Kalanchoe

I acquired two varieties of Kalanchoe from a friend cleaning out the small campus greenhouse for use this fall semester.  This plant was everywhere! It had taken over.  So at first, I was wary to bring it into the preschool classroom, where it would shed its babies onto other potted plants, and takeover the room.  Then I thought of a simple experiment that made the plant worthwhile: soil structure.  One container of sand, one container of soil, and one container 50/50.  What will the children think of this experiment?  And will their patience hold out to wait and see which type of soil the plant thrives & survives in?  What if I could avert their attention to Geography and discuss the area of the Earth in which this plant does grow wild?  Hmm…. Observing plant life, the possibilities become numerous.  We could count how many teeny-tiny sprouts each plant produces.  We could measure how far the Kalanchoe actually spreads its stem.  We could observe that one plant has thin leaves, and one plant has broad leaves.  Hey! Why is that?  Teachers, just remember that its ok for you to learn alongside your students, no matter their age, about the wonders of the natural world.  🙂