Lesson Plan

Let's Grow Plants!

Overview

Students learn about seeds and how they grow.

Objective

Students Will:

  1. Identify what a seed does.
  2. List reasons why people plant seeds.
  3. Plant seeds.
  4. Graph the growth of their seeds over several days.
  5. Write about an experience planting seeds.

Materials

  1. Large paper "leaf " for brainstorming words (add to the one from the previous lesson)
  2. Observation notebooks
  3. Seeds (Use any available kind. I usually use a fast growing flower seed if I do this lesson before Mother's Day.)
  4. Soil
  5. Styrofoam cups
  6. Water
  7. Newspaper (for catching the mess)
  8. Spoons (for scooping soil)
  9. KidspirationT software (optional)
  10. KidPixT software (optional)
  11. Computer (optional)
  12. Large screen TV or projector (optional)
  13. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
  14. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson
  15. From Seed to Dandelion, From Seed to Pumpkin, From Acorn to Oak Tree by Jan Kottke
  16. From Seed to Plant, It Could Still Be a Flower by Allan Fowler

Set Up and Prepare

  1. You may want to call a parent volunteer to help with planting the seeds.
  2. Spread newspaper on a table.
  3. Set up for one small group at a time to plant their seeds.

Directions

Day 1
Step 1: Read The Tiny Seed and The Carrot Seed.

Step 2: Using KidspirationT on a computer connected to a large screen TV (or chart paper) lead the class in comparing and contrasting the two books and in discussing what a seed does.

Step 3: Plan how The Carrot Seed could be dramatized.

Step 4: Divide the class into small groups. One group will go with the parent volunteer to plant their seeds. One group will act out the story. One group will be the audience for the dramatization. Another group, if needed, could illustrate the story. Rotate the groups.

Day 2 and more
Step 1: Over the next week or so, have the children water the seeds, watch, and write their observations in their notebooks.

Step 2: Have students write about their experiences with planting seeds. Optional: The students could illustrate and write about plants using KidPixT.

Step 3: Bind the students' stories to create a book about plants.

Lesson Extensions

Learn more about plants and play plant games with these fun Web sites.

Assignments

  1. Have students tell three facts about growing plants.
  2. Write a story about plants.

Evaluation

  1. Was there enough time?
  2. Did the planting of the seeds go smoothly?
  3. Did students have enough content information to write about plants?
  4. How effective was the use of the software?

Assess Students

  1. Teacher Observation: Were students able to compare and contrast the stories?
  2. Teacher Observation: Can students describe the life cycle of a plant?
  3. Copies of the students' experience writing will be saved for their assessment portfolios.

  • Subjects:
    Charts and Graphs, Literature, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences, Reading Response, Literature Appreciation, Listening Comprehension, Research Skills, Vocabulary, Nonfiction Writing, Data Analysis, Early Math, Early Reading, Early Science, Early Writing, Science Experiments and Projects, Plants, Plant Growth and Development, Plant Structure, Science through Literature, Drama, Theater, Musicals, Communication and the Internet, Educational Technology
  • Skills:
    Development of Reading Comprehension, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions, Listening Comprehension, Public Speaking, Research Skills, Vocabulary
  • Duration:
    2 Days
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