Helpful Resources
Activity Ideas
Ask Dr. Universe – Washington State University
Dr. Wendy Sue Universe is a very smart cat who investigates tough questions from curious elementary and middle school students. Based out of Washington State University, Dr. Universe teams up with professors, researchers, and experts in the field to tackle big questions like: What is fire? Why does soda fizz? Why is the ocean salty? Why is liquid nitrogen so cold?
4-H at Home: Plant a Plant Person – National 4-H, Texas A&M, US Department of Agriculture (PDF)
This packet includes the activities “Plant a Plant Person,” “Test out Hydroponics,” “Recycle, Garden, Repeat,” “Grow Your Own Herb Garden,” “Build Your Own Bird Feeder,” and “Get Into Greenhouse Gardening.”
Plant People, a 4-H Spark Activity – North Carolina 4-H (YouTube video)
We will learn about the basics of growing plants by making a plant person!
Supplies needed: Old knee-highs or pantyhose, soil, grass seed, markers, (google eyes and rubber bands optional).
Presented by Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development and Mack Johnson, Jr., Extension Agent, Horticulture. Robeson County Center.
4-H Friday Fun! Seed Germination – The University of Maine (YouTube video)
4-H Friday Fun! is a series of at-home activities for parents and kids. In this video, join Zabet NeuCollins as she explains and explores seed germination and experiments with seed germination with items that can be found around the house.
The PDF instructions and data collection chart are available through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension website.
Hanging Mini-Greenhouses – University of Minnesota Extension
In this lesson, youth learn about the plant-growing process and the benefits of home gardening by planting herb seeds in a hanging greenhouse they make out of a two-liter bottle.
Afterschool Agriculture: Acres of Adventure Level 1
This group activity guide for the after-school teacher will quickly engage youth in learn-by-doing agriculture activities within the following thematic units: All About Agriculture, Fast Food Agriculture, Mystery Agriculture, and Plant Detectives.
Afterschool Agriculture: Acres of Adventure Level 2
This group activity guide for the after-school teacher provides ready-to-use lessons plans that will quickly involve youth in experiential activities related to the following thematic units: Agriculture Gone Wild, Farm Physics, Frontier Living, and Insect Invasion.
Science Activities and Experiments – Education.com Learning Library
This site contains science activities for multiple fields, including hands-on activities, worksheets, and more. In the left panel, it can be sorted by physical science, life science, earth & space science, and engineering & science practices, as well as by topic, age group, and state education standards.
Science Buddies also has a page specifically for Projects for 4-H that highlight activities that easily tie into 4-H project areas.
Washington Specific Reference Material
Coming soon!
Other Reference Material
From 4-H Programs
Parts of a Plant – 4-H at Home (YouTube video)
Learn about the parts of a plant with this lesson from Purdue University!
From Higher Education Institutions
Living Sculpture – Cornell University Department of Horticulture
Living sculpture is art made with plants – a creative blend of both art and science.
How to Care for your Houseplants – Iowa State University Extension (YouTube video playlist)
Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Aaron Steil teaches you how to best care for your houseplants. Playlist topics include watering & fertilizing, selecting containers & soilless media, humidity & temperature, and light!
How to’s for the Home Gardener – Iowa State University Extension (YouTube video playlist)
Are you building your own home garden? Watch these videos for great tips and how to’s on a variety of home garden topics!
Videos also include information on harvesting and storing a number of popular garden fruits and vegetables as well as floriculture, horticulture, and other plant science topics.
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
What is Botany? Crash Course Botany #1 (YouTube video)
Welcome to Crash Course Botany! Over the next 15 episodes, Alexis Nikole Nelson will spill plants’ secrets—how they evolved, how they function, and just how vital they are to human societies and all of life on Earth.
The complete Crash Course Botany series can be found here.
Introduction to Biology: Crash Course Biology #1 (YouTube video)
Biology is the study of life—a four-letter word that connects you to 4 billion years worth of family tree. The word “life” can be tricky to define, but a shared set of characteristics helps biologists identify living things. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, you’ll learn how all of life is connected, and why studying biology can help us better understand ourselves and our relationship to all living things.
- Iowa State University Extension Aquaponics Videos
How to Build a Miniature Aquaponics System (video playlist)
Fisheries and Aquaponics Extension Specialist D. Allen Patillo introduces you to a mini aquaponics system you can build at home to grow some food for your family and reduce your grocery bill.
Videos include:
- Aquaponics, Part 1: Benefits of an Aquaponics System
- Aquaponics, Part 2: Tips for Your Trip to the Store
- Aquaponics, Part 3: Materials You Need
- Aquaponics, Part 4: How to Cut the Wood Components for Miniature Aquaponics
- Aquaponics, Part 5: Plumbing for Miniature Aquaponics (Part 1)
- Aquaponics, Part 6: Plumbing for Miniature Aquaponics (Part 2)
- Aquaponics, Part 7: Plumbing for Miniature Aquaponics (Part 3)
- Aquaponics, Part 8: Building the Structure for Miniature Aquaponics
- Aquaponics, Part 9: Assembling Your Miniature Aquaponics System
- Basic Aquaponics: Maintenance and Tips
Basic Aquaponics (video playlist)
D. Allen Patillo, fisheries and aquaculture specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, gives you an overview of the basic aspects of miniature aquaponics.
Videos include:
- Aquaponics, Part 1: Benefits of an Aquaponics System
- Basic Aquaponics: How to Choose Fish
- Basic Aquaponics: Things to Consider When Choosing Plants
- Basic Aquaponics: What Plants Can You Grow?
- Basic Aquaponics: Maintenance and Tips
How to Start Your Own Aquaponics System (video playlist)
Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Specialist D. Allen Pattillo discusses Aquaponics: The best lighting, what food to use, protecting the fish and plants – everything you need to know!
Videos include:
- Everything You Need to Know About Aquaponics
- Choosing the Best Lights for Aquaponics
- How Do You Choose What Fish Food to Buy in Aquaponics
- How to Add Iron Nutrients Into Your Aquaponics System
- How to Protect My Fish and Plants in Aquaponics
- How to Plant Seedlings for Your Aquaponics System
- How Do You Get Into Aquaponics
- How To Take Care of Water in Your Aquaponics System
- How to Check the Oxygen and pH Levels in Your Aquaponics System
- Kits, Projects, and Activities from National 4-H
National 4-H Plants, Gardening, and Agriculture Curriculum Collection
National 4-H Natural Resources and Environmental Education Curriculum Collection
National 4-H Environmental Education Curriculum Collection
Beginner and advanced gardeners alike will understand the importance of testing their soil to ensure their plants have the best chance of flourishing. This Soil Master Kit contains 10 tests each for pH, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus – the key components of quality soil.
40 tests help identify the chemical composition of soil deficiencies which harm plant growth and survival
Includes a gardening guide with helpful hints, sources for additional information, and easy-to-follow illustrated directions
Prime testing times: Spring (garden/flower beds), Summer (indoor plants), Fall (lawns)Appreciating the Power of Plants Course
Plants make our world go ‘round. Find out what makes them tick.
Plants provide the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat, directly or indirectly. In this set of hands-on activities, we’ll explore how scientists study plants, grow them, and even change them to create very specific new kinds of plants that we know so well today, but that didn’t even exist hundreds of years ago. Requires a free Clover account to access lesson plans.