2. Examine the large white balls of the dandelions and find out what they are.
3. Blow the down away. What does it carry with it?
To the teacher.—In this exercise the pupils will learn that the large white balls are the mature, or ripened, flowers and are composed of little brown seeds, each being a little airship for wafting it away.
CORRELATION WITH LITERATURE AND READING
When the above exercises have been completed, the pupil's knowledge of the dandelion may be utilized in interpreting the following stanzas:
Oh dandelion! yellow as gold,
What do you do all day?
I just wait here in the tall green grass
Till the children come to play.
And what do you do when your hair is white
And the children come to play?
They take me up in their dimpled hands
And blow my hair away.
In addition to the dandelion, the following plants are suitable for observation exercises: morning-glory, wild balsam, sweet-pea, snap-dragon, nasturtium.
DWARF NASTURTIUM
Observations.—The size of the plant at the time of flowering; its leaves—size, colour, shape, length of petiole and how arranged; colours found in the flower, comparison with others of same species found in the garden; size and shape of the flower and the length of its stems. Do the flowers grow higher than the leaves? Do they look better when with the leaves or when alone? Note the perfume and taste of the flower stem, the insect visitors, and what part of the flower they tried to get at, when the first blossom was seen, and how long the blossoms continued to come out. Do they keep well in bouquets? Do they stand hot, dry weather as well as other flowers? When did the frost kill them? Compare with the climbing nasturtium. Find the seeds.