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Teach PA History
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W. Atlee Burpee and the "Seeds" of Becoming an Entrepreneur
Extensions

1. Have students each create a one-page description of a new fruit or vegetable for inclusion in a contemporary Burpee catalog. The description should address the innovative nature of the item and include a description of how it will simplify the gardener's life. 2. Compare and contrast W. Atlee Burpee with Sears or J.C. Penney by creating a television program featuring all three men as guests. A fourth student interviews each man about his contributions the American economy and rural life. 3. Bring a bag of Burpee seeds and individual seed containers to class. Have each student plant one seed in each and then water and tend them until the seeds germinate. Ask the students to calculate the success rate and decide whether the claim of quality is substantiated. Ask the class to prepare a letter to the Burpee Company reporting the results. Give a seedling to each student to take home and plant.

Field Trips

Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
(610) 388-1000 x512 or x513

Longwood Gardens, located on the estate of Pierre S. du Pont, is 1,050 acres of woodlands, gardens, and meadows. It is fully equipped to handle school tours and provides a number of School and Youth Programs that connect to National Standards in Arts and Humanities, Science and Technology, Math, and Social Sciences. After learning about Burpee's experimental farm of hybrids and cross-pollination techniques, students could take a field trip here to build on this knowledge and learn more about the biology of plants.



The Henry Schmieder Arboretum of Delaware Valley College
700 East Butler Avenue
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 489-2283

This 60-acre arboretum is located on the campus of Delaware Valley College. Along with its collections of a variety of trees–beech, oaks, conifers–are gardens to enjoy as well. The Lois Burpee herb garden is one of its special collections and can be traced to the "Burpee" legacy. Self-guided tours are available during the week from dawn to dusk, and guided tours are available on a limited basis.



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