Grade K Plants TEKS K.10AB Lesson 1 Plant Characteristics Essential Questions What does it mean to be alive? How does our planet support life? Where do organisms get their energy? How do organisms depend on their environment and their structures to survive? What changes do organisms go through in their life cycle? Why do organisms resemble their parents? Enduring Understandings All organisms have basic needs to survive. Basic needs can be met through interactions with living and nonliving things. Energy is passed from the Sun and soil into plants and from plants into animals, and back into the soil. Organisms have inherited parts that help them meet their needs. Organisms change over time. Intended Learning Outcomes Students will know: Different plants and animals have external characteristics that help them live in different kinds of places. The size and shape of leaves helps them collect large or smaller amounts of sunlight in their habitat. Plants have parts that can be identified and named. Plants have and use parts to help them live in their habitat. Students will be able to: View pictures or videos of plants from different habitats to determine similar characteristics. Sort leaves into groups with like characteristics. Sort pictures of plants from different habitats into groups with like characteristics. Draw and label plants and their parts. Use pictures to identify plant and animal parts. TEKS K.2D record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, Essential Vocabulary flower/flor fruit/fruto Updated June 2015
Transcript
Grade K Plants TEKS K.10AB Lesson 1
Plant Characteristics
Essential Questions What does it mean to be alive? How does our planet support life? Where do organisms get their energy? How do organisms depend on their environment
and their structures to survive? What changes do organisms go through in their life
cycle? Why do organisms resemble their parents?
Enduring Understandings All organisms have basic needs to survive. Basic needs can be met through interactions with
living and nonliving things. Energy is passed from the Sun and soil into plants
and from plants into animals, and back into the soil.
Organisms have inherited parts that help them meet their needs.
Organisms change over time.Intended Learning OutcomesStudents will know: Different plants and animals have external
characteristics that help them live in different kinds of places.
The size and shape of leaves helps them collect large or smaller amounts of sunlight in their habitat.
Plants have parts that can be identified and named.
Plants have and use parts to help them live in their habitat.
Students will be able to: View pictures or videos of plants from different
habitats to determine similar characteristics. Sort leaves into groups with like characteristics. Sort pictures of plants from different habitats into
groups with like characteristics. Draw and label plants and their parts. Use pictures to identify plant and animal parts.
TEKSK.2D record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and wordsK.4B use senses as a tool of observation to identify properties and patterns of organisms, object, and events in the environmentK.10A sort plants into groups based on physical characteristics such as leaf shape, etc.K.10B identify parts of plants such as roots, stem, and leaves
Language Objectives:Use lessons to learn and practice using new vocabulary about plants.
ELPS:2F-Listening- Listen to and derive meaning from a variety of media to build and reinforce concept and language attainment.1C-Learning Strategies- Use strategic learning techniques such as concept mapping, drawing, memorizing, comparing, contrasting, and reviewing to acquire basic and grade-level vocabulary.College and Career Readiness Standards:
Intellectual curiosity-Engage I scholarly inquiry and dialogue. Accept constructive criticism and revise personal views when valid evidence warrants.21st Century Skills: Environmental LiteracyDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and conditions affecting it, particularly as relates to air, climate, land, food, energy, water and ecosystems.Prior Learning: Organisms have different characteristics, and these characteristics help them live in their environment. Organisms have life cycles. Plants and animals have different needs to stay alive. Plants and animals grow and change. Adult plants and animals have young.TOC (Think/Observe/Conclude) or KWL (Know/Want to Know/Learned)Encourage oral language by using TOC strategies: put kids in small groups and encourage them to come up with 2-5 things they agree about the topic of study or content. Students in this small group report to the whole group in 3 minutes. The purpose of this activity is to go deeper into the subject.I think…I observed…I conclude…
Teacher ManagementEstimated Time for Completion: 5 days
Materials:Water spray bottlesDay 1: Clear plastic cups, potting soil, dried kidney or lima beans, water spray bottles, 3 onions (preferably beginning to sprout), 2 plastic containers or flower pots, jar (that an onion will fit inside), 4 toothpicksDay 2: Loops of yarn or string to create a defined area on the groundDay 4: Leaves and/or cut out photographs of leaves for children to observe, sort, and categorizeDay 5: Photographs of a wide variety of plants for children to sort and categorized based on similarities
Advanced Teacher Prep
CRM and Lesson Preparation Carry out with prepared plantsCRM 5 Lesson 4 Plant 2 grass and 8 beansCRM 5 Lesson 5 Explore with 2 beans and 2 grass to
observe. Use 6 bean plants to experiment with basic needs.
CRM 7 Lesson 1CURRENT
Ask students to start collecting seeds and put them in a sorting bin.
Set up 3 onion bulbs with students.Each student plants bean seed.
CRM Lesson 2 Ask your community to donate fruit with a variety of seeds inside.
Measure personal bean plant.Draw conclusions from Basic Needs experiment.Observe seed collection.
Day 1: Soak kidney or lima bean seeds in water overnight, prior to children planting them. To facilitate having the whole class plant seeds on this day, recruit one or more volunteers to help. If possible, plant several bean seeds yourself the week before (ideally, one each day for a week) so that you have plants in different stages to observe.Day 2: Scope out the school grounds to find an appropriate place for children to observe plants on the ground. Day 3: Scope out the school grounds or immediate neighborhood to find an appropriate place for children to observe trees.
Day 4: Notice areas of the school grounds that will be safe and have lots of leaves on the ground for children to collect. If you think there will not be enough leaves for children to sort, collect some ahead of time and laminate them or print out photographs of leaves for children to observe, sort, and categorize.Day 5: Prepare sets of photographs of a variety of plants for sorting and categorizing
Anchors of SupportPlant Parts SongDiagram of parts of a bean plant (such as the one at right; Google Images has many examples, which can be chosen for differentiation.
Safety Considerations Check the outdoor areas where children will be exploring
and observing for litter, poison ivy or other harmful plants (e.g. with thorns), and other dangers (e.g. fire ants, traffic).
Tell children not to touch or eat any plants unless they have checked with an adult.
Tell children not to collect parts of plants unless they have fallen on the ground. Breaking off bark, twigs, leaves, or flowers from a living plant can hurt or kill it. These rules foster respect for the environment.
Literary Resources Backyard by Donald Silver A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert BullaSeeds, Seeds, Seeds by Nancy Elizabeth WallaceHow a Seeds Grows by Helene JordanFrom Seed to Plant by Gail GibbonsHow Do Seeds Sprout? (Nature's Super Secrets) by Evan RhodesFlowers, Fruits, and Seeds by Jerome WexlerA Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean RichardsBeans by Melanie MitchellOne Bean by Anne RockwellTen Seeds by Ruth BrownI’m a Seed/Soy Una Semilla by Jean MarzolloThe Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Technology ResourcesDiscovery Streaming videos – search for plant parts, characteristics, life cycle of pumpkin, beanBrain Pop Jr. Plants (log in to the AISD cloud before clicking)Dual Language: EduSpark or http://sparkito.com/access.php Ciencias Naturales > Seres Vivos > Clasificación y Características de las Plantashttps://getkahoot.com/https://padlet.com/http://www.polleverywhere.com/Suggestions for beginning or end of unit: Create a Poll and allow student to utilize a device like an IPhone, IPad, Smartphone, etc. These sites, Kahoot, Padlet, Poll Everywhere, allows teachers to create a poll for students to respond to. Show a group of students how to respond to the poll by passing around the device throughout the day if only one device is available, these students in turn will show the rest of the class. By the end of the day, as an exit slip strategy, review the poll results with the whole class. This should only take a few minutes and allows for a quick review of content learned.
Plant Characteristics:Big Book of Science Vocabulary, p. 27Student Edition, pp. 129-132Inquiry Flipchart, p. 25Assessment Guide, p. AG 82Big Book of Science Songs and Rhymes, p. 23Science Songs CD, track 4Leveled Readers, see TE p. 304Plants with Leaves: Big Book of Science Vocabulary, p. 25Student Edition, pp. 119-124Picture Sorting Cards 49 – 51Inquiry Flipchart, p. 23Assessment Guide, p. AG 80
Background Information for the TeacherTimeline of Concepts and Questions
Day Concept Question in Child-Friendly Language1 Some plants grow from seeds. Other plants grow from
bulbs or clippings. (Peep)In what different ways can plants grow?
2 Plants have parts that can be identified and named. (CRM)Plants have roots, stems, leaves, and fruits. Some parts are below the ground. (Peep)Plants grow in many places. Usually they grow in dirt. (Peep)
What plants can we observe on our school grounds?
3 A tree is a very large plant. There are many types of trees. (Peep) Trees have different parts; roots, trunk, branches, bark, and leaves. (Peep)
What trees can we observe and compare in our school neighborhood?
4 The size and shape of leaves helps them collect large or smaller amounts of sunlight in their habitat. (CRM)
Why do plants have leaves? How are leaves of plants the same and different?
5 Plants have and use parts to help them live in their habitat. (CRM)Different plants and animals have external characteristics that help them live in different kinds of places. (CRM)
What are some special and strange plants? How do these plants’ parts help them live in their habitat?
Kidney and lima bean seeds will sprout in 2-4 days and poke through the soil in about 1 week. Onions grow quickly and can be 1 foot tall by the second week.
MisconceptionsFrom OSU’s Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears Trees, grass, vegetables, and weeds are not plants. Plants take in all substances they need to grow through their roots. Leaves take in water. Children may insist that pumpkins, tomatoes, and other familiar plants are vegetables, not fruits. Help children
understand that the word “fruit” has an everyday meaning and a science meaning.
Probing Questions In what different ways can plants grow? ¿Pueden crecer las plantas de maneras diferentes? What plants can we observe on our school grounds? ¿Qué tipo de plantas puedes observar alrededor de la escuela? What trees can we observe and compare in our school neighborhood? ¿Qué tipo de árboles puedes observar y comparar en nuestro vecindario? Why do plants have leaves? How are leaves of plants the same and different? ¿Porqué necesitan hojas las plantas y en que se diferencian? What are some special and strange plants? How do these plants’ parts help them live in their habitat? ¿Cuales partes de las plantas son especiales o raras? ¿Cómo ayudan estas partes a la planta a sobrevivir en su
hábitat?
All lesson resources provided within this lesson are for instruction by ALL teachers.To meet Dual Language criteria, Dual Language Activity 1 and Activity 2 have been identified for the Dual Language teacher.
Arch of Lessons Kindergarten (45 Minute Lessons)
Day 1- Directed Inquiry- Students are given the question and procedures, but make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.
In what different ways can plants grow? (5 minutes)*This lesson is adapted from the Peep and the Big Wide WorldEngage (15 minutes)Have children share what they remember about the germinating kidney bean seeds of previous lesson on Basic Needs of Plants. Some probing questions: What did the seeds need to start to grow? What is the special word for when a seed begins to grow? What were the first plant parts we saw growing from the seed? Do you think all plants grow from seeds or could they make new plants in other ways?
“For the next few weeks, we will continue studying plants. A scientist who studies plants is called a Botanist. Today we will each start to grow and care for our very own bean plant.” Show children some dry bean seeds and the seeds you have soaked in water. Ask children how they are the same and different and why they think you soaked the seeds before today’s planting. Explain that soaking the seeds in water, gave the seeds a “head start” on their growing before we put them in the soil today, just like how the seeds from a few weeks ago were able to germinate in wet paper towels.
Explore (30 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1
Each child fills a plastic cup most of the way with potting soil and gently presses two bean seeds into opposite sides of the cup so that they can be seen through the clear plastic. Circle the location of the seed with a sharpie. Show children how to moisten the soil with the spray bottle. Have them share ideas about why they are using spray bottles instead of watering cans or the sink faucet. Children complete their science notebook entry, drawing what their plant looks like on this Day 1 and writing about whether or not they think their seeds will grow.
Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.
Updated June 2015
Explain (5 minutes)Have children share their ideas about whether or not they think their seeds will grow and why. Then ask, “Do you think there are other ways that plants can grow or do they all grow from seeds?” Some children may have experience with their families planting bulbs or growing a plant from a clipping.
Elaborate (5 minutes)Explain that there are other ways that plants can grow. Show children the onion bulbs and ask if they think they know what they are. (potatoes or gladiolas could be used as well) Ask children to share what they know and how the onions look, feel, and smell. Introduce the word bulb as another way to grow a plant. If possible show photos of bulbs growing in gardens such as these tulip bulbs. Let children help you plant 1 or 2 onions in dirt with the top of the bulb above the soil. “Plant” another onion bulb in water by putting toothpicks into the sides and balancing on top of a jar filled with water up to the roots at the onion’s base.
If possible, also grow a plant from a cutting.
Have children observe their bean plants and the onion bulbs daily for changes and new parts.
Day 2- Building Concepts and Academic VocabularyWhat plants can we observe on our school grounds?*This lesson is adapted from Peep and the Big Wide World.Engage (10 minutes)Teach children the plants part song from tune The Farmer and the Dellhttp://www.mrsjonesroom.com/songs/plantparts.html Show them some pictures of plants from books or from photographs. Have children come up and point to the different parts. Acknowledge that there are many different kinds of plants in the world, and they all look at least a little bit different. Many plants, however, have common parts such as roots, stems, and leaves. Knowing that plants have these parts can help us compare them and think about how their parts look the same and different.
In Spanish, there is not a song, but there are several animations on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEP3JINmob8 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4YXVIIj1nA
Show children the string circles. Tell children that they will be exploring parts of the school yard today with a partner to look carefully at the plants growing there. Review the rules for being safe and respectful to living things.
Explore (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1
In pairs, children explore their area of the ground. Have students look carefully at the plants growing inside the circle, using hand lenses to look even more closely at small plants. Some probing questions: Can you find two plants that are alike? How do you know they are alike? What is the same about them? Can you find two plants that are different? What is different about them?
What’s the darkest green plant you can see? Have children tug gently on a plant without uprooting it. Ask, what do you think is keeping the plant attached
to the ground?
Conceptual Refinement (10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.
Explain (10 minutes)Watch the Peep video Kids Explore: Exploring Small Spaces (1:30 minutes).Ask:
What kinds of things did the kids discover? What things did they find that you and your partner found? What did they find that was different? Why do you think the leaf was brown? What do you think happened to it? Why do you think the leaves were different sizes?
ElaborateRead Backyard by Donald Silver. From Publisher’s Weekly: “Filled with an assortment of the plants, animals and insects found in the Northeast quadrant of the United States, Silver's backyard is a happening place…By advising naturalists to focus on a single square meter of their own yards, the book lends immediate confidence and helps readers to value their own observations, discoveries and conclusions.”
Day 3- Guided Inquiry- Students are given a question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence. What trees can we observe and compare in our school neighborhood? *This lesson is adapted from the Peep and the Big Wide World Explorer’s Guide: Explore Plants.
Engage (10 minutes)Facilitate a short discussion based on the question, “Is a tree a plant?” Pay close attention to children’s misconceptions and theories, as well as any evidence and vocabulary to which they refer to defend their ideas.
Tell children that they will be returning to the outdoors for their science explorations today, this time to observe trees. Explain that you will first be doing an activity altogether, and then they will explore one tree closely with their partner.
Explore (25minutes) and Dual Language Activity 2
Altogether, choose several trees to explore and compare. Use string to measure around the trunk of each tree, asking children which tree they think is the biggest. (Trunk circumference may or may not be correlated with the tree’s height; notice if children point this out.) Have children hold hands around different trees, too, to see how many kids it takes to reach around each trunk.
Model examining the bark with your fingers, eyes, and hand lens. Model noticing other features such as roots, buds, needles, or leaves.
Children then work with their partner to explore a tree of their choosing and do an observational drawing, labeling the parts they know. Probing questions: What do you like best about this tree? How is this tree like the little plants you observed yesterday? How are the tree roots like the roots of our plants inside? How do you think the tree roots help the tree? What color is the bark? What does it feel like? Can you reach any of the branches? What do you notice about the place where the branch comes out of the
trunk? Does the tree have needles or leaves? How would you describe them? Are there any buds on the tree? What do you think will grow from them?
Collect leaves and needles of trees that have fallen on the ground to bring inside for the next day’s activity.
*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9wks TEK K.10A-D. The Plant rubric involves three aspects of plant: label plant parts, create and label life cycle and list needs. Take note as students work on plant parts this week and keep records for the grade.
Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.
Explain/Evaluate (10 minutes)Have children share their drawings, using vocabulary about plant parts. Also have children share observations and ideas based on the probing questions above. Return to the question Is a tree a plant? What do children think now?Relate and make connections between their thoughts and the question: How does our planet support life?
ElaborateRead A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla.
Notice if any of the trees children observed today go through changes in the coming weeks, such as developing buds, flowers, berries, or cones. If so, have the class observe the changes—even just casually on the way to recess.
Day 4-Full Inquiry- Students generate their own questions, plan their investigation, collect and organize their data, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence. Why do plants have leaves? How are leaves of plants the same and different?***This lesson is adapted from AAAS Look at Those Leaves!
Engage (15 minutes)“We’ve been going outside for the past few days to observe small plants, like grass and big plants like trees more closely. Today we will be heading back outside. We are on a hunt for a particular plant part this time, leaves. You will each have a bag for collecting your leaves. Remember we are only collecting them from the ground because we do not want to hurt the plants.”
Students look for leaves outside on the school grounds or on a short walk around the neighborhood. During the walk, you can ask students: Where do you see leaves? Do all the plants have the same kind of leaves? How are the leaves different? Which plants have the same kind? How do the leaves on the ground look the same or different from the leaves still attached to plants? What do you notice about the size of the leaves? How does the size of the leaf compare to the size of the plant?
Explore (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1
Back in the classroom, students empty their bags of leaves on the tables. They can work individually, with a partner, or in a small group to sort the leaves into several categories. In addition to the questions above, you could ask: Do all the leaves look the same? How are the leaves different? Are there any features that all the leaves have in common? How many “points” do the leaves have? How does the underside of the leaf look different from the top? Do you notice the veins on the leaves? How does the leaf feel?
Students choose two leaves that are different to draw in their science notebooks. They write at least one way their leaves are the same and one way that they are different.
Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.
Explain (10 minutes)Use the questions above to have children share their observations and theories about the leaves and strategies for how they grouped them. Ask children, “Why do you think some plants have big leaves and some plants have small leaves? Why do you think most plants have their leaves up high?” Guide children toward understanding that the size and shape of leaves help the plant collect sunlight.
ElaborateRead a book such as Look What I Did With a Leaf by Morteza E. Sohi or Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Children can make leaf arrangements or collages.
Day 5- Closure ActivitiesWhat are some special and strange plants? How do these plants’ parts help them live in their habitat?Engage (5 minutes)“Botanists, this week we have learned a lot about the parts of plants. We are noticing our very own bean plants starting to grow. What parts are we noticing already?” Have students share that their plants have grown roots, and perhaps stems already that are starting to push through the soil. “We have noticed parts of plants right here on our school grounds, too. What parts did we notice in the small plants on the ground and on the trees?” Students share.
Explore (15 minutes)“Today we can learn about and observe some plants that do not live in our school yard. In the wild, these plants would grow in other parts of the world, and they have some pretty interesting and unique features that help them survive. The variety of plants in the world really is amazing.” As students view photographs, they could be recording drawings in their notebook or making them with clay.
View photographs of unusual plants with children, learning about their native habitat and the special features or adaptations they have.National Geographic Weird PlantsNational Geographic Chomp! Meat-Eating PlantsStrangeplants
Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.
Explain/Evaluate (15 minutes)“Botanists, I am thinking about these plant parts we have learned about. When we were learning about animals, we learned that animals have special parts, like legs, wings, and fins, to help them do certain things and survive in their habitat. Why do you think plants have parts such as roots, stems, and leaves? How do plants use their parts?” Facilitate a discussion to gather student ideas.
To connect with and elaborate on student ideas about roots sucking up water like a straw, you can show the picture collection of roots. Plants have parts that help them get what they need, the roots will find the ground one way or another.
*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9wks TEK K.10A-D. The Plant rubric involves three aspects of plant: label plant parts, create and label life cycle and list needs. Take note as students work on plant parts this week and keep records for the grade.
Elaborate/Evaluate (15 minutes)Provide photographs of a variety of plants for students to sort and categorize based on similar characteristics.
Differentiation:ELL and SPED Strategy: Provide struggling writers with sentence stems during writing tasks. Provide sentence stems during oral discussions so that students can participate more readily. Students that have trouble drawing can do rubbings of their leaves instead of free-drawing. Carefully pair students so that ELL students are with peers who can model new vocabulary.Enrichment: For a more complex way of grouping leaves, beyond attributes such as shape or color, students can measure
the leaves using standard or non-standard units. They can also order the same type of leaf from small to large. Project-Based Learning: Use this video on invasive plants as an Entry Event to make Driving Questions.
Students could learn about cattails and which species they are damaging or pushing out of habitat. Or Look at hydrilla on Town Lake and what species of birds and aquatic animals they affect. In April, Keep Austin Beautiful has an event called Clean Sweep in which some sites, along with trash pickup, do invasive removals.
