A Little Care

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A LITTLE CARE

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ISSUE 02

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LITTLE NAUTS

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A LITTLE CARE

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Four friends. One school garden. A little care together.

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The next morning, four new friends came back to school.

Pax

Same table?

Zion

Same table.

Lux

I was hoping you remembered.

Jahari

I remembered all the way here.

Jahman

Good morning, Little Nauts. Ready to find out something new?

Pax

At our table?

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Jahman set a mysterious bag on the table.

Jahman

We'll begin here.

Jahman

All right, kids, guess where we're going today?

Lux

Somewhere outside?

Jahman

I have beds, but nobody sleeps in them. I have growing things, but no roof over their heads. People help care for me. Where are we going?

Your turn

What do you think? Make your guess before you turn the page.

Pax

Beds with no pillows?

Zion

Flower beds?

Jahari

A garden!

Jahman

Our school garden. Today, we'll find out how to care for it.

Pax

One, two, three. Ready!

Zion

There are four of us.

Your turn

Three stakes. Four children. How many more stakes do they need?

Lux

One more makes four.

Jahari

Now there's one for each of us.

Jahman

Stay together on the paths. Ask before picking or pulling anything.

Pax

Even if it looks like a weed?

Jahman

Especially when we're not sure.

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Their first field trip was only a short walk away.

Lux

It's like another classroom.

Zion

A much rustlier one.

Pax

Where are the chairs?

Jahman

Today, the path will do. Let's see what we notice.

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Leaves rustled overhead. For a moment, everyone just looked.

Lux

We came to look at plants. Does that big tree count?

Jahman

What do you think?

Jahari

It's got leaves.

Zion

And it grows out of the ground.

Jahman

Yes. A tree is a plant. Its roots help hold it in place and take in water. The trunk supports its branches and leaves.

Pax

A very tall plant.

Zion

And a very shady one.

Jahman

Leaves use light to help make food. Different plants need different amounts of light and water.

Jahari

I'll water both. Then we've helped both.

Lux

What if one already had a drink?

Jahari

Oh. How would we know?

Jahman

We can check. The leaves don't tell us everything. Let's find out what happens when water meets soil first.

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Jahman brought out a practice pot. There was soil inside, but no plant.

Pax

Does it all stay in the pot?

Zion

Or come out underneath?

Jahman

This practice pot has holes underneath. The stand holds it above the tray.

Jahman

When I pour a little water slowly, where do you think it will go?

Your turn

Into the soil? Through the holes? Some of each? Make a prediction.

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Jahman poured slowly. They watched and waited.

Jahari

It's going into the soil.

Zion

I can see drops underneath!

Lux

Some is staying in the soil, and some is coming through.

Jahman

That's what happened in our pot. Soil can hold water, and extra water can drain through the holes.

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Back at the mint pots, Jahman helped them check gently below the soil surface.

Lux

This one's drier.

Jahari

This soil still feels damp.

Jahman

I've checked too. The left mint needs water today. The right one has enough for now.

Your turn

LEFT: CHECKED DRY / RIGHT: STILL DAMP — Which mint shall they water today?

Zion

The dry one. And check the other one again another day.

Jahari

I'm glad we looked first.

Jahman

Roots need air as well as water. More and more water isn't always better.

Jahari

So we check what each plant needs.

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Jahman filled the little can. Then they shared the garden jobs.

Jahari

Slowly?

Jahman

That's it. Onto the soil.

Lux

Pot's steady.

Zion

A little water's reached the saucer.

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Jahman helped with the extra water in the saucer. The other mint could wait.

Jahman

That's enough for this one. We'll let it drain.

Pax

Notebook's dry. Very dry. I checked.

Lux

How will we remember what it looked like today?

Jahari

Draw it in our notebook.

Your turn

Count the open leaves on this one marked shoot. Touch each leaf once.

Lux

One, two, three, four. Four open leaves on this shoot. I'll write today's date too.

Jahari

Today's picture is the beginning.

Pax

Has it grown yet?

Jahman

We won't expect to see growth in a few minutes. We'll care for it and look again over time.

Picture label

DAY 2

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4 OPEN LEAVES

Pax

Four stakes back in the box.

Zion

Ready for next time.

Lux

One picture to bring with us.

Jahari

And we didn't water everything.

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The plants were the same size. Their care was the part that had changed.

Jahman

You noticed what needed doing. That's garden care.

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Back at school, they washed their hands. The notebook came to the table too.

Jahman

What shall we remember from our first field trip?

Lux

Look closely.

Zion

Check what you notice.

Jahari

Then choose how to help.

Pax

And don't water the notebook!

Jahman

Another field trip next week? A different place, a new question.

Lux

Can we check our mint again too?

Jahman

Yes. We'll keep caring for it between visits.

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Same table. Same team. Something new to notice next time.

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LOOK. CHECK. HELP.

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The Little Nauts' first field trip is finished. Their noticing has only begun.

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A garden can change slowly. With a grown-up, look at the same plant again another day. What is the same? What is different?

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Trees are plants. Different plants need different care. Check with a grown-up before watering, picking or pulling.

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Thanks for reading with us. What would you like to notice on your next little adventure?

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A Little Care - reading draft.