Potting up acorns

Plant your acorns as soon as possible! They have been refrigerated since October and will begin to grow as soon as they encounter warmer temperatures and moist soil.

Procedure for teachers:

Distribute acorns. Have students make observations of the acorns (color, length of sprout, size) and record/sketch information in their journals. Demonstrate how to plant an acorn. Distribute deepots and assist as students plant their acorns.

If the acorns have not begun to sprout, have each student poke a hole in the soil of the deepot with their finger. The hole should begin at the edge of the pot and end near the middle. Help students identify the pointy end of the acorn. Explain that both the root and shoot grow from this end. Instruct students to place the acorns in the holes, pointy side first, and to push the acorns into the dirt until they are just below the surface.

If the acorns have begun to sprout, be careful not to damage their roots. Instruct students to remove an inch of soil from their deepots, and to use their fingers (or a pencil if the root is very long) to make a narrow hole for the root. Tell students to carefully place the acorns into their pots with the root extending down into the hole, and to gently refill their pots with the removed soil so that the acorn is fully covered.

Use a permanent marker to write student names on the craft sticks and insert them into the pots. Gather pots on the tray and take the tray outside for watering

To water, put the pots outside on a grassy or mulched area. This will absorb the runoff which will contain traces of fertilizer. Add water until it flows out of the bottoms of the pots and the soil looks evenly wet. Let the pots drain for 10-15 minutes. Place the pots on the plastic tray to contain additional drips.

Back in the classroom, place the tray on a sunny windowsill in the classroom.

Distribute the Oak Seedling Adoption Certificates. Read and discuss the responsibility involved in caring for the seedlings. You may want to read the pledge together and then have each student sign their certificate.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  • Describe the steps in planting an acorn.
  • Assume responsibility for the care of an acorn.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials:

For each student:

For the class:

  • Permanent marking pen for labeling
  • Plastic tray

Caring for oak seedlings

Procedure for teachers:

Distribute, read and discuss Caring for your Seedling. Check to make sure that your seedlings are in a good location in the classroom (adequate light, no drafts).

Time permitting, have students work in groups to create posters with the seedling care reminders (as outlined in the reading selection) to reinforce care procedures.

Students should monitor and graph the rate of stem growth each week. It may take 14 weeks for the stem to appear. Tell students that this is normal and to be patient.

In addition to collecting data about the growth of their seedlings, students may record the growth of their plants by sketching and labeling their structures in their journals weekly.

Going deeper:

Collect and analyze class data on seedling growth each week. Create a class graph that shows the growth of each seedling, discuss the range of the data, and calculate average growth of the seedlings each week.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  • Accurately describe the proper care of an oak seedling.
  • Describe the elements that plants need in order to grow.

Time: 30 minutes weekly

Materials:

For each student:

For the class:

  • Poster making materials

Frequently asked questions

Please contact us at 916-974-4311 if you have any questions that are not answered here.