Plant Kingdom

New Hampshire Public Television's Plants - Learn about different categories and species of plants. Information about structure, growth, habitat, species diversity are provided through the linked page and the main menu. Although the site primarily has animal information, information on the plant kingdom is a great beginning for any student learning about plant life.

University of Illinois Extension Great Plant Escape - A detective adventure for elementary students to help locate missing plants. The "Case Briefs" educate children on the structure, life, and habitats for plants in a fun, interactive way. An accompanying Teacher's Guide provides information on the unit, resources, activities, planning hints, and a resources reference page that may help with further exploration.

Smithsonian Institute's Department of Botany - While this site requires some digging to find any specific piece of information, it does make a great exploration site to learn about a wide variety of plant species. Perhaps the most useful elements are the geographically related resources for determining which plants can be found in different regions. The Smithsonian site is not my top pick, but a good site nonetheless.

California Native Plants Kid's Stuff - Perhaps the smallest site listed, there are two learning units provided here, but the information is excellent, visual, and unique. Why do fires HELP some species of plants? and Why do plants have flowers? The first question, in particular, is clearly answered and has great graphics to aid understanding.

Family TLC Soda Bottle Terrarium - A simple activity to let your child watch plants grow, or a complex activity on complete ecosystems, terrariums can be great teaching tools. THis is a basic terrarium to get you started. For more sophisticated information, check out www.terrariums.org.