How to teach ... flowers

From counting petals to developing deployable structures, nature's blooms can help teachers explore a variety of topics in the classroom

We use flowers to mark all kinds of moments - celebration, remembrance, romance (or, for the more suspicious among us, a hint that the flower-giver has done something wrong). But at this time of year, they signify one thing above all else: the fact that spring is here and winter is finally on its way out.

So, as the blooms begin to break through the ground, here are some ways to use nature's signal of warmer days ahead to explore a variety of topics with your students.