Rationale

Mrs. Shwom’s first grade classroom is a gifted and talented classroom. These students are on a

much higher level than any first grade classroom I have been in. During morning meeting the students

do multiplication with the numbers 3, 5, and 9. Students in the first grade are only supposed to read up

to the reading levels M, many of the students in Mrs. Shwom’s classroom are above the reading level M.

The students in this classroom like to work hands-on. In first grade it is very difficult to keep students

seated at their table all day. It is good to keep the students in this classroom motivated and engaged to

learn with giving them assignments they will enjoy. The students are very motivated and engaged to

learn. The students are very smart and have a lot of support from their family. Parents are very involved

with their children’s education; the students are always doing their homework and ready to learn.

The first grade classroom is made up of 22 students. Majority of the population in this first

grade classroom is Indiana. There are 17 Indian students, 3 students are Asian, and 2 students are

Caucasian. Even though a majority of the students in Mrs. Shwom’s class are gifted, there are a few

students who are a little above a first grade level rather than way beyond a first grade level. Students

are on a variety of reading levels but they all work at the same pace and have the same ability to learn.

The most variation you will need in this class is extra time for students who may work slower than other

students. Not all students work at the same pace, teachers need to always prepare for that. Mostly all

the students will understand or not understand the same things, on occasion a few students may not

understand something. At this moment you as a teacher just need to take the time out to explain the

lesson again or in a different way to that student(s). But this has only happened once since I have been

in the classroom therefore I don’t see this being a big issue.

In the first grade classroom we are going to teach students about plants. I am going to do this by

introducing plants by doing a read aloud for students to get a better idea about plants. Within the next

day or two the students will go over facts about plants. The next lesson which will occur within the next

class or two the students will include the students planting. The next lesson which will take place 3 days

after the students plant their seed, the students will learn how to measure their plant. The students will

continue to measure their plant every 3 days. This will take place in the morning after all the students

are done putting away their belongings. The next lesson which will occur about a week and a half to two

weeks later will consist of the students learning how to make a bar graph using the data they have been

collecting from measuring their plant. The students will also graph the height of their plant every day

they measure their plant. This will also be done right before morning work. The last lesson will be

putting together all the information we have learned from this unit and presenting it to the

Kindergartners.

This lesson is important because as first graders, they see plants and trees outside all the time

and they need to learn how they survive and also some facts about plants. This unit also teaches

students that they could be responsible for something as well. It teaches them that taking care of a plant

is important and it is also something they enjoy doing. Students love to feel like they have an important

job. It is important for the students to learn about plants as well as see how they grow over time. The

last unit is very important because a lot of students even at higher grade levels are very embarrassed

and shy to talk public speak. This lesson teaches students good public speaking skills. It also teaches

students that they should share the knowledge that they know with their friends and fellow classmates.

By the end of the unit the students will be able to complete many objectives. First, they will be

able to determine why trees and plants are important to us. They will accomplish this by participating in

the read aloud. Next, the students will be able to create a list of facts on plants by properly taking notes.

These beginning activities will allow students to gain knowledge on plants before they get to plant their

own. The middle activities include dealing with actual plants. First, the students will plant their own

plant and be able to make predictions about what plants need in order grow after planting their seeds.

Then the students will be able to measure the height of the plant and be able to record the data they

found. The last middle activity is graphing the data they collected. Students will be able to construct a

bar graph and understand how to read it. After graphing and looking at data it will help the students see

if their predictions before planting their plants were correct. The final activity will allow students to

show the teacher what they have learned about plants. Students will learn how to present their work in

an orderly way and also learn how to be a good public speaker. All of these different lessons come

together with the final presentation on plants.

Adaptations:

I am in a gifted and talented first grade classroom. Some of the students are at a higher level

than other students but they are all on a higher level of first grade than any other first grade class.

This unit will be able to meet the needs of students with special needs because there is a variety

of learning that takes places in this unit. We are teaching student centered and are having the students

learn through physically doing things (planting a plant), visual learning, auditory learning, using

technology, etc. A brain break is used for students to get up and move around so they do not get bored/

tired of sitting down the whole lesson.

We will allow for extended time for every activity, and we will also provide challenge problems

in some lessons. If students do not understand a lesson we will take students aside to try to explain the

lesson to them in a different way. We will adapt lessons based on what the students don’t understand or

do not feel comfortable with.

Standards:Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.2 identifies the main topic and retells key details of a text.

1.SL.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and

texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Mathematics:

1.MD.2: Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple

copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement

of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit

to contexts where the object being measure is spanned by a whole number of length units with

no gaps or overlaps.

1.MD.4: Organize, represent, and interpret, data with up to three categories; ask and answer

questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many

more or less are in one category than in another.

Science:

5.3.P.A.1: Investigate and compare the basic physical characteristics of plants, humans, and

other animals.

5.3.2.B.1: Describe the requirements for the care of plants and animals related to meeting their

energy needs.

Lesson 1

Subject: Literature

Objective: Students will be able to determine why trees and plants are important to us.

Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.2 identifies the main topic and retells key details of a text.

Materials:

This Tree Counts! By Alison Formento Illustrated by Sarah Snow Chart Paper Worksheet on what comes from trees to be used on projector Markers, Crayons Paper

Introduction: Today we are going to start learning about a very important topic. I want you all to look outside and tell me what you see. (Accept answers from students) A lot of the things you said are all plants, which is what we are going to learn about next. Let’s brainstorm! First, we are going to make a list of different animals and insects that we see in trees. (Write down the different responses) Next, we are going to brainstorm different items we get and use from trees. (Write down the different responses) Now, we are going to read a book called This Tree Counts! As we read we will check off any of the items that we come across that we brainstormed.(This will help activate prior knowledge before reading)

Development:

Show the book This Tree Counts! to the class, go over the title, author and illustrator. Read the book to the class and stop on each page to check if anything that was brainstormed is

listed on the page by asking the class. If there is place a check mark next to the animal, insect, or item.

After reading talk to the class about how many of their predictions were correct. Tell the class how important plants are to us. Explain to them that all of the items we

brainstormed are used daily by people all over the world. Tell the class that we are going to make individual lists of the ways that trees help us and uses.

We are going to put our lists in the shape of a tree or leaf, and then hang them up in the hallway for the other classes to see.

Activity: Students will be dismissed from the rug and told to go to their seats. Students will make a list of how trees help them and the uses. After creating a list of at least 15 ways and uses they will come up to the teacher to get their list approved. Once approved the student will go back to their desk and create a picture of a tree or leaf using their list. When the students are done they will be placed in groups of three to four. One at a time, in a round robin style the students will answer the question “How do you trees help you?” and answer by showing their picture list. There will be one designated writer who will write down the five most common uses and ways trees help.

Closure: After each group has gone over their pictures and the writer has finished writing, the teacher will call on each group. The writer from the group will share what they have written down to the rest of

the class. The teacher will then show her sample of the uses of trees. The teacher will tell the class that just like trees, plants help us too, and tomorrow we will research plants.

Assessment: Student participation in the round robin activity. Also, if the students are able to come up with a list of items and ways trees help.

Homework Application: Students can write down a list of three ways that they think plants help us.

Adaptations for students with special needs: An outline of a tree and a leaf will be provided for students who may need help with creating a picture to fill in their list. Students who need more of a challenge will be encouraged to create a list of at least twenty items. Students who need extra time will be allowed to finish their work later on during the day. Students are struggling to come up with items will be given a copy of the teacher sample to pick ideas from there.

Name ____________________________________________ Date______________________

Name _________________________________________ Date______________________

Lesson 2

Subject: Science and Literature

Objective: Students will be able to create a list of facts on plants by properly taking notes.

Standards: 5.3.P.A.1: Investigate and compare the basic physical characteristics of plants, humans, and other animals.

Materials:

Teacher Provided Websites Worksheet Pens or pencils

Introduction: Yesterday we learned all about how trees help us. Today we are going to research facts about plants! We are going to use these facts in order to help us become botanists, which are plant experts.

Development:

Tell the class, in order to research facts we are going to be using the computers. You will be placed in groups with one to two other people. One lucky group will get to work with me today.

The students will be given their groups randomly, except the group that is working with the teacher. That group will be predetermined by the teacher based on their note taking ability. (The teacher will have seen notes from the students from other topics and will meet with these students at this time to help them)

Each group will go to a computer where there will be a window open with each website. The students will be told to write down fifteen interesting facts. These facts should include

different kinds of plants, physical features, and how they help us.

Activity: Students will be given their groups and told to go to the computer. The students will do their research together and write down their facts on their worksheet. Students that are with the teacher will be given a handout with fill in the blanks. They will be told to search for these facts on the computer together. When they find the fact they will fill in the missing part. The teacher will show the students how only the key points are included when writing down facts.

Closure: Students will be asked to return to their seats. The teacher will say, remember yesterday when we read the book This Tree Counts! ? Mr. Tate’s class planted their own trees. Since today we became plant experts, which are called botanists, we are going to plant our own seeds tomorrow. In order to see if you guys are ready to plant our own seeds I need you to write down one fact you learned today without using your notes and place it in the box on my desk. (This will be used as an exit card to see what the students learned.)

Assessment: The exit card will be used to see if the students were able to find out facts and remember a few of them.

Homework Application: Students will complete a word scramble about plants.

Adaptations for students with special needs: A teacher made fill in the blank worksheet will be given to the students who need help with note taking. Students who need more of a challenge can write up to 20 notes. Students who need extra time will be allotted more time in class. A print out version of the websites in larger font will be provided for students who need visual help.

Websites about Plants:

1. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants.html 2. http://www.makemegenius.com/cool_facts.php?mId=12

3. http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0907764.html

Name_______________________ Date___________

Plant Facts1. While using energy from sunlight, plants turn carbon dioxide into food in

a process called (photosynthesis).2. Around (2000) different types of plants are used by humans to make

food.3. To ensure crops of food grow (well water) is often added to soil in the

form of irrigation.4. There are over 200,000 identified plant species and the list is (growing)

all the time.5. (Fertilizers) are chemicals added to plants to help them grow.6. The study of plants is a branch of (Biology).7. An average size tree produces enough (oxygen) in one year to keep a

family of four breathing.8. Most of the flowers have patterns of lines on their (petals). This acts as a

guide for insects to move towards the glands that produce (nectar).9. (Carrots) were originally purple in color.10.The first type of aspirin, or pain killer and fever reducer came from the

(tree bark) of the willow tree.11.They are found on (land), in (oceans) and in (fresh water). 12.They were the first (living things) on Earth.13.Plants have (chlorophyll), a green pigment necessary for photosynthesis.14.A plant’s cell walls are made sturdy by a material called (cellulose).15.Plants are fixed in one place ((they don’t move)).

*Answers are in parenthesis for the teacher, students will not have answers.

Website Facts with Large Font:

Website One:

1. Tree resin which has been fossilized is known as amber, it sometimes contains plant material or small animals that were trapped inside. More tree facts for kids.

2. Some plants are carnivores, gaining nutrients by eating various small insects and spiders. A well known example of a carnivorous plant is the Venus Flytrap.

3. Bamboo can be a fast growing plant, some types can grow almost a meter (3.28 feet) in just one day!

4. While using energy from sunlight, plants turn carbon dioxide into food in a process called photosynthesis.

5. Around 2000 different types of plants are used by humans to make food.

6. Onions might taste good but they can be painful to chop. A gas is released when you cut onions that irritates you eyes, the tears you produce while this happens are your body’s way of washing it from your eyes.

7. In the agricultural industry, to ensure crops of food grow well water is often added to soil in the form of irrigation.

8. Plant matter found at the bottom of areas with water such as swamps can eventually turn into coal due to a process called metamorphosis (changing form).

9. There are over 200,000 identified plant species and the list is growing all the time.

10. Poison ivy produces a skin irritant called urushiol. Touching poison ivy will cause an allergic reaction, usually in the form of an itchy rash on the skin.

11. Fertilizers are chemicals added to plants to help them grow. Important elements in fertilizers include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Manure (animal waste) is also used as a fertilizer.

Website Two:

1. Tomato and the potato are the two vegetables which are grown in largest quantities in the world. But Onion is the most widely used vegetable! The onion is used in in more dishes than any other vegetable in most no. of countries?

2. Apple, Onions & potatoes have same taste, don’t believe it. Here is the test: Pinch your nose & taste all 3, find any difference?

3. Do you ever wonder what causes tears in eyes while cutting onions! It is the sulphuric acid present in onion, which creates itching in the eyes & causes tears. But if you chill the onions enough, effect of sulphuric acid goes down drastically.

4. The oldest trees in the world: California Bristlecone pines and Giant Sequoias are regarded as the oldest trees and have been known to live 4000 to 5000 years.

5. Carrots were originally purple in color.6. When an insect touches the hairs of a Venus Fly Trap it triggers

the plant to close, trapping its victim before killing and dissolving it in acid.

7. Elephant grass in Africa is named after elephants as it is about 4.5 meter high and even elephants can hide in this grass

8. The Baobab tree in Africa is an amazing plant. It is known for its water storage capacity in it trunk. It can store 1000 liters to 120000 liters of water into swollen trunk.

9. Cutting onions releases a gas which causes a stinging sensation when it comes into contact with your eyes. Your body produces tears to dilute the irritant and remove it from your eyes.

10. The first diesel engine ran on peanut oil.11. The study of plants is a branch of Biology.12. 84% of a raw apple and 96% of a raw cucumber is water.13. Rice paper isn’t made from rice but from a small tree which

grows in Taiwan.

14. Trees get about 90% of their nutrition from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide, etc.), and only about 10% from the soil.

15. The averaged size tree can provide enough wood to make 170,000 pencils.

16. The world’s tallest tree is a Sequoia (or California Redwood) in California; it is more than 360 feet tall.

17. The world’s oldest living tree is thought to be in Sweden. Its root system has been growing for 9,550 years. Now that’s old!

18. An average size tree produces enough oxygen in one year to keep a family of four breathing.

19. A method used to verify the age of a tree is to count the rings in the tree’s trunk.

20. A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers. The word 'banan' is Arabic for finger.

21. The very first type of aspirin, or pain killer and fever reducer came from the tree bark of the willow tree.

22. Apples, not caffeine or tea, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

23. Chocolate is a food made from cacao beans.24. Mango is called king of the fruits.25. Because bananas are easy to digest and are very nutritious,

they are the first fruit offered to babies.26. Strawberries are the only fruit which grows seeds on the

outside.27. A cucumber is a fruit not a vegetable. Why? Because it has

seeds in the center.28. Leaving skin on potatoes is healthier as all vitamins are in

the skin.29. Eating a lot of onions will make you sleepy, as it acts as a

sedative.30. Bananas contain a natural chemical which can make a

person happy.

31. Watermelon is considered a good gift to give a host in Japan and China.

32. The original Ketchup did not have any tomatoes, the primary ingredient was fish brine mixed with herbs. The roots of ketchup are traced back to China, with a sauce they called ke-tsiap.

33. Petals are usually colorful, and they attract insects and birds that help with pollination.

34. Do you know the rose family of plants, in addition to flowers, gives us apples, pears, plums, cherries, almonds and peaches.

35. The largest single flower is the Rafflesia or “corpse flower”. They are generally 3 feet in diameter with the record being 42 inches.

36. A notch in a tree will remain the same distance/height from the ground as the tree grows.

37. Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.

38. Have you heard a mushroom called Death Cap ?It looks like a harmless mushroom but it contains poison & can kill a human being within 6 hours of eating due to kidney & liver failure.

39. The water hyacinth is the world's fastest growing water plant & world's biggest water plant is Amazon lily, its floating leaves grow up to 6 feet.

40. Dendrochronology is the science of calculating a tree’s age by its rings. Rings in the stem of a tree can tell the age of a tree.

41. Tree rings not only tell us age of the tree but they can also tell us about environmental events, including volcanic eruptions.

42. Cricket bats are made of a tree called Willow & base-balls bats are made out of wood of tree called Hickory.

43. The broadest trees around the world are thre Baobab trees in Africa & the Sequioa trees in North America, their trunks are so large that a good sized apartment can be housed in there!

44. The first certified botanical garden was founded by Pope Nicholas III at the Vatican in 1278 AD.

45. Wood sorrel is plant which has two flowers ,one to attract bees to spread its pollen & other to make seeds.

46. The world's fastest growing plant is Burma's giant bamboo,it can grow 17 centimeter in a day.

Website Three:

Plants

Without plants, nearly all life on Earth would end. Plants provide

oxygen for humans and animals to breathe and they provide food for

many animals. There are about 260,000 plant species in the world

today. They are found on land, in oceans and in fresh water. They were

the first living things on Earth.

Like animals, plants are living things, or organisms. These three features

distinguish plants from animals:

plants have chlorophyll, a green pigment necessary for

photosynthesis

their cell walls are made sturdy by a material called cellulose

they are fixed in one place (they don’t move)

Plants are broadly divided into two groups: flower- and fruit-producing

plants and those that do not produce flowers or fruits. Flowering and

fruit plants include all garden flowers, agricultural crops, grasses,

shrubs and most leaf trees. Non-flowering plants include pines, ferns,

mosses and conifers (evergreen trees or shrubs that produce cones).

Carnivorous Plants

Some plants live in soil that doesn’t provide adequate nutrients, so they

eat insects for nourishment. Insect-eating plants includepitcher

plants and sundews.

Pitcher plants have trumpet-shaped leaves that contain a liquid. When

the insect enters the leaf, tiny, stiff hairs prevent it from escaping.

Juices secreted in the leaves help the plant to digest the insects.

Sundew plants have sticky hairs on their leaves that trap insects. The

digestive juices in the leaves help the plant “swallow” its victim.

Venus’s-flytrap has bristled leaves shaped like bear traps. When an

insect touches the bristles, the “trap” slams shut, trapping the insect.

Plant Hall of Fame

Biggest

Flower

Rafflesia arnoldii Each bloom is as big as 3 feet wide and can

weigh up to 24 pounds. The reddish-brown flower, which

emits a horrible odor, is found in Southeast Asia.

Oldest

Trees

Bristlecone pines These trees are found in California, Nevada

and Utah. Some in California’s White Mountains are more

than 4,500 years old. The oldest-known living bristlecone pine

more than 4,700 years old.

Biggest

Fungus

Not only is the Armillaria ostoyae, or the honey mushroom,

the largest fungus, it’s also probably the biggest living

organism in the world. Located in Malheur National Forest in

eastern Oregon, the fungus lives three feet underground and

spans 3.5 miles.

Name_________________________________________ Date______________________

Homework

Unscramble the words that relate to plants.

Words Answers

1. RTEE

2. FELA

3. FTRIU

4. SBHU

5. EWLROF

6. SAGRS

7. RYEENG

8. NSTGHULI

9. ATLBEEVEG

10. EHRB

11. IVNE

**Answers: Tree, Leaf, Fruit, Bush, Flower, Grass, Energy, Sunlight, Vegetable, Herb, Vine.

Lesson 3

Subject: Science

Objective: Students will be able to predict what plants need to grow after planting their seeds.

Standards: 5.3.2.B.1: Describe the requirements for the care of plants and animals related to meeting their energy needs.

Materials:

Plastic cup ½ a cup of soil Sunflower seeds Lima Bean seeds Pumpkin seeds Water in a watering can Spoon

Introduction: Yesterday we talked about different types of plants and their facts. Today, we are going to plant our own plants! We will be planting three types of plants; does anyone remember some of the plants we learned about yesterday? (The teacher will accept answers from students) Well, the plants we are going to be planting are sunflowers, pumpkins, and lima beans.

Development:

Can anyone tell me what plants need to grow? (Accept answers from students and write them on the board)

Tell the students that we will be putting our plants in two different conditions in order to determine what plants actually need to grow. Half of our class will be placing their plants in the sunlight and the other half will be in the corner of the room where there is no sunlight. After a few days we will be able to see which conditions our plants need to be in.

I will then model how to plant the plants.o Label the cups with my name and the type of seed. (In this case there will be three cups

with the teachers name on them, but each student will only have one type of seed.)o Fill about half of the cup with soil.o Put the specified seed in the cup underneath a layer of soil.o Water each cup. Tell the class that each day we need to water our plants. When we

water then we should use a small about of water, we just want to moisten the soil not soak it.

o Place two of the cups at the windowsill and the third in the corner of the room. Tell the class that as the days go on and our plants grow we will learn how to measure our

plants.

Tell the class that in order for this experiment to be fair we are going to pick which seed we are going to plant and where we will place it out of a bag. In the bag there will be small strips of paper stating the type of plant and location. For example: Pumpkin Seed: Windowsill.

The teacher will then show the class the three different stations in the classroom that are set up. Each station contains a specific plant seed and depending on the students card that is where they will go. At the stations there will be cups and markers for them to label them, soil, spoons, two seeds per student, and a small watering can.

Activity: Students will be dismissed from the rug and told to go to their station. At their station each student will follow the same steps that the teacher performed during her modeling on how to plant their seeds. After planting their seeds and watering them they will place their seeds in the designated area.

Closure: As a whole class we sit back down at the rug. While we are at the rug we will make predictions. Before making predictions as a class we will have the class turn and talk to their turn and talk partner to discuss what they think will happen. Then, we will predict as a class which plants will grow the most, which plants will grow the least, if the plants in the sunlight will grow more or the plants in the corner of the room.

Assessment: The turn and talk and student participation will be an assessment. Also, as the teacher walks around the classroom while they plant their seeds she will be able to determine if they followed directions.

Homework Application: Have students write down where they see plants both inside and outside of their house. They should write down if they are in sunlight or shade. This will help them see if their predictions from class were on the right track.

Adaptations for students with special needs: A print out of the directions to plant their seeds will be placed at each station in order to students to look back at them if they need. Students who finish early can go back to their desks and write down what they think will happen to their plant. This will also help students get their ideas together before they sit at the rug and participate in the turn and talk.

Lesson 4

Subject: Math

Objective: Students will be able to measure the height of the plant and be able to record the data they found.

Standards: 1.MD.2: Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measure is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.

Materials:

Ruler Worksheet Pencil Smart Board Projecting the worksheet the students will be working on

Introduction: We planted our seeds to our plant just a few days ago right boys and girls? Well I have been looking around at everyone’s plants and I have noticed they have started growing. What we are going to do the next few days is record how much your plant grows every 3 days.

Development:

Does anyone have any idea how we might be able to see how much our plant has grown? (Accept answers from students)

We will see how our plants grow by using a ruler. By a show of hands how many students have used a ruler before? Well I am going to teach you; on one side of the ruler there are numbers really close together

that is the centimeter side of the ruler. On the other side of the ruler the numbers are farther apart, that side of the ruler is the inches side.

I want you to turn and talk to a partner about what measurement you think we will be measuring our plant with. (After students discuss I will ask for responses.)

I will then explain that we will be using centimeters because the plant is small and it takes a long time for a plant to grow therefore we want to see the small changes over time.

I will model how to measure the plant for the whole class. I will then fill in the measurement for my plant to show the students how to record their data. I am then going to ask the students if they can figure out how much the plant has grown from

day 0 to day 3. The students will tell me that they are going to subtract the current day they are working with to

the last day we measured our plants. I will ask the students to talk about that and tell me why that would work and how they came up

with that solution. I will then ask one student how tall they think the plant is going to be on day 6. Using the

student’s prediction I will write in the answer on the smart board.

I will then ask another student to tell me the difference in height from day 3 to day 6. I will then instruct the students to go back to their seats to do this on their own worksheet which will be handed out to them.

Activity: Students will go back to their desks where there will be a ruler and piece of paper on their desk. The students will be instructed to take their plant as they go back to their seat. The students will measure their plant and record under day 3 how many centimeters their plant has grown. After they have completed how many centimeters their plant is the students will then figure out how much their plant has grown from the last time we measured our plants.

Closure: As a whole class we will go over the worksheet and review how to measure something. I will then ask the students if they have any questions about measuring an object.

Assessment: The turn and talk can be one assessment and also the worksheet they will be handing in will be the assessment.

Homework Application: Think of 5 things you can measure using centimeters and 5 things you can measure using inches.

Adaptations for students with special needs: Some students may need more time for measuring their plants. A challenge problem for students who are more advanced may be for them to predict how much their plant is going to grow for the next time they measure their plant. The students would have to explain their reasoning on why they think the plant will grow x amount of centimeters. If some students are struggling with how to work and/or use a ruler, they can work with a partner.

Name: __________________________________

Date: ____________________

Measuring My Plant

Day Measurement of Flower(centimeters/cm)

0 0 cm

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

26

Lesson 5

Subject: Math

Objective: Students will be able to construct a bar graph and understand how to read it.

Standards: 1.MD.4: Organize, represent, and interpret, data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

Materials:

Blank piece of paper Pencil Crayons Smart board White board Markers

Introduction: We have been working with our plants for a few days now. I was trying to think of an easier way to look at the information we have collected rather than looking at all the numbers on our worksheet. I want you guys to turn and talk to think of a way we can do this. (I will let students state their thinking) Those were a lot of great answers but today, I am going to teach you to make a bar graph. This is the bar graph that I made last year with my students for the same project.

Day 0 Day 3 Day 6 Day 9 Day 12 Day 15 Day 18 Day 21 Day 240

2

4

6

8

10

12

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16

Measurement (cm)

Days

Centi

nmet

ers

Development:

I will tell the students we are going to make our own bar graph as a class. I will ask the students “from looking at my bar graph (which is projected on the smart board)

what do you think would be the first step in making a bar graph?” (I will accept answers until the correct answer which would be the title is said) If the students do not say the title is the first step I will tell the students it is the title and ask one student to come write the title on the board.

I will have the student who wrote the title on the board to sit down.

I will then turn off the smart board and go up to the board and make an L to set up the bar graph. I will explain to the students that the horizontal line and use my arm to show what horizontal means is used for time. I will ask the students to show me using their arm what a horizontal line looks like.

I will then ask the students to tell me what a horizontal line is used for. After the students understand the concept of a horizontal line I will then explain to them using

my arm what a vertical line is. I will also tell them that the vertical line is used for what you are measuring.

I will have the students use their arm to show me what a vertical line is and then ask them what a vertical line is used for.

Once the students understand the concept of a vertical line I will ask all the students to stand up.

I will explain to the students we are going to play a little game. I am going to tell them I am going to call out vertical or horizontal and each student has to use their arm to show me they know which way the line is.

After I do four rounds of that game I will have the students sitting down back at the carpet. I will then ask someone to tell me what we should label the horizontal line.

The student who answers the question correctly will come up to the board to write their answer in the correct place. The same thing will occur for the vertical line.

I will then tell the students on the vertical line we are going to count by 1’s because centimeters are small and our plants aren’t going to grow very high.

I will then ask someone to come up and write numbers 1-15 on the vertical line. I will then explain for the horizontal lines we are going to only have measurements for every

three days so we are going to have to count by 3’s for the horizontal line. I will then ask one student to come up and label the horizontal line from 1-24 because we are

only going to watch our plant in the classroom for 24 days. I will then go up to the board and tell the students under day 0 I am going to color in up to the

number of centimeters on my worksheet I have. I will continue to color in how many centimeters I have for each day we have measured our

plant.

Activity: Students will go back to their seats and design their own bar graph using the model we did on the board as a class. I will explain to the students to remember the steps we took to make this bar graph and I will also tell them they can use a crayon to color in their bars for their graph as well.

Closure: Once the students are done with their bar graphs, we will all go to the carpet and have a few students present their bar graph. We will then compare some of the students bar graphs to make sure the students understand what the bar graph represents.

Assessment: There are a few assessments in this lesson. One assessment is having the students turn and talk, as a teacher you can listen in to the student’s conversations and see who understands the idea and who is not. Another assessment is the horizontal/vertical game where the students show their understanding of horizontal and vertical lines. The last assessment is going to be the students completed bar graphs.

Homework Application: Students will write down the steps we used to make a bar graph.

Adaptations for students with special needs: Students who still do not understand horizontal and vertical lines will be taken to the side while the rest of the class is working on their bar graphs to explain more thoroughly. There will be extra time given to students who work at a slower pace. For students who want a challenge and are finished earlier than other students I will pair students up and the two students can make another bar graph and incorporate both their plants on one bar graph. I will explain that the students should use different color crayons for each plant. I will then have the students compare their growth of plants.

Lesson 6

Subject: Language

Objective: Students will learn how to present their work in an orderly way and also learn how to be a good public speaker.

Standards: 1.SL.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

1.SL.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

Materials:

Worksheet from research on plant Records from recording height of the plant Bar graph they made Blank lined pieces of paper or index cards Pencil White board

Introduction: For the past few weeks we have been working with our plants, we have been really studying our plants. Now we are going to teach the Kindergartners about what we have learned. Are you boys and girls ready to educate the Kindergarteners?

Development:

When we are a good speaker, what do we need to do? (I will be writing their answers on the board so the students will not forget when presenting to the first graders) I will be looking for the following answers; loud and clear voice, standing straight, looking at the audience with good eye contact, and no wiggling around.

I will tell the students to keep that in mind when we are going to present. “Now we are going to switch gears and talk about what we are going to present to the Kindergartners.”

First, I want you to all think back to when we started talking about plants, can anyone tell me what was the first thing we did? (Waiting for the response of researching our plants)

Once the students tell me that’s the first thing they did I am going to tell them to take out their worksheet.

I am then going to ask the students what we did next. I am going to tell them to tell me about what they learned about planting. I am then going to ask them to take out their records from recording the measurement of the plant as well as their bar graph.

I am going give the students blank pieces of lined paper or index cards (whichever the student prefers) and I am going to tell the students to write out what they learned from these lessons.

I am going to tell the students they can take their records and bar graph when they are presenting their information.

I am going to tell the students to write out in order what they are going to say or show the Kindergartners when presenting their information. Once the students are done with writing out what they are going to say I am going to instruct them to come to the carpet.

We are going to go over our list that we made earlier on how to be a good public speaker. I will go around the circle and have each student read each bullet to remind us again what a good public speaker looks like.

After we are done going over how to be a good public speaker I am going to explain to the students that each student is going to be matched up with one or two students in the Kindergarten class.

Activity: Each student is going to match up with a partner to practice their public speaking and information they are teaching the Kindergartners.

Closure: After the students do their presentation to the Kindergartners we will all come together and talk about how the presentations went. What went well and what didn’t go well and how we could improve our public speaking skills.

Assessment: The student’s written notes (index card or piece of paper) and the presentation to the Kindergartners will show how much the students have learned from this unit.

Adaptations for students with special needs: If students need their presentation to be broken up more they can use the index cards because they are easier to hold, understand, and read. Students who do not feel comfortable public speaking have the option of presenting to me, one of their classmates, or having very descriptive notes to hand in.