LEARNING CONTEXT

Purpose or Focus of Experience

To explain the general life cycle of a plant, the parts of a plant, and what it needs to grow.

Connection to Standards

 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Benchmark 1: Listening and Reading

Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

Benchmark 2: Speaking and Writing

Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one's own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information and interpretation clearly, concisely, and comprehensibly.

SCIENCE, ANALYSIS, INQUIRY, AND DESIGN FROM THE MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

The student will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to post questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Benchmark 1: Scientific Inquiry

The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process.

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principals, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Benchmark 4: The Living Environment

The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

Essential Question

 What does a plant need to grow? Read the book From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons.

Content Knowledge: Declarative, Procedural

•   Identify the parts of a plant. Students will complete a worksheet labeling parts of plants.

Or, students will draw pictures of their own.

• Identify what a plant needs to grow Students will plant bean seeds.

• Identify steps of a plants life cycle. Students will observe and record plant’s growth.

PROCEDURE
(Chronologically ordered description of all teacher & student activities and interactions.)

The teacher will read the book From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons.

Students are going to plant bean seeds and discuss the parts of a plant and what it needs to grow.

Distribute styrofoam cups and have students make three holes in the bottom with their pencil. Then have them write their names on their cups. Have each student come forward to scoop up dirt and then push two beans into the dirt. Then have students place their cups on a tray of water.

Tell students you are going to grow a bean plant. While they work on their worksheets they can observe as you put black construction paper into a glass jar. Fill the jar with water and then wedge the bean seeds between the black paper and the glass. When finished set the jar in a warm place. Show them another jar that has had time to grow.

Extension - Have students research the type of seed they have planted. Students do not have to do all 3 worksheets, only those teacher thinks is necessary for understanding. Students could also draw their own pictures.

INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

 The teacher will use a variety of teaching strategies to accommodate various learning styles of the students. Lesson includes visual, tactile, and auditory modalities. Students may work in pairs, and special needs students may have a scribe to assist with graph and worksheets if necessary. Assessment will take into account the age and developmental levels of each child.

TIME REQUIRED

 Planning: 30 minutes to gather materials and plant bean seeds prior to lesson.

Implementation: 40 minutes to read story, plant seeds, and complete worksheets.

Assessment: 30 minutes.

RESOURCES

 For teacher - Book by Gail Gibbons, From seed to plant, cycle graph, worksheets, rubric, black construction paper, glass jar, bean seeds, previously grown beans in jar, tray of water.

For each student – Styrofoam cup, bean seeds, pencils, dirt.

Cycle Graph

Three worksheets - Frank Schaffer - "Mini Unit - Plants " FS-657

ASSESSMENT PLAN
(Include samples of rubrics, checklists, etc.)

 The teacher will assess the students in a variety of ways, observation, group discussion, ability to follow directions, and successful completion of worksheets and graph.

STUDENT WORK
(Include samples of student work showing different levels of performance.)

REFLECTION