ABOUT US

The botany class at Union casts a wide net with respect to the curriculum.  Essentially, if it has to do with plants, it is fair game.  We cover the more typical aspects of botany such as plant anatomy and physiology, plant morphology, plant diversity, plant identification, and evolution.  However, we bridge into the more “practical” fields of horticulture, landscape design, landscape maintenance, the floral industry, agriculture, human uses of plants, and any other plant related field.  Students meet and interact with professionals from each of these fields and develop an understanding of job opportunities in each.  Many past botany students have gone on to study plant related subjects at college, and many have taken plant related jobs in the area.  After taking the course, if students choose to continue studying the field, they will be in a position to know which path of study to pursue at the next level (Horticulture? Landscape Design? Botany? Agriculture?).  If they chose not to go on, the course has given them practical knowledge they will use for the rest of their lives.

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The course is project based and hands on.  We are deliberate about learning and practicing effective group working skills, and using those skills to propose and execute projects.  Student engagement is significantly increased when they realize that effective research and planning will actually result in something tangible being created and used by future students.

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On a larger scale perspective, students want to be “of use”.  We all recognize the difference between meaningful work and rote work.  I find that once students realize they are working toward leaving a legacy of some kind at Union, behavior, engagement, and performance all improve.  At Union High School, over 3000 capable and innovative students walk through the doors each morning, and in botany we tap into that power.   This website is an example of such, designed and created by Emma Plunkett, class of 2021.