ENVIRONMENT Researchers have discovered that people who mow their lawns once every two weeks have more pollinating bees than people who mow their lawns every week. (Science) Don’t have a lawn? You can still welcome bees with a simple-to-build bee hotel! Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas One of our colleagues here at Nat Geo … Continue reading Stop Mowing Your Lawn So Much
SCIENCE Scientists think they have the answer to what Charles Darwin called an “abominable mystery”: How flowers evolved and spread to become the dominant plants on Earth. (BBC) Get this game to teach young students basic botany. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas New research digs into the genetics of flowering plants. What are flowering … Continue reading How Flowering Plants Conquered the World
ENVIRONMENT After intense and unexpected rain fell in the north of Chile, parts of the usually arid Atacama desert have turned into a carpet of flowers. (BBC) What other deserts experience periodic “superblooms”? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The BBC article calls the Atacama Desert the “world’s driest place.” How dry is it? Very! … Continue reading Driest Place on Earth Erupts in Bloom
Danielle Harootian and Dawn Fornari, this week’s Educators of the Week, stoke their students’ creativity through hands-on projects that explore diverse themes. They teach floriculture—a discipline of horticulture sometimes called “flower farming”—at Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, Massachusetts. Activity: Design Nat Geo’s Birthday Party Grade Level: 9-12 Time Commitment: 2-3 weeks Tell me a little bit about your school. Our school is an agricultural … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Flowers for Nat Geo’s Birthday
ENVIRONMENT Industrial wastelands sound like grim places but many of them are refuges for fascinating plants. (Guardian) Exotic flowers thrive in nutrient-poor soils, but what are nutrients? Use our resources to find out. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The super-short Guardian article offers some encouraging news about the ecology of brownfields. What are brownfields? … Continue reading Brownfield Blooms
