By: Kathy Pieschek

Science Unit - Plants

Unit on Plants will last 3 weeks with 10 lessons
about 30 minutes in length.
Day 1
Introduce the topic of planting and growing to
students.
Question students on what they know and invite them
to turn and talk with a partner.
Get students back together and fill in a KWL chart.
Read: Im a Seed
Add to chart.
Day 2
Read: All About Seeds
Explain activity to students on exploring seeds. Pass
out magnifying glasses and seeds to students.
Students examine sunflower, bean, pea and pumpkin
seeds with the magnifying glasses as they record
findings in a science journal.
Day 3
Read Seeds Grow
Demonstrate for the students how to plant their seeds.
Have students plant their seeds and record the process
in a step by step format in their science journal.

Day 4
Read: Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Do paper plate pumpkin activity with the students on
the life cycle of a pumpkin.
Materials needed. Paper plate, crayons, green yarn for
vine, tissue paper for blossom, small green circle, and
pumpkin seed shape.
Day 5
Have students name what they think seeds need to
grow.
Read: Grow Flower Grow
Students do activity what a plant needs and have them
finish off their pretend plant with what they want their
plant to grow to be using a variety of materials. Plants
need soil, air, water and sunlight.
Day 6
Read: A Seed is a Promise
Set up experiments for different conditions for seeds.
Plant seeds with students and put in various
conditions. 1. Seeds with no water. 2. Seeds planted in
rocks. 3. Seeds planted that will receive no light. 4.
Seeds planted in water. 5. Seeds planted and put in a
plastic bag for no air.
Students will write their predictions in science journal.
Day 7
Read: Plants We Know and/or Growing Vegetable
Soup
Discuss characteristics of a plant. What makes it a
plant?
Students sort various pictures into categories of plants,
animals and other.
Do recording sheet in their science journal.
Day 8
Read: The Plant Sitter
Discuss the care a plant needs.
Students will use magnifying glasses and do
observations in their science journals on the changes
they see happening with their seeds.
Students can use a ruler to measure the growth of their
plants.
Day 9
Read: The Tiny Seed
Do RAFT Activity
Role-Imagine are a plant and you want to thank
the sun, rain or earth for helping you grow.
Audience- The sun or rain.
Format- Write a thank you letter to the sun, rain
or earth.
Topic- Say thank you to the sun, rain or earth for
helping you grow.

Day 10
Read: The Sunflower House
Using a large picture of a plant have students help
label the various parts.
Students will draw a plant with as many parts as they
can and label the different parts of the plant.

Day 11
Students will present The Story of a Sunflower
Readers Theater to another class and parents.
Students will watch the video The Magic School Bus
Plants Seeds as they make and eat dirt dessert with an
edible flower.
WI State Teaching Standards
1. Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of
inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teaches
and can create learning experiences that make these
aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils.
3. Teachers understand that children learn differently.
The teacher understands how pupils differ in their
approaches to learning and the barriers that impede
learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse
needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and
exceptionalities.
7. Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.
The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction
based upon knowledge of subject matter, pupils, the
community, and curriculum goals.

Constructivist Qualities
Allows for personal perception of the world
Provides opportunities for invention
Provides for active involvement in the learning process
Creates opportunities for transferring learning
Creates meaning from experiences
Accommodates individual and social construction in the learning
processes
Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted
Emphasizes process over product
Is self-motivating
Makes learners problem solvers and efficient thinkers
Teacher serves as facilitator rather than director
Is more focus on the learner than the subject
Is a hands on activity
Does not require extensive memorization
Involves students in authentic tasks

Constructivist Qualities
Continued
Encourages use of dialogue
Cooperation/collaboration are valued as opposed to competition
Requires patience
Provides multiple perspectives on reality
Can be an ongoing process
Is a multi-step process
Has open-ended activities
Prior knowledge is accessed/evaluated
Scaffolding is present
Requires connections to real world activities
Technology is useful
Unique experiences aid in learning processes
Provides motivation to succeed/learn
Involves students in language-rich activities

Reading
Read-alouds
Partner reads
Classroom library sources
Internet research
Poems
Big Books
Readers Theater about seeds and plants
Poems and songs

Book List
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Seeds by Terry Jennings
How a Seed Grows by Helen Jordan
All About Seeds by Susan Kuchalla
A Seed is a Promise by Claire Merrill
Plants We Know by Irene Severy Miner
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
Look at a Tree by Eileen Curran
More Books
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
This is the Sunflower by Lola M. Schaefer
A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber
Im a Seed by Jean Marzollo
The Dandelion Seed by Joseph Anthony
Seeds Grow by Angela Shelf Medearis
Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington


Writing
R.A.F.T Activity
Illustration with labeled parts of a plant.
At writing center provide variety of pictures of
plants to write about their plants and label parts
of plants.
List and illustrate what a plant needs to grow.

Listening
Read-alouds
Listening center
Presentations
Cooperative group activities
Predictable chart
Showing their plants and pictures
Presentation of play to parents and peers
Listening to poems and songs.

Speaking
Presentations
Predictable chart, poems and songs.
Sharing of plants and pictures
Presentation of play to parents and peers
Students working in a partnership, in a small group
and whole group.

Objectives
Science:
Students will understand that there are different types of
plants groups.

Students will understand that plants start from seeds.

Students will compare and contrast different types of seeds
and plants.
Students will gain an understanding of how plants
help our environment.
Students will know the needs of a plant to ensure growth.

Students will know the life cycle of a plant.

Materials
Seeds
Soil
Cups to plant seeds in
Books
Chart paper
Markers
Paper plates and green yarn
Rocks and a watering container
Assessments
Observe the students while working on all projects and
activities to look for growth and understanding.
Planting and care of seeds as they grow.
Cut and paste pictures of plants and animals.
Illustration and labeling the parts of a plant.
Have the students draw the lifecycle of a plant.
Illustration of what a plant needs to grow.