Plants Around a Building

In this outdoor activity, learners discover how the environment around a building affects the growth of plants. Learners observe patterns of plant growth such as size, thickness, weeds, and damage to plants by humans, then share their observations verbally and combine all their observations on a large outline map. The activity can be extended or adapted for higher grades by assigning each learner or team to look for specific aspects affecting plant growth, such as soil composition, moisture, and how location and design of the building affect growth patterns. (More quantitative measurement of environmental factors is available in the Terrestrial Hi-Lo Hunt activity from the same source.)