A dandelion a day keeps the doctor away? Yesterday, we picked dandelions from the yard and learned about the nutritious value of dandelion flowers and leaves.
Then I read "The Story of Jagged Edge" from the Herbal Roots Zine issue devoted to our friend, the dandelion; stories are always the best way to begin our multi-aged botany studies.
We begin with a tale and then we relate the story to the characteristics of the plant. Sometimes we make something from the plant together. Then we usually branch off- Max to his nature notebook and the girls to their plant coloring or play.
DANDELION HANDOUT (PDF)
As we read, colored, and filled out the handout above, we talked about the difference between the sunshine yellow flower of the dandelion and the white puffy parachute-filled seed head of the dandelion.
Micah observed that everything she "blows one of the puffy ones" she "plants one of the yellow ones".
The dandelion is an excellent barometer, one of the commonest and most reliable. It is when the blooms have seeded and are in fluffy, feathery condition that its weather prophet facilities come to the fore. In fine weather the ball extend to the full, but when rain approaches, it shuts like an umbrella. If the weather is inclined to be showery it keeps shut all the time, only opening when the danger from wet has past. (Source: Camping For Boys by H.W. Gibson)
Then Max composed a dandelion acrostic which he also managed to lose (though he thinks he might have "used in the backyard as a flag").
