- Sarah Besse
Pop open our curiosity!
Jewelweed capsules explode open, propelling seeds here and there.
Pop!
Do it again!
Pop, hop!
Pop, hop, drop!
Pods pop!
We wonder:
Why don't the thin seedpods burst open like the thick ones do?
How does the capsule turn into a green coil?
How can we catch the jewelweed seeds?
How many seeds are there in a pod?
What happens to the bees when they’re “swallowed” inside the flowers?
Why does the largest patch of jewelweed grow near Bussey Brook?
Can I plant a seed at home? What does it need to grow?
Where are the “jewels” in jewelweed?
Jewelweed sparks our interest in many areas, including:
Science:
seed dispersal mechanisms
camouflage
hummingbird and bee pollinators
hydrophobic leaves
life cycle
Language:
rhyming (pop, hop, drop)
“talking local” (nouns of flora and fauna, verbs of movement, adjectives of description)
Social skills:
“It popped!” [look at each other and giggle] “Here, I found a big one for you to pop.”
Refining vision:
Finding camouflaged capsules
Fine motor:
Popping the capsules with pincer grip
Math:
Same number of seeds in each pod?
Get outside and find a jewelweed patch!
Look for jewelweed in moist semi-shaded areas, around the edges of streams and marshes, and in disturbed habitats such as ditches.
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