Week 1 Planting tomato seeds

Before the Tomato Project begins I will go to a nursery to purchase mature tomato plants. For a
class of fewer than 12 students, each will have a plant of their own to care for. For a larger class,
the students may have to share plants.
Day 1.
Objective. Introduce the plant cycle. ELA: Writing, student will print legibly; space letters
and words; Fine motor skills, student will be able to use a stylus conventionally. Student will
transition appropriately.
Common Core Standards.
Language. K.L.1.f.
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
California State Standards.
Science. K.2.a, c
2. Different types of plants and animals inhabit the earth. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants.
Science. 1.2.b
2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants
need light.
I EP goals.
Writing spacing words
Fine motor holding a stylus conventionally
Social/emotional transitioning, following multi-step directions
Preparation. I will arrive early to set up the teacher-issued iPad or laptop that I
carry with me, to the projector for the video. I will make sure that YouTube is still
enabled and the video is still available. Before class begins I will ask a
paraprofessional to retrieve the iPads from the secured cabinet for each student
present and put them on the desks, turning them all on and opened to Paper53 while the students
are in circle time. I discovered Paper53 while creating my project in EDUC 514. Upon finishing
the circle time activities I will explain to them that we will see an actual seed sprouting, however
a lot faster than in real life. I will show the YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPTJ3qD1ikk of a sprouting seed on the SmartBoard. This
video is a time-lapse video of a root sprouting from a seed. After the video we will talk about it
some more and recap what we just saw.
2. I will replay the video above stopping at key parts to discuss how the seed dies, sheds the
outside casing, and the tiny little sprout starts to come out of the seed.
3. Students will transition to their desks quietly using the Too Noisy app for reminding.
4. Sitting or standing at his or her desk, each student will start a new journal in Paper53.
They will title the journal My Tomato Project Journal and put a picture of their choice
on the cover. On the first inside page they will write My Tomato Project and their
name. See Appendix G for work sample. Then on the next page they will draw a picture
of a seed starting to sprout with a stylus. Each transition and 2-step command will be
charted on Appendix F.
Closing. The student will tell by looking at their picture how a seed begins to sprout a root.
Day 2. (A day before a Spring break would be best)
Objective. Demonstrate the plant cycle. Fine motor skills, student will be able to use a stylus
conventionally. Student will transition appropriately
California State Standards
Science. K.2.a, c
2. Different types of plants and animals inhabit the earth. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants.
Science. 1.2.b
2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants
need light.
I EP goals.
Fine motor pinching seeds for placement
Social/emotional transitioning, following multi-step directions
Preparation. Before class I will set up the kidney table with the supplies for planting seeds. I
will have soil in a sealable bowl for easy scooping; have one clear plastic 8 oz. glass at each
students place with their names written on them, a package of tomato seeds, a small toy
watering can, and plastic wrap.
1. After circle time the students will transition quietly to the kidney table with the use of
Too Noisy for a reminder of the noise level.
2. Sitting around a kidney shaped table each student will have a clear plastic drinking glass
in front of them. I will pass the container of soil for each student to scoop the soil.
3. Each student counts verbally four scoops (one tablespoon) of soil into the cup. Classroom
adults will assist as needed.
4. I will give each student three seeds on the table in front of them. The student picks up one
seed at a time and places them evenly spaced on top of the soil, at the edge of the cup.
5. Each student will cover the seeds with one more scoop of soil.
6. Each student will take turns watering the seeds from the small toy watering can.
7. The paraprofessionals will help me cover the cups with clear plastic wrap.
8. The students will take them over to a windowsill for plenty of sunshine.
Each transition, turn taking, and 2-step command will be charted on Appendix F.
Closing. As a class, we review that plants need good soil, water, and plenty of sunshine to
grow. Also, how the seed will lose the hard shell and sprout a root.
Day 3.
Objective. Reinforce the plant cycle. ELA: Writing, student will print legibly; space letters
and words; fine motor skills, student will be able to use a stylus conventionally. Student will
transition appropriately
Common Core Standards.
Language. K.L.1.f.
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
California State Standards.
Science. K.2.a, c
2. Different types of plants and animals inhabit the earth. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants.
Science. 1.2.b
2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants
need light.
I EP goals.
Writing print legibly; space letters, words, and sentences appropriately. Include
punctuation at the end of each sentence.
Fine motor holding a stylus conventionally
Social/emotional transitioning, following multi-step directions
Preparation. The night before, or sometime before the students get to the classroom in the
morning, I will retrieve their cups with the seeds planted in them from the windowsill. I will
place the cups at each students place at the kidney table. The paraprofessionals will retrieve the
iPads from the locked cabinet while I am conducting circle time and place them on the kidney
table at their place next to their cup with the planted seeds. I will have a laminated copy of the
rubric, Appendix A, to check against when writing a sentence. The classroom adults will help
them with that.
1. After circle time the students will transition to the kidney table.
2. I will instruct the students to look at their seeds that they planted the day (or week)
before. We will review how the seed in the video grew very fast, but in real life our seeds
will sprout much slower.
3. We will talk about the process that took place while planting the seeds the day before (or
week before).
4. We will also notice that there is condensation forming on the plastic wrap that covers the
cup. We will discuss how the condensation will continue to water our seedling until it is
big enough to transplant into a bigger pot.
5. I will pass out a copy of the rubric, Appendix A, to each student. I will explain to them
each line on the rubric and what it means.
6. I will instruct the students to practice writing a three to five word sentence, using the
rubric, about what they liked best about planting their seeds in their My Tomato Project
journal with a stylus using Paper53. I learned about special fine point styli that can be
purchased for better control in EDUC 512. The paraprofessionals and I will circulate,
helping them write and think of ideas as needed.
7. I will instruct them to draw an illustration of their seed in their My Tomato Project
journal with a stylus using Paper53 when they are finished with their sentence.
Each transition, turn taking, and 2-step command will be charted on Appendix F.
Closing. Everyone shares his or her sentence and picture of the way a plant begins.
Day 4.
Objective. Reinforce the plant cycle. ELA: Writing, student will print legibly; space letters
and words; reading, student will recognize that letters create words and words sentences. Fine
motor skills, student will be able to use a stylus conventionally. Student will transition
appropriately.
Common Core Standards.
Language. K.L.1.f.
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
Reading. RF.1.a-c
1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
a. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page-by-page.
b. Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences
of letters.
c. Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
California State Standards.
Science. K.2.a, c
2. Different types of plants and animals inhabit the earth. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants.
Science. 1.2.b
2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants
need light.
I EP goals.
Writing print legibly; space letters, words, and sentences appropriately. Include
punctuation at the end of each sentence.
Fine motor holding a stylus conventionally
Social/emotional transitioning, following multi-step directions
Preparation. I will arrive early to set up the classroom iPad or laptop to the projector for the
video. I will make sure that the YouTube is still enabled and the video is still available. The
paraprofessionals will retrieve the iPads from the locked cabinet and place each one on the
students desk.
1. While still in circle time we will watch the YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LICDb8nM5rs Time lapse of
Tomato plants growing.
2. We will take some time to discuss how the video shows us very fast how the seed we
planted will get big like the plants we will plant next week.
3. I will ask the students to quietly transition to their desks using the Too Noisy app, where
the paraprofessionals have placed their iPads.

4. We will discuss, just like the video of the seed we saw sprouting, the plants grew very
fast in the video, but in real life they grow much slower.
5. I will instruct the students to turn to a new page in their Tomato Project journal in
Paper53. Then I will instruct them to write a three to five word sentence about how their
seed will grow with a stylus. See Appendix H for work sample. Classroom adults will
assist as needed.
6. I will instruct them to draw an illustration of what they think their plant will look like
when it starts growing in their Tomato Project journal in Paper53 with a stylus.
7. When everyone is done they will exchange iPads and take turns reading what their friend
wrote. Classroom adults will help them read. Reading progress is charted using Appendix
C. Each transition, turn taking, and 2-step command will be charted on Appendix F.
Closing. Everyone gets to share what they think their plant will look like and why. We
review the video to see if we got it right.
Day 5.
Objective. Student will name or point to three colors red, yellow, and green. Student will be
able to use a stylus conventionally. Student will transition appropriately, take turns, and follow
multi-step commands.
I EP goals.
General Knowledge Student will name or point to three colors red, yellow, and
green
Fine motor holding a stylus conventionally,
Social/emotional transitioning, turn taking, and following multi-step directions.
Preparation. Before students arrive I will turn on the SmartBoard and be sure it is in working
order. I will turn on the classroom laptop and hook it up to the SmartBoard. I will load the
website for Sheppard Software color game and be sure that it is operational. While we are
playing the color games the paraprofessionals will retrieve the iPads from the locked cabinet and
open the Color Play app on each one. They will then distribute them to the students after we are
through with the color game as not to distract the students with them.
1. I will turn on the SmartBoard display to
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/preschool/colors/yellow.htm.
This website helps the students learn the colors green, yellow, and red to be prepared to
recognize the color of tomatoes as they change colors. I learned of this website in EDUC
522.
2. I will have the students take turns approaching the SmartBoard to name the color and
select that color with the stylus. Every student will take a turn, some with more
encouragement and/or assistance than others.
3. After everyone has had a turn, the iPads are distributed. Using the Color Play app on the
iPad the student will color a picture using realistic colors with a stylus while listening to
the music playing rhythmically. The student will be able to choose the space to be
colored while staying inside the lines. When the student is done coloring the page, he/she
may click the play button to animate his/her coloring page. This will further enhance
the importance of using realistic colors.
Closing. After everyone is done we will play the color game at
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/preschool/colors/colorgame.htm. Each student will be able to
approach the SmartBoard to drag an object to the correct colored square. Thus each student will
be able to recognize a minimum of the three colors; green, yellow, and red. Each turn taking will
be charted on Appendix F.