By Kim Zwisdak, Village Lutheran Church & The Chapel School

Nov. 8, 2023: On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, the Chapel School second graders went on a field trip to The New York Botanical Gardens

While visiting the gardens, the students celebrated the season of fall. They investigated gourds and giant pumpkins to develop a deeper understanding of pumpkin diversity and the lifecycle.  Each child had an opportunity to explore pumpkin seeds and observe the germination process.

Mrs. Hillier, second grade teacher at The Chapel School, stated, "This field trip connected with our writing unit where second graders read articles and gathered information about pumpkins. The students then wrote an informational paragraph about pumpkins, using the information they gathered."

The second graders have also been studying all about plants in their Science unit. "It is great to be able to visit the gardens and let the students have a hands on experience and see firsthand what we have been learning about in class." The second graders prepared for the trip by learning about the parts of a plant, how each part of a plant helps the plant live, where different kinds of plants live, and the life cycle of a plant.

The students were able to touch and see all different type and sizes of pumpkins and gourds. "That one is bigger than us," exclaimed one student. "The seeds all look alike but the gourds are all so different," stated another. "Visiting the gardens helps the material come to life, it's always fun to see their eyes light up when they see how large the pumpkins can grow."