Gardening: Growing Vegetables 9:30-9:45 Ice Breaker What was the best thing that happened this last week? What was the worst thing that happened this last week? Have you ever grown your own vegetables? It s easy when you grow them from seeds. The benefits include saving money, getting a head start on the growing season, and choosing varieties of plants not commonly found in nurseries or gardening centers. Starting Times: As a general rule, start seeds six to eight weeks before your average last frost date. If you start seeds too early, you'll have to keep the seedlings inside too long, and they'll be weak by transplant time. What You Need: Containers: You can use almost anything you want for your containers: cardboard egg cartons, nursery flats, disposable aluminum pans. Whatever you choose, make sure the container has holes in the bottom to allow the water to drain out. Seed-Starting Mix: Use a sterile, weed-free seed starting mix that holds water well. Quality Seeds: Purchase at www.burpee.com or johnnyseeds.com. Plant Labels: Many seedlings look alike, so labels are a good idea. Write the plant names on frozen-dessert sticks or other labels, and stick them in the soil. Keep your seed packages for reference. Care: Provide the right amount of moisture, warmth and light for your seedlings. Check the recommendations on the seed packages. For more information about starting plants from seeds, check: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fgh3mbz21m) 9:45-10:00 Vocabulary and Conversation Directions: Explain and give examples of any new vocabulary. 1
1. practical benefits 2. head start 3. growing season 4. varieties 5. nurseries 6. garden centers 7. frost date 8. seedlings 9. transplant time 10. heirloom tomatoes 11. weak 12. nursery flats 13. disposable aluminum pans 14. to drain 15. sterile 16. labels 17. reference 18. recommendations 19. seed packages 20. kale Directions: Complete and practice the conversation below using the present perfect: has already started, hasn't started, have you ever started, has started, and have started. Tim enters house. It is early Spring. I was talking to Doris next door. She has plans for a vegetable garden this year. In fact, Doris cucumber plants from seeds in her basement. you ever plants from seeds? Yes, I several kinds of vegetable plants from seeds. Do you remember our garden a few years ago? We had cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, green beans and kale. We started those heirloom tomato plants from seed in March. Oh, yes. I remember seeing all those egg cartons filled with little plants in your basement. Those heirloom tomatoes that you grew were delicious. Yes, they were. Maybe it's not too late for me to start some plants from seeds this year. Do you know if Doris any tomato plants from seeds? No, any tomato yet, just cucumber. Oh, wait a minute, she tomato plants; I just remembered. I wonder what kind of tomato seeds she planted. Do you know if they were those special heirloom tomatoes that we liked so much? I'll go next door and ask Doris. Hello. Susan! How are you? 2
Just fine, Doris. I heard that you cucumber and tomato plants from seeds. How is it going? Very well. The seedlings are coming up. They are about three inches tall. I heard that vegetables grow quite well in containers rather than in the ground. I am going to try growing vegetables in containers this year. That sounds like a great idea. How do you grow vegetables in containers? Oh, it's very easy. You need a big pot that holds a lot of soil. Make sure the pot has holes in the bottom so that when you water, the water will escape. Then, you need potting soil that is designed for containers. When do you plant the vegetables in the container? My seedlings are ready to transplant into the containers now. You can also plant the seeds directly in the container. I like to have an early crop, so I planted seeds in cardboard egg cartons five weeks ago. An early crop sounds good. Would you like some of my special heirloom tomato seeds to plant, now? Why, thank you. I would love to try to grow them. 10:15-10:40 pm Questions and Practice Part I: Discussion Questions 1. Have you ever started vegetable plants from seeds? 2. Do people in your country do this in their backyards? 3. Is gardening a hobby for young or old people? 4. Do you like looking at gardening shows on TV and reading gardening magazines? 5. What are the names of some famous gardens in your country? In your local area? Share about the gardens. 6. Do you think all schools should have a classroom garden? Why or why not? 7. Have you ever planted vegetables or flowers in containers? 3
If so, what kinds? Would you do it again? 8. Do you need a big garden to enjoy gardening, or can someone living in an apartment also do a bit of gardening? 9. Why do so many people enjoy gardening? Part II: Grammar Practice: The Present Perfect Verb Tense How to form the present perfect: have or has + past participle Example: She has run the marathon three times. James has always enjoyed gardening. When to use the present perfect: 1. To indicate something that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and that affects present time. It is often used with time expressions such as never, already, yet, frequently, several times, and often. 2. To indicate a recent event, often with the word just or recently. (I have just finished my homework.) 3. To indicate that a state or condition that began in the past is still true now. The words since or for are common here. (They have known each other for a long time.) Directions: Interview your classmates. Make questions using the present perfect form of the given verb. Ask and answer the questions. Example: you / ever / start / plants from seeds Question: Have you ever started plants from seeds? Answer: I have never started plants from seeds. Answer: I have recently started plants from seeds. Answer: I have started plants from seeds since I had a bigger house. 1. you / ever / plant / vegetables / in a container 2. you / ever / pick / flowers for a bouquet 3. you / ever / mow / the lawn 4. you / ever / dig / in the soil with a shovel 4
5. you / ever / sit / on a bee 6. you / ever / water / the garden with a hose 7. you / ever / catch / a fish 8. you / ever / swim / near a big fish 9. you / ever / lose / something very important 10. you / ever / find / something very valuable Answers: Tim enters house. It is early Spring. I was talking to Doris next door. She has plans for a vegetable garden this year. In fact, Doris has already started cucumber plants from seeds in her basement. Have you ever started plants from seeds? Yes, I have started several kinds of vegetable plants from seeds. Do you remember our garden a few years ago? We had cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, green beans and kale. We started those heirloom tomato plants from seeds in March. Oh, yes. I remember seeing all those egg cartons filled with little plants in your basement. Those heirloom tomatoes that you grew were delicious. Yes, they were. Maybe it's not too late for me to start some plants from seeds this year. Do you know if Doris has started any tomato plants from seeds? No, she hasn't started any tomatoes yet, just cucumbers. Oh, wait a minute, she has started tomato plants; I just remembered. I wonder what kind of tomato seeds she planted. Do you know if they were those special heirloom tomatoes that we liked so much? I'll go next door and ask Doris. Hello. Susan! How are you? Just fine, Doris. I heard that you have started cucumber and tomato plants from seeds. How is it going? Very well. The seedlings are coming up. They are about three inches tall. I heard that vegetables grow quite well in containers rather than in the ground. I am going to try growing vegetables in containers this year. 5
That sounds like a great idea. How do you grow vegetables in containers? Oh, it's very easy. You need a big pot that holds a lot of soil. Make sure the pot has holes in the bottom so that when you water, the water will escape. Then, you need potting soil that is designed for containers. When do you plant the vegetables in the container? My seedlings are ready to transplant into the containers now. You can also plant the seeds directly in the container. I like to have an early crop, so I planted seeds in cardboard egg cartons five weeks ago. An early crop sounds good. Would you like some of my special heirloom tomato seeds to plant, now? Why, thank you. I would love to try to grow them. 10:40-11:00 Bible Study Zacchaeus Meets Jesus - Luke 19:1-10 19 1-2 As Jesus was passing through Jericho, a man named Zacchaeus, one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business (and, of course, a very rich man), 3 tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree beside the road, to watch from there. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name! Zacchaeus! he said. Quick! Come down! For I am going to be a guest in your home today! 6 Zacchaeus hurriedly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the crowds were displeased. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, Sir, from now on I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I find I have overcharged anyone on his taxes, I will penalize myself by giving him back four times as much! 9-10 Jesus told him, This shows that salvation has come to this home today. This man was one of the lost sons of Abraham, and I, the Messiah, have come to search for and to save such souls as his. 6
Words you may not know: Jericho = a city near the Jordan River and the Dead Sea; tax collector = a Jew who collects taxes for the Roman government, hated by the people because they were greedy; crowd = a large number of people gathered together; sycamore tree = a tree of the fig and mulberry family that bears an edible fruit; displeased = not pleased / not welcome; notorious = known for something bad; sinner = one who does wrong actions and has wrong thoughts toward God; grumble = to complain; penalize = to give a penalty or to punish; salvation God saves us from our sin s penalty and gives us eternal life. Believe in Jesus and you will be saved; Abraham Father and ancestor of the Hebrew nation Questions from Luke 19:1-10 1. Who is the most famous person you have ever seen close up? Share with others, what happened? 2. What would be your reaction if Christ stopped you and said, I will dine with you tonight like he did for Zacchaeus? 3. Why did Zacchaeus accept Christ as his savior? 4. What changed Zacchaeus from greedy to generous? 5. Do you think that Christ can change your heart like he did for Zacchaeus? Which part of you would be transformed? 6. Does Christ welcome you like He did for Zacchaeus? 7
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