The Holden Arboretum, Connect, Learn and Conserve

Invite a famous person to your classroom and experience an exciting program that brings botanical history to life in an educational and entertaining way. This interactive program introduces people from the past who have been influential in developing our knowledge and appreciation of plants. Each character focuses on the important aspects of their work and their contributions to our understanding of plants and the environment. Students will be engaged in discussions and activities.

John Chapman
Grades K-4 Johnny Appleseed was a real person named John Chapman. Born in 1774 in Massachusetts he later traveled west into Ohio planting his famous apple seeds. He established nurseries and distributed trees to settlers on the American Frontier. Apples were very important food source to the wilderness settlements. Johnny teaches about his period in Ohio history, the diversity of apples, the life cycle of a tree and tells a few tall tales along the way.

Thomas Jefferson

Grades 4-8 Jefferson had a great interest in and love of plants. He planted beautiful gardens at Monticello, gathered many plants in his overseas trips and one of the fundamental purposes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the collection of native Western plants. In the classroom Jefferson discusses the importance of observation, inventions such as the moldboard, the botanical naming of plants and garden design.

Rachel Carson
Grades 5-9 Born in 1907 Rachel Carson is best known for writing the book Silent Spring which sounded the alarm that many chemical sprays were damaging the environment. She is credited with starting the environmental protection movement. Carson was a Marine Biologist and award winning author. In the classroom Carson focuses on ecology and the balance of nature as it is affected by human action. She challenges the students to consider the consequences of their actions.

George Washington Carver
Grades 3-7 Born as a slave in Missouri, George Washington Carver was a famous African American plant scientist who came up with over 300 uses for the peanut. He helped farmers throughout the south learn about composting and other agricultural practices. In the classroom Carver looks at the structure and function of plants, dissects cotton and discusses the importance of soil.