This TopicQuest was designed for Ms. Freeman's Kindergarten Class at Lake Park Elementary School, By Mary Marie Carr, a Valdosta State University Preservice Teacher.

Spring is a fun and enjoyable time for everyone.  Children run and play. Parents lay out in the sun and relax, while watching their children. But did you know, that gardening is an important part of spring time?  Do you know how plants grow? Do you know the parts of a plant?  Have you ever help someone plant a garden?  Well, if not, you will learn how on great and interactive websites.  I have chosen a few for you to look at.  Just click on a picture or highlighted word below and enter a world of fun with spring.

	Take a trip with a creative website and learn about activities you can do with  spring.  Children will love visiting this website and learning to create new things.  This is a great website for primary school age children.
	Come visit a website that will give you much enjoyment.  You can learn poems and songs at the same time.  Can Teach website is awesome. It not only lets children learn songs and poems for spring. It also allows them to learn them for holidays, other seasons, etc.
	This website is designed to teach children about bugs. Children can learn what bugs are, activities that go along with these bugs, and quizes on what bugs are called.
	This exciting site will give children hours of fun creating insect mask; as well as, learning about butterflies.  This website is geared for all children especially for primary and elementary.  When any child gets finished roaming this website they will be able to tell everyone about butterflies.
	Learn about plants and how they grow through experiments and studies online.  Children will be shown facts about plants and learn parts that are edible and parts that are not.  Children will also learn what each part is and what is unique about it.  4 Kids is a great website to find neat activities to do with children.
	Did you know that spring officially starts March 20th.  This website allows you to not only learn this important fact but many more. This is an great website that allows children to learn about spring through the use of primary games that are related to subject areas taught in school.  After children finish playing games there are other activities children can do.
	Squigly's Playhouse is designed for kids to learn about spring through many different ways.  Children can participate in online games, coloring pages, and much more.  When a child is finished doing these things he/she can choose a holiday that is during spring and have fun doing many more fun activities relating that topic.
	Come along and learn how to fly kites.  Kites are an important part of spring time.  The wind is blowing and families are out in their yards, on the beach, and at the park playing.  With this website you will learn to make kites, fly kites and even tricks to go along with it.
	This is a site especially for children who want to plant their very own garden.  This website is called Gardening for Kids.  It has everything a child needs to know about gardening.  It has all kinds of activities and links that a child can go to and have so much fun.
	This website allows students to participate in games, creative acitvities, and learn about spring and the holidays that surround spring.  Kids Domain is an excellent site for students to go to.
	Encyclopedias are fun for everyone.  They allow students to look up all kinds of cool things.   At Fact Monster you will learn what the seasons are. (spring, summer, winter, fall)  So, take a trip to this great website and share with all of your friends about spring.

Mission     Today, you are going to pretend you are an owner of a Landscaping and Gardening Company in Lake Park, Georgia.  You travel many miles and sometimes days to get to your worksite.  But today you have a special customer from right here in Lake Park.  This special customer wants you to create them a yard that is like no one else for the spring and summer.   But there is one thing you must remember, your special customer has three very small children that like to play outside everday.  As the owner of this great company you must visit many websites to get new ideas for this one particular yard.  So, take a journey through Gardening for Kids and learn how gardens are grown and how you can create a new and unique garden.     The first step to creating your special customers unique garden is to learn the basic tips to gardening.   After finding  out about basic tips for gardening, then write some of them on a piece of paper that your teacher has provided for you.          Second, you want to research the link for kid friendly plants because if you remember your special customer has three small children that like to play outside.  You do not want them to get around plants that might hurt them.         Third, you might want to visit the link with the title flower archives.  These archives should give you examples of flowers that bloom in spring and summer.           After you have visited the website, Gardening for Kids, you are now ready to create this unique garden for your special customer.  Take the paper provided for you by your teacher and draw and color a garden that you think will be unique and kid friendly for your special customer.

Marie's Homepage

mmfutch@valdosta.edu

VSU TopicQuest Pages

TopicQuest Lesson Plan