Cattails

In the fall, the cattails are about to burst.  I brought some to school for the students to check out and after a few days we took the cattails outdoors.  I told the kids they could each give the cattail one pinch.  When they pinched them the seeds came flowing out of the cattail very quickly.  It is kind of a neat thing and the kids loved it.  I explained that each of those tiny seeds would either blow off in the wind or float on the water to the shoreline of a lake or wetland and they would possibly grow into a new cattail plant.  Then I shook the cattail and the seeds blew in the wind over the kids.  They loved it!  This short lesson only took 10 minutes and they learned something about plants and nature while having fun at the same time!