The Importance of Caring for Pets and Plants in the Environment

The Importance of Caring for Pets and Plants in the Environment
By Becky Tanner, Lower Elementary Teacher

Upon entering a Montessori Environment, you may notice an abundance of plant life along with a classroom pet or two. Care of the Environment is an integral part of the Practical Life curriculum in Montessori. Caring for both plants and animals in our classroom is one way for children to take ownership of the environment in which they spend their time on a daily basis.  Caring for plants and animals allows students to become aware that they can make a difference in the world around them.  

Who cares for the plants in a Montessori environment?  The children!  Plants need to be watered on a regular basis.  Not every plant needs the same amount of water and not every plant needs to be watered as often as the others.  While 3-6 year olds may receive instruction from their teachers as to how much water a plant needs, older students may find out this information through research.  Pruning and dusting plants is also an activity that Montessori students engage in.  A plant may also need to be re-potted as it grows larger.  The children participate in these activities on a regular basis. While the teacher may be the one who chooses the pets that are in the environment, it is the students who are in charge of caring for them.  Pets need to be fed and watered on a regular basis.  A pet’s environment needs to be kept clean and safe as well.  When appropriate, the children are asked to participate in this activity.  

Meeting the needs of both plants and animals carries over to other areas of the curriculum.   Children are often encouraged to participate in planting seeds.  They may make predictions about what the plant will grow into, how large it will be or what it may look like when it is mature.  They will make observations as the plants grow which often involves measurement and recording keeping of their findings.  Students may need to research what supplies a new pet will need and measure materials to create the environment for the pet.  They may also need to measure food for their classroom pet as well.  

Here at SJMS we value caring for plants and animals in our environments.  Our classrooms are full of plants and you can find a variety of animal life in each of our classrooms!  Each of our classrooms have a vermicomposting bins (worms) that children care for on a regular basis.  Our goal is to raise up a greenhouse/eco-lab on our grounds in the very near future allowing students to further their exploration and study of plants and to grow food for needy people in our city.  

Finally what can your child do at home to participate in caring for your plants and animals?  How often do your animals need to be fed?  How much should they be fed?  How can your child participate in exercising your pet?  When do your plants need to be watered?  What can you plant in your gardens this fall and early next spring?   

We encourage you to consider ways to empower your children to care for and make a difference in their home environments!