ArtPlantae Today

I was across the room when I overheard a student say this to her study group in a busy non-majors biology lab I taught during grad school. Fifteen years later, I am still not sure what caught me off-guard the most — the surprised tone in which the question was asked or simply the question itself. My first reaction was to wonder how the student could have missed the fact that grasses are plants. Then I thought about it some more and thought about the ways she could not have known that grasses were part of the plant kingdom.

• What if she had never plucked grass out of the lawn to see its roots?
• What if she had never had to install sod in her backyard?
• What if she had never seen her family lawn in an overgrown state and never had the opportunity to see inflorescences form?
• What if her parents did not take her to nurseries and botanical gardens as often as my parents took me?

I think about this student’s question each time I see someone shrug their shoulders to express their indifference towards plants. I always wonder about the root cause of their indifference. Surely they have had at least one memorable experience involving plants. Haven’t they?

Children & Plants
In 2000 at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association, Sue Dale Tunnicliffe presented the results of her study addressing children’s learning experiences looking at plants in a botanical garden. Tunnicliffe conducted her research at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Conversations among students (mostly ages 7, 9 and 11), teachers, and other adults were recorded in front of plant exhibits. She observed that children comment on the most noticeable features of a plant and that plant functions (e.g., photosynthesis and seed development) receive very little attention. She also observed that if an animal entered into view, children quickly turned their attention to the animal. Interestingly, Tunnicliffe discovered students learn about plants from their family and that students do not think of school as a place to learn about plants. Students admit to learning little from books, but a lot from daily experiences involving plants.

The intricate results of Tunnicliffe’s work must be read in detail to be appreciated. Science educators and anyone who leads group tours at botanical gardens will find this article to be a helpful resource. By having insight into what students notice about plants, educators can create engaging lessons and memorable interactive experiences.

Literature Cited
Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale. 2000. Talking About Plants: Comments of Primary School Groups Looking at Plants as Exhibits in a Botanical Garden.
Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Cardiff University (September 7-10, 2000). Read article