to talk about the process of science.
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| The Annotated Plant Bibliography is excerpted from Project Discovery: The Plant Kingdom to be published by Castlemoyle Books in 2001. |
Ó 1998 by Beverly L. Adams-Gordon
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