A Little Help From My (AI) Friends
I have a large database of gardening-related ‘stuff’ that I find interesting or that I think that I can use somewhere down the line, either in a workshop, in the classroom, after-school program or here online. I asked my AI buddy that I argue with on the drive to work (mostly we argue about what plants you can grow in Central Texas and why you shouldn’t rely exclusively on the USDA Hardiness zones.) to go through said database and put together a school project that a fourth-grade teacher could put together with limited budget and lots of kids. Below is what AI came up with: (I especially like the ‘Standards Alignment’)
Back-to-School Classroom Microgreen Station for Fall Science
Kick off the school year by turning your classroom into a living lab. A microgreen station engages students in hands-on plant science, observation skills, and data collection—all within a tidy, tabletop setup.
Learning Objectives
Students will describe the life cycle of a plant from seed to shoot.
Students will record and interpret daily measurements of growth rates.
Students will practice scientific vocabulary: germination, cotyledon, stem, and root.
Materials
Clear plastic trays or recycled clamshell containers (one per group)
Seed-starting mix or potting soil
Microgreen seeds (e.g., radish, broccoli, sunflower)
Spray bottles filled with water
Rulers or measuring tapes
Student science journals or data-tracking sheets
Optional: LED grow light or sunny windowsill
Procedure
Fill trays with 1–2 inches of seed-starting mix and gently firm the surface.
Evenly sprinkle seeds so they lightly touch but do not overlap.
Mist trays until the mix is just damp—avoid pooling water.
Cover with a clear lid or plastic wrap to maintain humidity for 2–3 days.
Once sprouts appear, remove cover and place trays under lights or in a bright window.
Have students measure height and note color changes every morning for two weeks.
Student Engagement & Assessment
Invite students to sketch daily growth stages in their journals.
Build a class graph tracking average height by day or group.
Encourage small-group discussions: “What factors affect germination speed?”
Use a quick exit ticket: name two plant parts visible in your microgreens.
Standards Alignment
Texas Science TEKS 3.12.B: Observe and describe structures of plants.
Next Generation Science Standards MS-LS1-4: Use tools to measure growth over time.
Common Core Math 3.MD.A.2: Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
Extensions & Take-Home
Turn harvested microgreens into a tasting station and discuss nutrition.
Challenge students to research microgreen varieties and design a planting plan.
Pair with a writing prompt: “Imagine you are a seed—describe your journey to the light.”
Not too sure that I’d include the ‘journey to the light’ prompt, but that may be because I worked construction for too many years, and I immediately dive to the gutter if given half a chance.
But I will say that I admire the organization and I can see myself using AI to format a workshop for me.
