Re-usable bottled Terrariums for Term 2 inquiry on 'Making your idea pay'
This is how we went about making our Re-usable bottled Terrariums in our mix-ability inquiry cross groupings from Year 4 to 6 to make our idea pay.
First we went on a nature walk in our very own Outdoor Classroom native garden to gather pebbles, bits of wood or charcoal, soil and little plants or grasses.
How to make a terrarium was modelled to demonstrate to children how to make their own
self-managing gardens in a clear glass or plastic container.
After modelling how a Terrarium is made, the students quickly became motivated and engaged into making their very own terrariums in pairs, by re-using empty plastic bottles with a
sealable bottle cap. Each bottle was cut in half to make it easier to work with and plant.
Gravel, pieces of twigs and charcoal was placed at the bottom of the plastic bottle to drain out extra water and prevent the plant roots from becoming waterlogged and rotting.
Thereafter students put in 3-4 handfuls of soil into the bottom half of their plastic bottle .
Then they planted a succulent leaf from a dancing lilly plant which grows in the classroom.
They also planted some grass to give the leaf some support.
Students took turns to add just half a cup of water to their bottled terrarium.
They pressed both the grass and the leaf firmly to anchor them in the soil.
Finally the top half of the plastic bottle was fitted and sealed tightly with clear sealing tape to make the container air tight.
When the re-usable bottled terrarium was completed, it was placed along with the other plants in the outdoor classroom's hothouse to grow as independent No-care Gardens.
We loved growing our own self-managing garden to sell to the public to make our idea pay.
"Buy a terrarium and enjoy watching how it grows in the privacy of your home."
There are many benefits of having terrariums at home:-
Terrariums demonstrate how a mini Water Cycle works in nature. You can study the processes of Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Collection all in a small bottled terrarium.
They make you aware of the importance of re-using and recycling materials to conserve and sustain our environment.
They teach young people the value of growing and caring for plants as primary food resources for both animals and humans. So let's care for our precious plants the way they care for our daily needs.
