Gardening with the Senses

Kindergarten students have been learning about the five senses in science this month and how we use them to navigate the world around us. Through discussion and experimentation, Kindergarten scientists have been exploring the variety of information they can glean from sensory observation. Students went on a listening walk to document the sounds across campus, experimented with smell in science, tested their tastebuds with an apple tasting, and sampled items that represent the five different types of taste. 

 

One of the highlights of the unit combined a variety of senses as Kindergarten students added a sensory garden to the pollinator plantings in the Primary School Garden this week. Fay Director of Grounds Mike Casey gave students a lesson in planting and students took turns planting Echinacea, Irish Moss, Lavender, and Lamb's Ear. They worked together to choose spots in the garden where the plants would have plenty of room to grow and took turns digging the holes. Students sketched the flowers and leaves, making note of how the different parts of the plants feel. They also spent time smelling the distinct plants and documenting the sights, sounds, and other things that they noticed in the garden. 

 

Kindergarteners will have the opportunity to observe their plants throughout the year as they go dormant, then grow and bloom again in the spring. They will also be able to appreciate the interdependence of our ecosystem, watching as the plants in the Primary garden attract bees, butterflies and other insects that pollinate other plants and are sustained in different ways by the garden.