PlantingScience is an online mentoring program that has been connecting real plant scientists with 6th-12th grade classrooms since 2005. Participating classrooms make use of one of our standards-aligned themes to engage students in a guided inquiry around a plant topic (photosynthesis, germination, cells and tissues, food production, etc.). As each student team plans and carries their investigation, they are assigned a plant scientist mentor who communicates with them via an online message board. You can see an example of a successful project here.
At the end of each session, completed student projects can be nominated for consideration for a Star Project award. Students whose projects are selected receive T-shirts and prizes, as well as commemoration on our website. Many have carried their projects on to other science fairs as well.
Some important points to note:
- Our program is NSF funded, and cost-free to teachers. For some modules we will even mail out materials to teachers participating in the mentorship session.
- Student anonymity is protected. Students receive an anonymous login using first names only. All communication with students is visible to the teacher.
- The Fall session runs from September 14-November 30th. Participating teachers can start anytime after September 14th; we just ask that they plan to be finished by November 30th.
For logistical reasons, we can accommodate a maximum of 30 teachers per session. Currently we have about 10 openings remaining for the Fall 2022 session.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let us know!
