Botany Impressionistic Charts, Alison’s Montessori

Botany, 6-12

The Botany Impressionistic Charts are introduced in elementary following the first and second Great Stories, and the Timeline of Life. They aim to teach the needs of plants by sparking elementary children’s imagination through visual impressions. The Botany Impressionistic Charts are introduced along with stories and experiments that children can recreate themselves later using command cards.

Materials

✓ 19 colorful hand drawn Botany Impressionistic Charts (A3 format)

✓ 19 Story Cards

✓ 21 Experiment Cards

Themes:

• Needs of the Plant
• Menu of the Plant
• From Death to Life: The Nitrogen Cycle
• Water Seekers
• Boulder in the Way
• Give Drink to the Thirsty
• Piston and the Pump
• Plant’s Need for the Sun
• Sun Seekers
• The Chemical Laboratory
• Movement of Seeds
• How Plants Cling
• Like the Stakes of a Tent
• The Defense of Plants
• Alternate Sexual Reproduction
• Love Among Plants
• Go, My Child
• Like Hands that Hold
• Fountain of Cups

How to use the materials

Elementary children received a botany background education in primary. They learned about shapes of leaves, parts of leaves, trees, and flowers. They had experience with watering and washing plants, growing, collecting, observing, and dissecting specimens.

Therefore, in elementary, they are ready to be introduced to the 5 Great Stories. The first Great Story explains the formation of the universe and the Earth. To illustrate these phenomena, the Geography Impressionistic Charts are used along with stories and experiments. The Second Great Story introduces the Coming of Life using the Timeline of Life. Children discover the first living organisms on Earth. They develop an understanding of the interdependence between living organisms and their environment.

Following the Timeline of Life exploration, you can begin to introduce the Botany Impressionistic Charts and their corresponding Stories. Each story is accompanied by an Experiment Card, which also serves as a command card for the children. You need to prepare some household supplies in advance for the experiments. These supplies, if safe, can remain at the children’s disposal in order for them to be able to recreate, at will, any experiments that you have already introduced. Children aren’t required to repeat any of the experiments you have presented. It is their choice to do so, therefore; it is important to leave the Experiment Cards on the shelf. Some experiments may take a few minutes, while some others can take days or weeks to observe.

The Botany Impressionistic Charts illustrates the needs and functions of plants and their parts. For instance, Chart 1 illustrates the needs of plants. The first story tells about the plants needs in order to survive: water, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the soil. The Experiment Card suggests to leave seeds to develop in a sealed jar for 24 hours before making observation. After children have received a presentation of Chart 1, you can present Chart 2 right after, as well as Chart 3 as they all relate to the needs of plants. You may decide to present a few Charts at a time, and some others on another day.

I highly recommend Alison’s Montessori’s Botany Impressionistic Charts. The fact that the graphics are hand drawn creates the illusion between reality and dream in children’s minds. Real images would be too realistic to leave room for imagination. I once read that they tend to leave a fixed image instead of an impression. As for stick figure images that we used to find, they just don’t appeal 21st century children anymore.

In addition to the charts, the Stories Cards contain just enough information to captivate and inspire children. The Experiments Cards are also safe and simple enough for children to perform independently.

I hope you have been inspired by the Botany Impressionistic Charts and Cards. You will have plenty to do for many years with the children! Ready for a lesson?

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