Plan Ahead for the MassHort Plantmobile!

Register now for 2008 -2009 School Year

Planting the seeds of knowledge with today's youth will result in a strong forest for our future!!

To signup for the Plantmobile, click here.

The MassHort Plantmobile is a traveling plant science workshop that provides experimental educational programs for children in grades K-12. A member of the MassHort educational staff will come to your classroom to present each program. Our emphasis is on hands-on individual and group activities.

Students learn best while doing. This programs design is one that will allow students to gain increased knowledge and understanding of the plant world around them. One of our main goals is to strengthen student’s skills of observation and analysis. Both if these are important tools in their overall development and learning.

This program is set up to address specific standards of learning found within the Massachusetts Science and Technology Frameworks. Each workshop is designed to deliver a positive and unique learning experience to the students.

Choose from the following subjects for your class’s program:

Flower to Seed...and Back Again!

Why do plants produce flowers? Students learn that the answer isn't “just to look pretty!” Students will discover the connection between flowers, fruit, and seeds by dissecting and examining plants. MA State Framework Connection: Topics covered include life cycles, plant reproduction, and pollination. Available all year September – June

Leaf Out!

Why do leaves change color? Where do new leaves come from every spring? Students will examine the variety to be found in nature in terms of shapes, colors, and types of leaves through some collections made right in your school yard. They will also learn about function of leaves and basic plant/leaf terms. MA State Framework Connection: Topics covered include life cycles, photosynthesis/energy and fall color. Available October-November

Don’t skip a lesson about your hometown environment! In this program we’ll venture out into your schoolyard. Equipped with our special discovery bags, students will observe the schoolyard as an ecosystem and survey the surrounding environments. We’ll also see what can be found on a schoolyard scavenger hunt. MA State Framework Connection: Topics covered include ecosystems, and plant and animal interactions. Available April – June

What are rainforests, and what lives and grows there? Students will discover the similarities and differences between plant life in far-away rainforests and our ecosystems here in New England. Students will create their own “rainforest terrariums” using 2-liter soda bottles. MA State Framework Connection: Topics covered include the water cycle, biomes, and forest ecology. Available all year September – June

Plantmobile programs are limited to one class, maximum of 25 students, per Plantmobile session. One session lasts approximately one hour, with a 50 minute lesson, and 10 minutes for set-up and clean-up.

Visits are $125 per session. The minimum reservation is for two sessions.

All programs and their activities are modified depending on the age range of the classroom. Please be sure to indicate which age bracket best fits your classroom.

Plantmobile High School Programs:

This program focuses on the more specific needs of the high school student and is aligned with the state frameworks to insure students are working toward a common goal. All of our high school programming is focused on an ecology and environmental science basis. It can be utilized in a general education class through your biology courses, and all the way to supplement your higher level electives or AP classes. These programs work best in 90 min blocks but we can adapt them for shorter or longer periods.

Session Choices:

Wild Wetlands: Breaks down the makeup of our area wetlands for students to see the immense varieties of life that exist in the wetland areas. We discuss the need for preservation of wetlands and there are a handful of activities you can choose from for your classroom

Forest Frenzy: This session focuses on the ecology of forests. There is a mix of tropical, sub tropical, and temperate forest information which can be tailored towards the specific needs of your classroom. There are multiple hands on activities to choose from to help students understand the interrelationship between the many organisms of the forest.

Bio Indicators: Introduce your students to the bio indicators that surround us to help us monitor the health of our everyday environment. White pine samples will be used to show students the damage ground level ozone can result in. Microscope work to show the changes to the needles and cells will be done with the class. If your school yard has white pines sampling will be done with the students otherwise we can bring samples from Elm Bank.

90 minute sessions are $160 per session with a minimum of two sessions required for a school booking.

Monique Cafarelli, Director of Children and Educator Programming
Education and Outreach Department
900 Washington Street
Wellesley, Massachusetts
02482-5725
Phone: 617-933-4995
Fax: 617-933-4901
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it