Title of Lesson: Plant Experiment Day 1

Topic: Plant Life Cycle & Resources Needed

Grade Level: 2nd grade
Standards:
2-LS2-1.
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and
water to grow.
Overview: Students will be introduced to and start a plant growth lab experiment.
Essential Questions:
What is needed for a plant to grow?
Rationale: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to plants and how they grow. It is
also the beginning of their 5 day observations in their plant growth lab of lima bean plants.
Objectives:
Learning Objectives

Assessments

SWBAT identify what they already know

about plants.

KWL chart.

SWBAT predict what is needed for a plant to

grow.

Flower Booklet.

Materials:

Styrofoam cups
Plants
Water and little cups
Flower booklets
Chart paper
Markers

Prior Knowledge: Students will activate their prior knowledge about plants with a KWL chart.
Students have done lab experiments in the past, so they are familiar with the science process.
Lesson Beginning: Students will gather at the carpet for the start of the lesson. They will be
introduced to the KWL chart and asked what they know about plants.
Instructional Plan:
The teacher will introduce the KWL chart with students repeating how the chart
works. The teacher then will ask the students what they know about plants. The teacher
will guide as needed to get to sunlight and water. Students then will be asked what they
want to know about plants. Students then will be guided to get to the question of What
does a plant need to survive?.

 We will review the definition of an experiment and write it down, repeating it

aloud. The teacher will then use that question with the combination of what the students
already know in order to start the experiment.We will discuss what exactly we are testing
with our plants. The probing questions below can be used. Students will be told the three
experimental groups (Sunlight and water, no sunlight and water, no sunlight and no
water).
After the probing are asked the students will get into their group that are given.
The groups will be written down on the chart paper so the students can see who belongs
in each group. Students will be given a paper with their experimental variables listed and
group leaders and waterers on the back. The students will turn and talk with their group
mates on the carpet, observing their plant and making predictions.
The students will then break off into their groups at the grouped desks. The
leaders of the groups will get the flower booklets to hand out to their members of the
group. Students will then write their prediction, and their observations for day 1. They will
be given five minutes. Then group leaders will place their plants where they need to be
placed based on their experimental group, and waterers will give water if needed.
Questions:
Who thinks the plant needs sun and water to survive?
Does the plant need sunlight and water?
What happens to the plant with just sunlight?
What happens to the plant if you just give it water?
What happens if a plant doesnt have sunlight or water?
Differentiation:
Early finishers: early finishers can walk around observing other
groups plants and predicting what they think will happen.
For those that need extra help: bolded directions will be placed on
the desks for those who need to reference directions.
Classroom Management:
Transitions: Leaders of the group will hand out flower packets to
minimize student traffic. Leaders of the group will also put the plants where they
need to go for the experimental groups (closet or windowsill). Groups will be preassigned based on behavioral needs.
Closure: Each group will volunteer to share what they predict will happen for their experimental
group. Then the group leader will collect the flower booklets to hand in. The students will then
watch the video Peep and the Big World, Peep Plants a Seed for the first 5 minutes of it.
Students will be asked what they think will happen in the next half of the video that they will
watch in the next lesson.