Junior Einsteins: Terrariums

The Junior Einsteins program was an extracurricular program I developed to encourage a love of science in my fourth grade students. First, students were given a packet with information and instructions. After reading some background information, students make connections and predictions, perform the experiment, make observations, analyze their findings, draw conclusions, and then reflect on their experience. There is even an extensions section for students who want to learn more. After an appropriate number of days, we would all reconvene to share our results and experiences. While originally intended to be performed entirely outside of class, these experiments work just as well in a classroom setting. My students had a lot of fun with these activities, and I hope yours do, too!

In this experiment, students will make their own terrarium in order to 'grow' their knowledge of plants and ecosystems. (*Note* For this specific activity, you can print multiple copies of the "Observations" page depending on how long you want students to observe their plant growth)