EL BAMBINO PRESCHOOL

AT HOME LEARNING
MONDAY 26/07/2021

Introducing at home learning with El Bambino! To help with your child when they are away from
school, we have put together some daily Montessori tasks you can achieve at home, that will help with
your child’s educational and personality development.

Montessori at home activities

ACTIVITIES

Cultural:
 Types of plant (Cactus and Ferns)
    
Materials: Water colour, paint pallet, Printable cactus, and ferns picture (a4 paper or drawing block and black
marker pen, if you want to draw the plants), Optional: Cactus Plant and Any Fern Plant. *Finger painting activity.

Description: Plants are multicellular organisms in the kingdom Plantae that consist of over 300,00 different
species of plants. Most plants, specifically green plant uses photosynthesis to obtain energy. Common example
of plants includes grasses, trees, and shrubs. Plants have an important role within the world’s ecosystems. They
produce most of the world’s oxygen, and are important in food chain, as many organisms eat plants or eat
organisms which eat plants. In previous lesson we already learn about bulbs and herbs, so today we will focus
on 2 more types of plant which is cactus and fern.

Cactus is any of a family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have succulent stems and branches with
scales or spines instead of leaves and are found especially in dry areas (such as deserts). Fern is any of a division
(Filicophyta) or class (Filicopsida) of flowerless spore-producing vascular plants having alternating sporophyte
and gametophyte generations especially any of an order (Filicales) of homosporous plants possessing roots,
stems, and leaflike fronds.

Preparation:
Setting up the table (This step is advised to be done before starting the class).
 

1. Kindly prepare the materials and lay on the table

2. Invite the child to prepare all the materials by placing them nicely on their working area before the
start of their class.

3. Lay out the materials to its ready position. Lay the picture on the table in front of their child.

4. Sit your child down ensuring the child is calm and in a ready position before his/her lesson. Make
sure to always sit on the right-hand side of the child.
 Prepare the materials in front of the child for the activity. Please refer to the diagram below for your
reference. (You can add the reference images in this section)

Lesson:

Types of plants (Cactus and Fern)

First exercise 

I. Kindly introduce the Activity: “Today we will be working on getting to know types of plants Cactus and Fern.
Watch and listen to me carefully when you are ready you can join me”.
II. Explain to them about Cactus. Cactus is any of a family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have
succulent stems and branches with scales or spines instead of leaves and are found especially in dry areas
(such as deserts).
III. There are many types of cactus. You can play this video to explain and show to your child to help them
understands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxTI69Mhx-c.

Further information below:

Cactus
1) Kind of plant adapted to hot and dry climates.
2) Occur in a wide range of shapes and size.
3) Most Cactus have spines (thorns) for
defending againts herbivors and help prevent
water loss by reducing air flow close to the
cactus and providing shade.

Blue Latispinus
Candle

IV. You may further explain to your child on How Cactus keep hydrated. As Cactus are found in hot and dry
climate where do they get their water from?
a. When it rains, water is stored in the stem.
b. Many Cacti have long fibrous roots, this helps absorb moisture from the soil.
c. The spines and scales also help to not lose water through evaporation.

You can refer to the diagram on the following page.

 V. If you have a cacti or cactus at home, you may show this to your child. Let them view the cactus but
remember to remind them on the spines found in most cactus is sharp and can prick a skin.
VI. If your child is curious and love asking more questions you may explore this together further. Enjoy the
lesson and have fun!
VII. Once completed, we can begin to explain about Ferns. Fern is any of a division (Filicophyta) or class
(Filicopsida) of flowerless spore-producing vascular plants having alternating sporophyte and gametophyte
generations especially any of an order (Filicales) of homosporous plants possessing roots, stems, and leaflike
fronds.
VIII. There are many types of ferns. You can play this video to explain and show to your child to help them
understands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cx3HFbJcMs

Further information below:

Ferns
1) Ferns are plants that do not have flowers.
2) Ferns are seddless vascular plants that generally
reproduce by producing spores and can grow
indoor and outdoor.
3) Ferns have roots,stem and leaves.
4) Some ferns grow equally well on soil and upon
rocks.
Harts Tounge Selaginella Moss

IX. You may explain further to your child what is ferns?

 The ferns are extremely diverse in habitat, form, and reproductive methods. In size alone they range from
minute filmy plants only 1–1.2 cm (0.39–0.47 inch) tall to huge tree ferns 10 to 25 meters (30 to 80 feet) in
height.
 Some are twining and vinelike; others float on the surface of ponds.
 Most ferns inhabit warm, damp areas of the Earth. Growing profusely in tropical areas, ferns diminish in
number with increasingly higher latitudes and decreasing supplies of moisture. Few are found in dry, cold
places.
 X. Fern structure
 Ferns can have some very unusual forms and structures. The following describes fern structure and
forms that people typically encounter.
 The leaves of ferns are often called fronds. Fronds are usually composed of a leafy blade and petiole
(leaf stalk). Leaf shape, size, texture, and degree of complexity vary considerably from species to
species.
 Once water has entered the fern's roots, it passes into a vessel called the xylem, which extends up
the fern's rhizome, or stem, and into the leaves. As water evaporates from the leaves, it pulls water
up from the roots, like how water moves up a drinking straw

A fern leaf or frond Part of a fern leaf

The midrib is the main axis of the blade, and the tip of the frond is its apex.
The blade may be variously divided, into segments called pinnae; single leaflets are pinna. Pinna may be further
divided; the smallest segments are pinnules.
As new fronds emerge, generally in the spring, they unroll, these unrolling fronds are called fiddleheads.
.
XI. After the explanation, show this two types of plants to them, get them to differentiate between it. Let them
feel the texture and smell it. (If you do not have a plant, Show a picture to them)

I. Ask them how each of them feel. Ask them about the differences between this two types of plants.

Ferns
Cactus

Second Exercise

Finger Painting Art!

I. Prepare all the materials and lay them on the table, you may refer to the image below.
II. Kindly introduce the activity: “Today we are going to do finger painting art. Watch and listen to me carefully.
When you are ready, you can join me.”
 III. By using water colour, dip the index finger to paint and stamp it on the printable picture.

Remember to have fun with this activity and allow your child to create all sorts of artwork with this
stamping activity!

Observation: Allow your child to this independently and only observe her/him. Do not interfere if any mistakes were
made or try to correct them. Note the mistake and this can be corrected in the next lesson.
Throughout the session, you may observe whether your child:
 Able to say few parts of plants

 Able to differentiate between two different types of plants

 To enhance eye-hand coordination skills

 To follow work order.

Do not worry if a child continues to make mistake you can always practice and work on this activity another day. Just
keep note of which image or term your child is stuck on and ensure focus on that during the next lesson.

Conclusion: To conclude the lesson, you may say “Today we have learnt types of plants, cactus and ferns and had
done finger painting activity. You can work with this as many as you want. When you are finished, please cleanup
back your work area neatly.
Invite the child to do the activity on their own, capture videos and images of the child doing the task.
Objectives:
Direct:     
 To learn types of plants 

 To differentiate between two types of plants

Indirect:  
 To enhance vocabulary and knowledge about plants.

 To increase child concentration, independency, coordination, and order while working in this activity.

Videos and Images should be sent to Info@elbambino.my for teachers to conduct their daily observation of the
child. Thank you.
Printable Materials – Types of Plants (Cactus & Ferns)