Biome Garden
Reflection: For this project, we would need to add certain features in order to maintain the beauty of the garden. It would also be a good idea to add more plants to encourage more interactions between plants and animals. One plant in our biome that could be planted would be a smoke-bush or a vine maple. Both of these plants would fit in the available space and would be able to grow upwards. They increase in flowering plants will attract bees which will help pollinate other plants nearby; this would be an example of a symbiotic relationship. Another type of interaction these extra plants would encourage is the relationship between birds and the plants, especially hummingbirds. These birds are attracted to the sweet nectar and the bright red coloring of the smoke-bush.
In order to use the biome gardens as a teaching tool, we would need to make a couple of small changes. One way to help future classes is to start this project at the beginning of the year so the plant growth is more apparent. Students would also be able to compare the animals before planting new plants and the interactions after their plants flourish. This is challenging this year because our plants are still too young to truly attract the desired animals and it is challenging to observe changes during the summer. Summer right after this project also provides the issue of having a reliable watering schedule. Students would be able to learn more from this project if they were able to compare all the interactions between the different biomes. They could compare and contrast each region and the animals that visit the plants. I also think it would help students improve life skills if they were forced to advocate for funding and contact the garden locations in order to buy their own plants. These are just a couple of suggestions to increase the amount of learning from this project.
In order to use the biome gardens as a teaching tool, we would need to make a couple of small changes. One way to help future classes is to start this project at the beginning of the year so the plant growth is more apparent. Students would also be able to compare the animals before planting new plants and the interactions after their plants flourish. This is challenging this year because our plants are still too young to truly attract the desired animals and it is challenging to observe changes during the summer. Summer right after this project also provides the issue of having a reliable watering schedule. Students would be able to learn more from this project if they were able to compare all the interactions between the different biomes. They could compare and contrast each region and the animals that visit the plants. I also think it would help students improve life skills if they were forced to advocate for funding and contact the garden locations in order to buy their own plants. These are just a couple of suggestions to increase the amount of learning from this project.