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© 2014 The National Gardening Association. All rights reserved. 29

Materials

• 1 single serving carton per student

• Grow lights (optional)

• Potting soil mix

• Tomato seed

• Life cycle of a tomato poster (available for download from Carton2Garden .com/contest-details/entry-kit/)

• Plant Growth Chart

Teacher Background

Almost every school vegetable garden hosts tomato plants, and the ability to grow a handsome tomato earns a gardener the title of “green thumb .” Tomatoes are a delicious staple of American cuisine, which is fortunate considering that they provide important vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting antioxidants . With fresh tomatoes on sandwiches and burgers, and processed tomatoes in pizza, salsa, and catsup, it’s hard to make it through a day without eating a tomato or tomato-based product!

Scientists believe tomatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru and were brought to Central America and Mexico by emigrating Indians . The first written record of the tomato dates to the 1550s when European explorers returned home from Mexico with tomato plants . Today tomatoes are enjoyed by people all over the world .

Laying the Groundwork

Bring a tomato and a packet of tomato seeds to a class circle or class meeting . Show students the tomato and a tomato seed . Ask students: How are these items related?

Show students the tomato diagram . Ask students: How does the seed turn into the tomato? How do we get more seeds from the tomato?

Exploration

Step 1. Prepare one single serving carton per child according to carton preparation instructions . Punch three quarter inch drainage holes in the bottom of each carton .

Step 2. Lay out newspaper or provide trays for students to work with soil and planting materials . Instruct students to write their name on each carton .

Step 3. Prior to giving students access to the soil, moisten the potting mix to the dampness of a well-wrung sponge . Fill your seedling tray or individual containers, and firm the surface .

Step 4. Instruct students to count out 2-3 seeds for each carton . Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, about 1/2 inch apart .

The Life Cycle of a TomatoGrade Level: K-2

Time: Multiple days

Subject: Language Arts, Science, Math

Objective: To demonstrate each stage in a tomato plant’s life cycle .

Goal: Students will be able to understand the life cycle of tomato from seed to seed .

Poster available for download from Carton2Garden .com/contest-details/entry-kit/

© 2014 The National Gardening Association. All rights reserved.30

Step 5. Instruct students to firm the seeds into the soil . Then put a thin layer - about 1/4 inch - of moist soil mix over the seeds and then firm it again . This brings the seeds into good contact with the soil, which is important for germination .

Step 6. Have students place their carton inside a plastic bag or cover all cartons with a sheet of plastic wrap or a plastic tray lid to keep the soil mix from drying out . Have students document their experience planting seeds in a journal . This journal should be kept throughout the lifecycle of their tomato plant .

Step 7. Put the container in a place out of direct sun where the temperature remains steadily around 70°F . Warm soil is more important than warm air for optimum germination, so providing heat from below really helps .

Step 8. The seedlings will begin to emerge in a few days . Have the students observe the carton and note how many days have passed . Have students document their plant’s progress in their journal .

Step 9. Once the seedlings have emerged they need plenty of bright light to thrive . Generally they will do best under fluorescent lights . Set the plants an inch or two below the tubes and maintain that distance as the plants grow . If the distance is too great, the plants will stretch towards the lights and develop thin, weak stems . Keep the lights on 14 to 16 hours a day, but turn them off for the night . Plants need a rest, too! If you don’t have fluorescent lights place plants in your sunniest windowsill .

Step 10. Because multiple seeds were planted, students might observe more than one seedling growing in the carton . If this is the case, once the seedlings have two sets of leaves snip out all but the one strongest seedling at the soil line using a pair of small sharp scissors . (With young students this may be best done by an adult .)

Step 11. Have student care for their plants, keeping the soil moist and watering plants . Students should measure plants as they grow and create drawings that reflect the plant’s progress .

Now that your seedlings have been successful, keep your seedlings under the lights until the last frost date in your area . If you have a school garden, plant them outdoors or students can bring their plant home to plant in their home garden .

Digging Deeper

Bring in some fresh tomatoes to your classroom to create a recipe like fresh salsa or bruschetta . Give students an opportunity to create the recipe with you . Create a copy of the recipe for students to take home and share with their family .

Visit a farmer’s market or grocery store that carries a variety of tomatoes . Purchase a selection of varieties and colors . Let your students do a taste test! Encourage students to try a small sample and rate each variety . Have students note their findings in a tomato taste chart .

Conduct a seed estimation where students guess the number of seeds inside a tomato . Try comparing the number of seeds in different varieties of tomato .