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Introductory Lesson Lesson #1:
Plants Grow
I. Standard: a. L.HE.02.13-identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower
type, color size) that are passed on from parents to young. b. L.OL.02.14-identify the needs of plants.
II. Objective/Benchmark: a. Students will be able to name at least 2 of the 5 parts of plants. b. Students will be able to name at least 1 of the 4 needs of plants. c. Students will be able to name at least 2 of the 5 stages of plant growth.
III. Anticipatory Set: a. The teacher will begin by settling the students and playing the 46 second time-
lapsed video of the plants growing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d26AhcKeEbE).
b. The teacher will play the video once with sound to get the attention of the students.
c. The teacher will have each student turn to a partner and decide what the first thing that happened was. “How did the plant start? What did it look like?”
d. The teacher will then call on a group to tell the class that the plant started as a seed (do the sign for seed). He/she will also play that part of the video and pause as the 2nd step begins.
e. The teacher will have the students turn to a partner and decide what the second thing that happened was. “What happened to the seed next?”
f. The teacher will then call on a group to tell the class about the roots (do the sign for roots). He/she will also play the video and pause when the 3rd step begins.
g. The teacher will have the students turn to a partner and decide what the third thing that happened was. “The roots grew down, but then what happened?”
h. The teacher will then call on a group to tell the class about the stems (do the sign for stem). He/she will also play the video and will let it play through to the end.
i. The teacher will then ask the class, “what grew on the stems?” (do the sign for leaves).
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j. The teacher will discuss with the students the parts of the plants that they saw in the video. Review the signs to help us remember the parts and add fruit.
IV. Input: a. Task Analysis
i. While still in the large group, the teacher will bring up the BBC plant part game (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml).
ii. The class will work together to match the different parts of the plant based on what they observed in their plant clip.
iii. The classes will then split up into their respective classrooms. iv. The teacher will have all students gather up at the front of the class and
hand each student 3 cards (A, B, and C). v. The teacher will explain that the class is going to test what they know
about plants and what they need to survive. “The questions are multiple choice, so when we read the question, I want you to think of what you think the answer is and hold that card up.”
vi. The teacher will open the quiz on the SMART board (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml).
vii. For each question, the teacher will have the students hold up their answer, and the teacher will take note of what his/her students know.
viii. After each answer is in the air, the teacher will choose a student (popsicle stick) to come and press the answer on the SMART board.
ix. The teacher will be keeping an inventory on what her class seems to already know and what they seem to be fuzzy on.
x. As the questions are being answered, the teacher will review the correct answer and why her students feel that it is correct. This will also provide insight into more of what the students know and assume about plants.
xi. The teacher will then collect the cards for future use and have the students return to their seats for the next part of the day.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What parts do plants have?” “Is the answer A, B, or C?”
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ii. Comprehension- “Can someone review how a plant grows from a seed to a plant?”
iii. Synthesis- “What if we skipped a part? Do you think the plant would still survive?”
iv. Evaluation- “Estimate why you think a plant needs water.” c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. The students get to think pair share so everyone will have an
answer before the teacher calls on anyone in the class. This will ensure confidence and the ability to succeed.
2. The cards act as a quiet way to try without calling attention to each student. This also requires that all students participate.
ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- The students will be listening to the teacher
and each other in discussion. 2. Intrapersonal- The students are able to decide on their own
answers for the “quiz.” 3. Visual/Spatial- The students will be able to see the plants in real
pictures as well as diagrams. 4. Interpersonal- The think-pair-share allows students to have
interactions with one another. 5. Body Kinesthetic-The signs for the different parts of the plants
will help these students remember them. 6. Naturalist- Students will be exploring the world of plants.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. Students will be participating in multiple ways: cards, think pair share
and verbal. ii. Students will also be able to move around a bit for those who cannot sit
for extended periods of time. iii. While there are few choices in this lesson, students will be able to use
their individuality in the activities. e. Method and Materials
i. Methods
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1. Lecture: Reviewing the directions and the parts of the plant 2. Discussion: the class will determine the parts of the plant. 3. Group work: think-pair-share 4. Interactive: cards and verbal
ii. Materials 1. A, B, and C cards (index cards cut in half) 2. SMART board 3. Internet access
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will model his or her thinking when considering the answers to the
questions on the “quiz.” b. He/she will also model the hand motions for the parts of a plant.
VI. Checking for Understanding: a. The teacher will be listening in on the think pair shares. b. The cards will show answers and understanding or lack thereof. c. The teacher will also be asking for thumbs up for yes and thumbs down for no.
VII. Guided Practice: a. For this lesson, the students will be think pair sharing and working in discussion. b. The teacher will be allowing them to answer the questions on the quiz, and
he/she will only be offering help with reading and interpreting directions. VIII. Closure:
a. The teacher will have the students review the parts of the plant and discuss what they need to learn about plants.
b. The teacher will tell the class that they will be exploring plants in person in the next science lesson.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. Most of the assessment is observatory for this lesson; however, it is all helpful in
deciding what the students know and what they need to learn in this unit.
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Seed Roots
Stem
Leaf Flower
Fruit
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Lesson #2: Meet the Plants
I. Standard: a. L.HE.02.13-identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower
type, color size) that are passed on from parents to young. II. Objective/Benchmark:
a. Students will explore the parts of 3 different plants. b. Students will be able to name the basic parts of plants (stem, roots, leaves).
III. Anticipatory Set: a. The teacher will read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. b. The teacher will discuss with the students how a tiny seed grows into a bug
plant. IV. Input:
a. Task Analysis i. The teacher will complete the anticipatory set.
ii. The teacher will complete a K-W-L chart with the students to discover what they already know and are interested in about plants.
iii. The teacher will model her thinking for the first thing he/she might add to the chart.
iv. The teacher will show the time accelerated video of a plant growing from seed to plant once more.
v. The students will discuss what parts of the plant they saw and how the plant went from seed to roots to stem.
vi. The teacher will discuss the basic parts of a plant that the students will focus on (roots, seed, stem, flower, and leaves).
vii. The teacher will split up the group of 70 students into their own rooms of about 23.
viii. With his/her group of 23 students, the teacher will explain to their students that there are certain parts of plants that each type of plant has, but that they look different.
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ix. The teacher will inform the students that they will be exploring 3 different plants today, and that will be logging in a plant journal what they noticed about each plant.
x. The teacher will have 3 stations set up in the room with a plant that has been taken out of its pot with its roots exposed. Some of them will also have the seed that they sprouted from with the station.
xi. The teacher will walk up to one of the stations and model what he/she wants the students to do.
xii. Using the document camera, the teacher will take out their own plant journal, draw a picture of the plant, label the plant parts that they know, and write something they find interesting about this plant.
xiii. The teacher will explain that he/she wants the students to label the 6 basic parts of their plant. He/she will explain that these may be hard to find in some plants.
xiv. After modeling the act of what the students will be doing at each station, the teacher will hand out plant journal books to each student.
xv. He/she will break the class into 3 groups that they will travel with to each station. Each group will be given 10 minutes at each station to observe the plants.
xvi. After each group has observed each plant, the group of students will reconvene with their journals on the floor at the front of the room.
xvii. The class will share what they noticed about the plants and how they looked different from one another.
xviii. The teacher will explain that most of the parts of plants were at each station, but plants can look very different.
xix. The teacher will have the students file their journals in their science folders and have them pack up for the day.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What are the basic parts of a plant?” “Where are the roots?”
“Where are the leaves?” ii. Comprehension- “Draw a picture of the plant and label the main parts.”
“Describe how the leaves look on this plant.” iii. Application- “Practice looking for the differences between these plants.”
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iv. Analysis- “Compare the leaves on these two plants.” “How do they look different?” “How are they the same?”
v. Synthesis- “Let’s predict what these plants might need to survive.” “Can you predict what type of fruit this plant will make?”
c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences i. Accommodations
1. This lesson is being taught in a group setting. This is helpful because it allows students who may not have the highest writing skills, to gain the help of the group members around them.
2. This allows students who may not write well to spend more time on their drawing. The goal is to get the students to see differences and similarities in various species, not to perfect their writing skills.
ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- Students are able to participate in discussion as
a whole class and within their group. 2. Intrapersonal- Students are able to work on their own plant
journals individually. 3. Logical/Mathematical-Students will be labeling their pictures
with specific parts of plants. 4. Visual/Spatial- Students will be investigating plants hands-on and
finding the parts. 5. Interpersonal- Students will be working in groups as they travel
around and investigate the plants. 6. Body Kinesthetic- Students will be in motion for over half of the
lesson. They will be traveling around the room. 7. Naturalist-Students will be touching and exploring the parts of
different plants. d. Differentiated Instruction
i. Students will be choosing how to draw and label their own pictures. ii. Students will be choosing which thing to write that they found
interesting about this plant. e. Method and Materials
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i. Methods 1. Lecture: giving of the directions and explaining the goal of this
assignment 2. Discussion: when checking for understanding and talking about
what the students noticed during their experiment 3. Demonstration: showing the students how they are to fill out their
plant journal ii. Materials
1. Plant journals (example attached) 2. 3 different types of plants (previously potted) 3. Pencils 4. Document camera 5. Group list 6. Chart paper 7. Markers 8. The Tiny Seed
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will model with the K-W-L chart. b. The teacher will model with using the plant journal.
VI. Checking for Understanding: a. “What do we need to do at each station?” b. “Which parts are we going to find and label?” c. “Please raise your hand if you understand.” d. “Will someone please tell me what I just said?”
VII. Guided Practice: a. The students will be traveling from station to station filling out their plant
journals. As they are doing this, the teacher will be circulating to make sure that the students are understanding what they are doing. This way, the teacher can stop work time and restate anything that is not being understood by the students.
VIII. Closure: a. The group will come to group time at the front of the room and discuss what
they found. They will discuss how the different parts of the plants looked. The teacher will collect their journals.
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b. The teacher will tell the class that they will be planting their own seeds next science class.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will review the students’ journals after the activity to see if they did
as they were asked. He/she will review to see that they understand the concepts of the different parts in each species of plant.
b. During the guided practice and group discussion, the teacher will be assessing the students informally through observation.
c. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will assess how it went and which parts the students need to focus on next time to understand what is needed.
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Lesson #3: We’re Gardeners!
I. Standard: a. L.OL.02.14-identify the needs of plants.
II. Objective/Benchmark: a. Students will be able to state the four basic needs of plants (water, soil, sunlight
and air) b. Students will be able to care for and tend their own plant to make it grow. c. Students will be able to describe the characteristics of a seed.
III. Anticipatory Set: a. As a group of 70 students, the teacher will pass around a few bags of seeds. b. The students will feel the seeds and describe the color and texture. c. The teacher will show, on the document camera or projector, a cross cut of a
seed and talk about the parts inside. d. The teacher will discuss with the students what the different parts are and how
the seed sprouts under the soil. e. The teacher will discuss with the students what plants need to survive. f. The teacher will make 3-9 plastic baggies with water, paper towel and seeds in
the classroom while the students watch. g. The teacher will explain that each class will plant these seeds and keep them in
the room so the students can see what happens under the soil. h. The teacher will also tell the students that they will each be planting their own
seeds in the dirt and grow them in the classroom. IV. Input:
a. Task Analysis i. After the classes split up into their own classrooms, the teacher will
divide the students into 5 groups. ii. The teacher will give each group the materials needed to plat 5 seeds.
iii. The teacher will have each student take their Styrofoam cup, fill it with dirt, plant 1-2 seeds in the soil and water the plant.
iv. The teacher will have the students put the plants in designated parts of the room where they will have access to light.
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v. The students will then be given their plant journals and will make their first entry.
vi. The students will draw their plants (pots) and write what they learned about it today.
vii. Have the students put away their plant journals, and inform them that they will be taking 10-15 minutes to write in them everyday to keep track of their plants.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What do plants need?”
ii. Comprehension- “Describe what your plant looks like so far.” iii. Application- “What do you think we will see first in our plants?” “What
do you think we will see first in our plastic bag seeds?” iv. Synthesis- “What would happen if we didn’t water our plants?” “What
might they look like then?” c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. Students will be able to work on their own plants, but they are
also working in groups. Students who have questions will be able to ask the teacher or the students around them.
2. There is a lot of hands-on in this lesson and much less lecture, so those students who have trouble with facts, skills and such will be able to learn through doing rather than telling.
ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- We will discuss, as a class, the parts of a seed
and what plants need. 2. Intrapersonal- Each student will be able to plant and observe
their own plant. 3. Visual/Spatial- Students will be able to draw a sketch of their
plant. 4. Interpersonal- Students will be working in groups to plant their
plants, and there will be class discussion and contributions regarding the needs and parts of plant seeds.
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5. Body Kinesthetic- The students get to move around the room planting their own plants.
6. Naturalist- Students will be planting their own seeds in the classroom.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. While students don’t really receive much choice in activities, they are
planting their own plants and working with their hands. ii. Instruction consists of a varied amount of different kinds of instruction,
and this should help students to grasp the material being presented. e. Method and Materials
i. Methods 1. Lecture: giving of the directions and explaining what the class
will be doing with their plants 2. Discussion: discussing the needs of the plants and parts of seeds 3. Demonstration: showing the students how they will plant, and
how the class baggie plants will be used ii. Materials
1. 9 Ziploc baggies 2. 9 pieces of paper towel 3. Water 4. 33 seeds 5. Styrofoam cups 6. Dirt 7. Plant journals 8. Seed cross cut
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will model the use of the plant journal. b. The teacher will model the planting of the students’ individual plants.
VI. Checking for Understanding: a. The teacher will ask for “thumbs up” b. The teacher will check the plant journals. c. The teacher will walk around the room and observe to make sure directions and
material are understood.
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d. The teacher will ask questions and use the answers and expressions to assess understanding.
VII. Guided Practice: a. The students will be planting the seeds with the overseeing of the teacher. b. The students will also be filling out their plant journals with the observation and
instruction of the teacher. VIII. Closure:
a. The teacher will have a few students share what they wrote in their journals and discuss what they learned about plants today.
b. The teacher will then have the students turn in their plant journals and send the students off to their next activity.
c. The teacher will tell the students that they will be discovering the needs of plants.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will be assessing the students’ understanding thorough questions
and observation. b. The teacher will also be assessing the students through reading and checking
their plant journals. c. After the lesson, the teacher will decide what the students understood and what
needs to be addressed in another lesson. The teacher will also decide what needs to be changed for the next year.
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Lesson # 4: Our Plant Parts
I. Standard: a. L.HE.02.13-identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower
type, color size) that are passed on from parents to young. II. Objective/Benchmark:
a. Students will be able to name all 6 parts of a plant (roots, stem, leaves, flowers and fruit).
b. Students will be able to name at least one purpose of each of the parts. III. Anticipatory Set:
a. The teacher will begin the lesson by having the students stand up and review the hand signals for the different parts of the plant.
b. The teacher will then tell the students that they are going to learn a song that will help them remember the parts of plants and their uses.
c. The teacher will put the song poster up in the front of the room. d. He/she will begin by singing the first verse, and then asking the students to join
him/her. IV. Input:
a. Task Analysis i. After singing the song with the class, the teacher will split them into 6
groups (one for each part of a plant). ii. He/she will provide each group with poster paper in the correct color for
their part. iii. He/she will explain that they will work in groups to create one part of
the plant (seed, roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit). iv. The teacher will provide the students with scissors and markers. v. The students will get 10-15 minutes to create their part since they have
had experience with the plant parts in 3 previous lessons. vi. When the groups are finished with their parts, the teacher will have each
group come up one at a time and place their plant part on a wall. vii. The sequence will be: roots, stem, leaves, fruit, seed (in fruit) and flower.
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viii. After all the parts are on the wall in the shape of a plant, the teacher will have the students come up and sit on the floor.
ix. He/she will take out sheets of paper that have the jobs of each of the plant parts on them.
x. He/she will model their thinking and deducing of which part these jobs belong to.
xi. The teacher will have the students tell him/her which parts are responsible for which jobs.
xii. The teacher will call up students individually to place the jobs next to the part responsible for them.
xiii. This poster will stay up in the classroom for the remainder of the unit. xiv. The teacher will have the students review the parts once again and sing
their song. xv. He/she will then have the students put away their supplies and move on
to the next subject. b. Thinking Levels
i. Knowledge- “What are the parts of a plant?” “What do the roots do?” ii. Comprehension- “Please draw the leaves.” “Please draw and cut out the
flower.” iii. Application- “Please make a stem out of your paper.” iv. Analysis- “Let’s analyze these parts. Why might it have a root?” v. Synthesis- “What if a plant didn’t have a stem?” “What if a plant didn’t
have a flower?” c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. Students will be working in groups. This will help those with less
understanding from previous lessons. ii. Multiple Intelligences
1. Verbal Linguistic- Students will be conversing with each other and the teacher. The teacher will also be leading discussion and giving directions.
2. Visual/Spatial- The entire project is very visually based with the plant.
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3. Interpersonal- The students will be working in groups to make the parts of a plant.
4. Body Kinesthetic- The students will be physically making something as well as put it together as a class.
5. Musical- The plant part song is a pneumonic device that the students will use to remember the different parts.
6. Naturalist- Students will be assisting in building a plant with the rest of the class.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. This lesson incorporates visual, auditory and kinesthetic components to
satisfy and reinforce most learning styles. ii. Each student will be adding their flair to their group.
e. Method and Materials i. Methods
1. Lecture: directions 2. Group work: students work in groups to make the plant parts
ii. Materials 1. Poster paper 2. Song on a poster 3. Markers 4. Scissors 5. Wall space 6. Purposes of each part (whichever you need your students to
know) 7. Computer and Internet access.
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will be modeling the song. b. The teacher will also be modeling what the students might do in their groups
when creating the parts. c. The teacher will model his/her thinking when figuring out where the purposes
go. VI. Checking for Understanding:
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a. The teacher will be checking for understanding through observing the groups working, the putting together of the plant, and the responses from the students regarding what the jobs are of each plant part.
b. The teacher will also ask for thumbs up or some signal that the group understands.
VII. Guided Practice: a. The teacher will have the students work in groups to make the parts of the
plants. This along with their deduction of which plant parts have which jobs, will be their guided practice.
VIII. Closure: a. The teacher will review the plant parts with the hand motions and song with the
children. b. The teacher will have the class clean up their supplies and move onto the next
activity. IX. Assessment/Reflection:
a. The teacher will be assessing mostly through observation during this lesson. He/she will be observing the answers that the students give when asked to put the plant together and name the jobs of each of the parts.
b. The teacher will also review his/her own lesson. He/she will decide what worked, what did not, and what will be changed for the next time.
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Song (to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
The roots on a plant grow underground, Underground, underground.
The roots on a plant grow underground, Roots are part of a plant.
The stems on a plant hold up the leaves,
Up the leaves, up the leaves, The stems on a plant hold up the leaves,
Stems are part of a plant.
The leaves on a plant are making food, Making food, making food.
The leaves on a plant are making food, Leaves are part of a plant.
The flowers on a plant are growing seeds,
Growing seeds, growing seeds. The flowers on a plant are growing seeds,
Flowers are part of a plant.
[The fruits on a plant just taste so good taste so good, taste so good.
The fruits on a plant just taste so good. Fruits are part of a plant.]
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Lesson #5: It’s a Cycle!
I. Standard: a. L.OL.02.22-describe the life cycle of familiar plants including the following
stages: seed, plant, flower, fruit. II. Objective/Benchmark:
a. Students will be able to list the four stages of the plant life cycle. b. Students will be able to put the four stages of the plant life cycle in order.
III. Anticipatory Set: a. The teacher will ask the students what a cycle is. They will discuss a few other
cycles that the students might know. b. The teacher will read Plant Secrets by Emily Goodman. c. He/she will have the students tell him/her the 4 stages that were in the book:
seed, plant, flower, and fruit. d. He/she will discuss why it is a cycle: because the seeds come from the flowers
and it becomes a loop. e. The teacher will have the students split into their classes.
IV. Input: a. Task Analysis
i. After reading the book and discussing the life cycle of the plant, the teacher will have the classes break up into their separate classrooms.
ii. He/she will place 4 pictures up on the smart board. iii. The pictures are the four stages of a tomato plant: seed, plant, flower, and
fruit. iv. The teacher will give each of the students a paper plate and a thick
popsicle stick. v. He/she will demonstrate and ask the students to cut out the center of the
plate and glue the popsicle stick coming from one side so it looks like a magnifying glass.
vi. Next, the teacher will give each students the four pictures to cut out along with four arrows.
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vii. The teacher will have the students lay out the pictures in a sequenced order.
viii. He/she will check them all by walking around. ix. The teacher will then demonstrate how to glue them around the rim of
the paper plate (He/she will show the cover of the book again, to show them how it is similar to their project).
x. After the pictures are glued, the teacher will have the students glue the arrows showing the cycle.
xi. The students will label the stages: seed, plant, flower and fruit. xii. The teacher will have the students come up to commune on the floor.
xiii. The class will discuss what stages their plants are in and have been through.
xiv. The teacher will inform the class that they will be making notes in their plant journals when their plants begin a new stage of growth.
xv. The teacher will then tell the class that their next exploration will be the needs of all plants.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What is the first stage of plant growth?” “What happens
after the plant grows roots?” “Please label all four stages.” ii. Comprehension- “Can you explain why the life cycle is called a ‘cycle’?”
iii. Application- “Will you predict for me what you think the next secret in the book will be?”
iv. Synthesis- “We are going to construct our own life cycle of a plant. c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. The students are not doing anything that has to be individually
done. The fact that they are around each other and the teacher is constantly available, helps to guarantee that there will be no student who is completely left without the means to complete this task.
ii. Multiple Intelligences
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1. Verbal Linguistic- Students will have directions and a book read verbally. They will also be asked to contribute to conversation about the life cycle of a plant.
2. Intrapersonal- Each student will be creating their own magnifying glass with the cycle around it.
3. Logical/Mathematical- The process and cycle itself is very sequential and logical.
4. Visual/Spatial- The pictures are very visual and make the cycle less list-like.
5. Interpersonal- Students will be free to interact with each other while making their cycles.
6. Body Kinesthetic- The act of making the cycle will help those students who need to have movement to cement things into their minds.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. Students will get a blend of lecture, making/doing, and discussion in this
lesson. Regardless of how a student learns best, they should be able to take something positive away from this lesson. Each student should be able to succeed.
ii. While there are no choices in the activity, each student may complete the task in their own way.
e. Method and Materials i. Methods
1. Lecture: directions and reading 2. Modeling: for directions as well and thinking 3. Reading: the book to the class
ii. Materials 1. Paper plates 2. Sequence pictures 3. Arrows 4. Glue 5. Pencil 6. Plant Secrets
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7. Scissors 8. Popsicle sticks
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will model his/her thinking while reading the book. b. The teacher will physically model the creating of the magnifying glass. c. The teacher will be modeling periodically throughout the class period if students
are not understanding what to do next. VI. Checking for Understanding:
a. The teacher will be observing responses during discussion of the book and the plant cycle.
b. The teacher will also be walking around the classroom observing the students making their plant cycles. He/she will be assisting as needed.
c. “Thumbs up if you understand.” VII. Guided Practice:
a. After the reading of the story, the teacher will be having the students sequence the pictures and put them on their magnifying glass in order. This project is guided practice as they will be making their cycle and the teacher will be available to check it.
VIII. Closure: a. The teacher will have the students put away their materials and inform them
that they are going to be exploring the needs of plants in their next science lesson. After school, the teacher will display their magnifying glasses in the class so that they can be referred to for the remainder of the unit.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will be doing all informal assessing. He/she will be observing the
students during discussion and guided practice to decide whether they are understanding the concept.
b. After the lesson, the teacher will reflect upon the lesson. He/she will decide what worked and what needs to be changed. He/she will also decide if the life cycle needs to be revisited again before review for the assessment.
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Lesson #6: Our Plants Need…
I. Standard: a. L.OL.02.14-identify the needs of plants.
II. Objective/Benchmark: a. Students will be able to list the four things that ALL plants need (air, water, light
and soil). b. Students will be able to separate what ALL plants need from what some plants
need and what plants want. III. Anticipatory Set:
a. The teacher will ask the students what the class gave their seeds when they planted them and what they give them every couple days.
b. The teacher will read A Seed in Need by Sam Goodwin. c. During the story, the teacher will have the students looking for the needs of
seeds and plants. d. After the story, the teacher will create a list of needs with the students. e. The teacher will have the group split up into individual classes.
IV. Input: a. Task Analysis
i. After splitting the classes, the teacher will bring up a SMART board presentation (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml)
ii. The teacher will show the class what might happen to a plant when it has no light.
iii. The teacher will show the class what might happen to a plant when it has no water.
iv. The class will discuss why this might happen. v. The teacher will put 5 pictures up on the board (soil, sun, air, water,
fertilizer, cold temps, hot temps, and shade). vi. The teacher will draw 3 columns on the board with the headings “all
plants need,” “some plants need,” and “plants like.”
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vii. The teacher will ask the students what it means to need something. viii. He/she will also ask how that is different than wanting something.
ix. The class will look at the pictures being presented and discuss that sometimes plants need different things.
x. The teacher will teach them some sign language and have them use it to answer when he/she asks where the picture fits. The will sign a “w” for want, an “n” for need and an “s” for some.
xi. They will work as a class to sort out the pictures using the hand symbols. This will help the teacher get a feel for what the whole class knows.
xii. After they do this as a group, they will be given a sheet of the same pictures.
xiii. The students will be asked to think about our class plants. xiv. They will each be given a piece of paper and a pair of scissors. xv. The students will cut out the pictures and fold their paper in half, so
there is a line down the middle. xvi. On one side, the students will write “our plants have” and on the other
“our plants might like.” xvii. The student will sort the pictures into what they already give the plants
to live, and what they think might help the plants grow. xviii. When he/she is satisfied with what the students are comprehending, the
teacher will move the students on to the next lesson. He/she will inform the students that they will be exploring how humans use plants and review in the next science lesson.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What are the four things that plants need to survive?”
ii. Comprehension- “What does it mean to want something, and what does it mean to need something? What is the difference?”
iii. Analysis- “Let’s compare some plants. What kinds of plants need really warm climates? What kinds need more moderate weather?”
iv. Synthesis- “What would happen if we changed something? What if we took away sunlight?”
c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences i. Accommodations
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1. Students will be working as a group much of the time so there will be a lot of room for help if needed.
2. Students will have a strong background set up to decide what they think about their own plant.
ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- The teacher will give directions and read
verbally. 2. Intrapersonal- Each student will make their own decisions about
where to place the pictures. They will also be matching the pictures to what their own plants need or could use.
3. Logical/Mathematical- The fact that there are 4 set needs of ALL plants, each student will engage with logical content.
4. Visual/Spatial- The pictures create a visual way for students to make sense of the material.
5. Interpersonal- The class will be working together to sort the pictures the first time.
6. Body Kinesthetic- The act of gluing and matching helps the students to move and learn through movement.
7. Naturalist- Students will be dealing with their plants in deciding what they gave their plants and what their plants may need.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. Students will be able to consider and think about their own plants. This
will allow for more individually based learning. While all the plants are the same, the students are entering into their own background with their specific plant.
e. Method and Materials i. Methods
1. Lecture: directions 2. Read: The book to the class 3. Modelimg: sorting
ii. Materials 1. Plant pictures 2. White board and markers
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3. Paper 4. Scissors 5. Glue 6. Computer and Internet access
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will be modeling the sorting and his/her thinking while reading the
book. He/she will be modeling how he/she uses the book to see what plants need, and how his/her thinking helps her to sort some of the pictures.
VI. Checking for Understanding: a. The teacher will be using the signs during the whole class sort to check for
understanding of each student informally. b. The teacher will also be assessing their own individual sorts. c. While the students are creating their own sorts at their desks, the teacher will be
walking around and observing and helping them. d. “Thumbs up if you agree.”
VII. Guided Practice: a. The students will be given the pictures to sort at their seats. The teacher will be
available to assist and clear up any confusion during this process. Each student will be contemplating their own plant and deciding which of the possible plant needs their plant is already getting and which they think they should be getting.
VIII. Closure: a. The teacher will collect the sorts and move the students onto their next activity.
The teacher will inform the class that they will spend the next lesson reviewing for the assessment and thinking about how humans need plants.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will be observing the students throughout the lesson and collecting
their sorts to discover where they need reiteration. b. The teacher will also spend time assessing how the lesson went. He/she will
decide what needs to change for next time and what worked. c. The teacher will also assess what the class needs review of.
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Lesson #7: Why do we Need Plants?
I. Standard: a. L.HE.02.13-identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower
type, color size) that are passed on from parents to young. b. L.OL.02.14-identify the needs of plants.
II. Objective/Benchmark: a. Students will be able to name at least 3 uses of plants. b. Students will be able to name and point out all 6 parts of a plant. c. Students will be able to name the 4 things plants need to survive.
III. Anticipatory Set: a. The teacher will gather the large group of students around the front of the room
for a story. He/she may use the document camera to make it more accessible to a large group.
b. The teacher will read Our Tree Named Steve, by Alan Zweibel. c. The teacher will ask the class why the tree was important to this family and how
they used it. d. The class will discuss that plants can have sentimental value and how people can
use plants like trees the way they are. e. The teacher will have the class look around the room for 2 minutes and break
into pairs. f. The pairs will discuss what in the room comes from a plant (desks, doors, and
other wooden things). g. They will talk about how their room would look completely different and maybe
their school wouldn’t be there without plants. h. The teacher will guide the conversation into how we eat plants, use plants every
day, and breathe oxygen from plants. i. During this discussion, the teacher will be making a list of uses for plants. j. The classes will break into their separate rooms.
IV. Input: a. Task Analysis
i. The teacher will have all the students sit at their desks.
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ii. He/she will explain that they are going to create a mini review for themselves on the parts of plants and what plants need.
iii. The teacher will put up the choice chart with the tri-o-rama, create a plant, write a story, and comic strip.
iv. The teacher will explain each choice and demonstrate them. v. He/she will have the students choose.
vi. Students will work on the projects individually. vii. At the end, the teacher will collect the projects and move the students
onto the next lesson. viii. He/she will inform them that they will be having a special lesson next
time to help them to remember why plants are important and review for their assessment.
b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge- “What in this room is made out of a plant?” “Would we have
our school without plants?” ii. Comprehension- “Please explain why we would not have our school if
there were no trees and plants.” iii. Synthesis- “What might we use instead of plants to make our desks and
pencils? What did they use for pencils a long time ago?” iv. Evaluation- “What do you think would be better to use for making
things?” c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. The students will constantly be surrounded by classmates, and the
teacher will be available for help during all parts of this lesson. 2. The discussion of how people use plants will be done with the
whole class; therefore, no student will be put on the spot without a lifeline. All will be able to learn.
ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- The teacher will read a book. The class will
also be having a discussion about how people use plants. This will all be done verbally.
2. Intrapersonal- The students will all be creating their own project.
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3. Logical/Mathematical-The students will be explicitly matching specific needs and parts to plants.
4. Visual/Spatial- The projects are visual way to make a review. 5. Interpersonal- Students will be participating in a class discussion
and will have the opportunity to be around other students why creating their projects.
6. Body Kinesthetic- The students will be physically folding and gluing something together. This should help those students learn and retain the information better.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. Students will have 4 choices of review to fit their personal preference.
ii. The students will also be participating in their discussion of how people use plants in a collaborative manner. All students will be using their own prior knowledge and ideas to contribute.
e. Method and Materials i. Methods
1. Read: a story to the class. 2. Discussion: with the class. 3. Lecture: instructions.
ii. Materials 1. Project sheets 2. Scissors 3. Glue 4. White board 5. Our Tree Named Steve 6. Choice chart
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will be modeling the folding and cutting and gluing of the projects. b. He/she will also model his/her thinking regarding how humans use plants by
building with, eating and breathing with them. VI. Checking for Understanding:
a. The teacher will be looking for understanding during the discussion of the class in the anticipatory set.
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b. “Thumbs up if you agree.” c. The teacher will also be walking around the room to watch during the creation
of their projects. VII. Guided Practice:
a. The students will be creating their projects on their own. Since this is a review, the teacher will be available. The class is not truly practicing anything from the anticipatory set, but the teacher needs to at least provide more real-life uses for the unit on plants.
VIII. Closure: a. The teacher will collect their projects. The teacher will explain that they will
review these once again before the assessment to study. He/she will move them onto the next lesson and inform them that they have one more exciting lesson before the assessment. This is somewhat of a surprise.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will review the students’ tri-o-ramas to determine whether they
need more pointed review before the final assessment. b. The teacher will also be observing during guided practice and class discussion. c. After the lesson, the teacher will review the lesson deciding what worked and
what didn’t. He/she will determine what helped her students learn and what confused them.
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Culminating Lesson Lesson # 8:
We Can eat Plants
I. Standard: a. L.OL.02.14-identify the needs of plants. b. L.OL.02.22-describe the life cycle of familiar plants including the following
stages: seed, plant, flower, fruit. c. L.HE.02.13-identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower
type, color size) that are passed on from parents to young. II. Objective/Benchmark:
a. Students will be able to name at least 5 plants that are often eaten by humans. b. Students will be able to determine at least 3 stages of plant growth that are
edible. III. Anticipatory Set:
a. In individual classrooms, the teacher will have the students discuss what plants we eat.
b. The teacher will have a table full of edible plants when the students walk in (stated in materials section).
c. The students will be given paper plates and will be called up a few at a time to come get one of everything.
d. The students will be warned not to eat anything. e. The teacher will tell the students to take 5 minutes to examine everything on
their plates. IV. Input:
a. Task Analysis i. The teacher will tell the students that they have 5 different plant parts on
their plates. ii. The teacher will give each students a piece of large paper.
iii. The teacher will write the 5 categories on the board (roots, seeds, leaves, flowers and fruit).
iv. He/she will tell the students to sort their food into those 5 categories on their paper.
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v. The teacher will allow for 10 minutes of sorting. vi. He/she will have the students label the paper next to their groups of food.
vii. The teacher will come around to observe that they have sorted correctly. viii. The students will eat their food.
ix. While they are munching, the teacher will ask how they sorted. x. He/she will discuss with the class how we eat different parts of plants
every day and that they make up a large part of our diet. xi. Also, while the students are munching, they will be shown a choice chart
with a letter, picture and timeline option. xii. He/she will explain all 3 of the reviews.
xiii. The students will choose which they want. xiv. The teacher will collect the projects and use them as a partial assessment
of what the students have gained and enjoyed in this unit. xv. The teacher will have the students clean up the room and get ready for
the next lesson. xvi. The teacher will inform them that their assessment will be the last part of
this unit. b. Thinking Levels
i. Knowledge- “What is a seed?” “Please hold up an example of a flower.” ii. Comprehension- “Please sort these into the 5 plant part categories. Do
your best by using your senses.” iii. Application- “What types of seeds and flowers do you eat at home?” iv. Analysis- “Let’s compare the broccoli to a daisy. Both are flowers, how
are they different? How are they the same?” v. Evaluation- “What is your favorite leaf to eat?” “What was the best part
of this unit?” c. Learning Styles, Accommodations, and Multiple Intelligences
i. Accommodations 1. All students will have help available if they need it. 2. The students will be able to review and learn in a non-
threatening environment. 3. The projects can be various lengths as well. The students can
work with their strengths.
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ii. Multiple Intelligences 1. Verbal Linguistic- The teacher will be explaining directions and
leading discussion verbally. 2. Intrapersonal- Each students will be sorting their own food and
making their own project. 3. Visual/Spatial- The students will be visually and physically
sorting their food on their paper towel. 4. Interpersonal- Students will be near each other if they would
rather work in partners or if they need help. 5. Body Kinesthetic- The whole class is physically sorting their food,
rather than writing examples of each. 6. Naturalist- Students will be dealing with and eating various parts
of plants. This will require them to consider what they eat everyday that comes from nature.
d. Differentiated Instruction i. Students will all be making their own projects. This allows them to assess
their own experience in this unit and show what they themselves have learned.
e. Method and Materials i. Methods
1. Lecture: directions 2. Discussion: feedback
ii. Materials 1. Paper plates 2. Paper towel 3. Food:
a. Carrots b. Radishes c. Turnips d. Peanuts e. Sunflower seeds f. Lettuce g. Cabbage
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h. Spinach i. Broccoli j. Cauliflower k. Apples l. Oranges m. Pears
4. Paper 5. Pencils 6. White board and markers 7. Veggie dip (optional) 8. Project sheets 9. Choice Chart
V. Modeling: a. The teacher will model their thinking in how to sort the food. b. The teacher will model their project options.
VI. Checking for Understanding: a. “Thumbs up if you got it.” b. The teacher will be walking around observing the students during their sorting.
He/she will carry a clip board with the students names to note whether they are successfully able to identify these parts of plants.
c. The teacher will be walking around helping the students with their projects. VII. Guided Practice:
a. The students will be sorting their food into the different parts of plants. b. The students will be making projects concerning what they have learned and
what they liked about this unit. c. The teacher will be available during all guided practice tasks.
VIII. Closure: a. The teacher will collect the projects. He/she will also have them throw away
their plates and paper towel. He/she will inform them that they will be doing their final assessment during the next science lesson.
IX. Assessment/Reflection: a. The teacher will take his/her observations from the sorts and the letters to
determine whether or not the students are fully ready for their final assessment.
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b. The teacher will also reflect upon the lesson as a whole and decide what worked and what needs to be altered for next time.
