Terrarium: a fascinating learning tool

Shalini Sabikhi

Terrariums offer a low-maintenance, space-efficient, and visually appealing way to bring the beauty of Nature into our home or office. It is a mini garden or an ecosystem in a jar.

Benefits of terrariums

• Low maintenance: The closed environment helps retain moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering.
• Space-saving: Terrariums are compact and can be placed in small spaces like desktops, shelves, or window sills making them great options for people with limited space.
• Improved air quality: The plants in a terrarium release oxygen and help purify air, improving air quality in the surrounding environment.
• Educational: Terrariums allow you to observe the life cycle of plants and the interactions between different organisms up close. This makes them great educational tools for children.
• Aesthetic appeal: Terrariums can be visually appealing with the plants and decorative elements creating a miniature, self-contained ecosystem.
• Stress relief: Watching the plants in a terrarium grow and thrive can have a calming and therapeutic effect, helping reduce stress.
• Versatility: They can be designed in a variety of styles, from simple and minimalist to elaborate and artistic, making them suitable for different tastes, décor styles, and budget.
• A great gifting option: Terrariums are great gifts to people of any age on any occasion.

How terrariums benefit students in their learning

• Ecosystem: Students get a hands-on experience of the ecosystem, bio-diversity, photosynthesis, and the relationship between plants, soil, and water. In a closed terrarium they can also observe and learn about the water cycle. When water inside the closed terrarium heats up or when leaves of the plants give out water by transpiration, this water evaporates and deposits as moisture on the sides of the glass jar. On cooling, condensation takes place and the moisture gets converted into water droplets. Precipitation then occurs and the water droplets fall down on the plants.
• Plant care: They learn about plant growth and also how to care for the plants. This develops a sense of responsibility towards Nature.
• Scientific inquiry: Students can design experiments to learn more about plant growth and environmental factors.
• Environmental knowledge: In a terrarium, students deal with a miniature ecosystem. Having and maintaining terrariums can lead to conversations about conservation, habitat destruction, and the impact of human activities on the environment.
• Get creative and artistic: Students can get creative with designing and decorating their terrariums. They can use a variety of plants, pebbles, shells, miniatures, etc., to decorate. The decoration in their terrariums can also be based on particular themes like jungle, village, urban jungle, temple, air force base, etc.
• Overall, terrariums help in multidisciplinary learning – science, ecology, and art.

Requirements

• Transparent glass/plastic jar
• Pebbles and marble chips
• Soil
• Moss
• Charcoal
• Brick powder
• Accessories (miniature garden toys)
• Succulent or any small indoor plant
• Water spray bottle

These things are usually available in plant nurseries or online.

Method

• Take a transparent glass/plastic jar of any shape and size.
• Wash with lukewarm water and dry it completely.
• Put a layer of white marble chips at the bottom. Excess water gets drained here.
• Keep a piece of cloth or polythene sheet over the marble chips (with small holes in it to allow water to flow down). This sheet will keep the coal powder from mixing with the marble chips.
• Top it with a layer of coal powder. This helps absorb any sitting water and prevents odour and bacteria build-up.
• Put a layer of brick powder over it.
• Above it add a layer of moss. This will prevent and stop the soil from slipping to the bottom during watering.
• Top that with compost and soil.
• Add accessories.

Taking care of your terrarium

• When lifting your glass terrarium, lift with both hands giving support at the bottom.
• Keep it in a spot with plenty of natural light (but not direct sunlight).
• Spray your terrarium with water every week or when the soil gets dry.
• Do not overwater.

The author is a social studies educator in Ahmedabad.  She is interested in reading, travelling, gardening, art and craft, learning and sharing her learnings with others. She can be reached at svs502@yahoo.com.