LessonPlanforInteractionandReview:

PlantsGrow!
Background:Thestudentshavehadexperienceswithavarietyofdifferentunitsrelatingto

science.Thestudentsarenowfocusingonlivingorganismsandtheirbasicneeds.Overthepast
coupleofweeksthestudentshavebeenlearningaboutdifferentanimalsandtheirbasicneeds.
Nowstudentsaregoingtostarttalkingaboutplantsandtheirbasicneedsinordertosurvive.The
studentshavealsogoneonanaturewalktoobservethedifferentplantlifearoundtheschool.

EnglishProficiencyLevels:Beginners(PlusfourEnglishLearners)
Grade:2
Standards:
LifeScience:OrganizationofLivingThingsEcosystems
K7StandardL.OL:Developanunderstandingthatplantsandanimals(includinghumans)
havebasicrequirementsformaintaininglifewhichincludetheneedforair,water,andasource
ofenergy.Understandthatalllifeformscanbeclassifiedasproducers,consumers,or
decomposersastheyareallpartofaglobalfoodchainherefood/energyissuppliedbyplants
whichneedlighttoproducefood/energy.Developanunderstandingthatplantsandanimalscan
beclassifiedbyobservabletraitsandphysicalcharacteristics.Understandthatallliving
organismsarecomposedofcellsandtheyexhibitcellgrowthanddivision.Understandthatall
plantsandanimalshaveadefinitelifecycle,bodyparts,andsystemstoperformspecificlife
functions.
L.OL.E.1LifeRequirementsOrganismshavebasicneeds.Animalsandplantsneedair,water,
andfood.Plantsalsorequirelight.Plantsandanimalsusefoodasasourceofenergyandasa
sourceofbuildingmaterialforgrowthandrepair.
L.OL.02.14Identifytheneedsofplants.

Preparation
ContentObjectives:Studentswillbeabletogainanunderstandingoftheliferequirements
andbasicneedsoflivingorganismsbycreatingaplantandlabelingitspartsusingvarious
materialstorepresenteachpartoftheplant.Studentswillapplytheirunderstandingofplant
growthbyphysicallycreatingaplantthroughvisualartthataccuratelyrepresentsthepartof
plants.

LanguageObjectives:Studentswillusekeyvocabularywhenlearning/demonstratingthe

requirementsandbasicneedsoflivingorganismssuchasaplant.Asstudentsarelabelingthe
variouspartsoftheplantwithdifferentmaterialstheywillusethekeyvocabularyterms(roots,
stem,leaves,flower)todescribewhattheyaredoing.

Materials:HowPlantsGrowbyDonaHerweckRiceandFromSeedtoPlantbyGail
Berthiaume,coloredconstructionpaper,leaves,glue,pipecleaners,seeds,yarn,leaves,

Vocabulary:Root,stem,leaves,flower

Motivation:Beginbyintroducingthefourvocabularyterms.Thenstartwiththewarmup

activitieslistedbelow.Thepurposeofeachactivityistogetthestudentsfocusedonthelesson.
Theactivitiesalsogetthestudentsupandmovingthatwaytheygetthebloodflowing,andthey
arereadytolearn.
LeadstudentsthroughtheGrowthofaPlantactivity.Studentswillformacirclearound
theclassroom.Everyonewillcrouchdown,closetothefloor,withtheirbodiestightto
theirknees.Onepersonbeginsbystandingup,slowlyraisingtheirhands,eventually
reachinguptotheskyasiftheirhandsrepresentleavesandflowersblossomingfroma
stem.Oncefullygrown/standing,thenextpersonwillshootup,slowly,repeatingthe
samemotion.ThiswillcontinuelikethedominoEffectuntileveryoneisstanding.

Informthestudentthatwewillnowaddenvironmentaladditives,whicharethelife
requirementsofplantsandlivingorganisms.Thiswillreinforcehowlivingorganisms
relyonnatureforsurvivalandforgrowthanddevelopment.
CircleGrowth:Asagroup,wewilldemonstratetheneedsoflivingorganisms.Itwillbea
chainactivitythatrotatesaroundthecircle,inwhichonestudentwillstartmakingrain
withtheirbodiesandmakeappropriatesoundeffects.Themotionwillflowthroughout
thewholecircle,movingclockwise,untileverypersonhasmaderain.Then,whenthe
motionstartswhereitbegan,studentswillrepresentsun.Studentswillstepforwardand
spreadtheirarmsandlegsasraysfromthesun.Inaclockwiserotation,eachindividual
willfollow.Lastly,wewillrepresentair.Studentscanactouttheirmotionhowthewish,
theydontallhaveitdoitthesame.Studentscanmovehands/legsand/orusesoundto
createwind.

Presentation:Startoffbyintroducingtheinformationandaskingquestions.Havestudents

raisehandsandshareideasofwhattheythinkalivingorganismis.Writetheideastheycomeup
withontheboard.Thengiveadefinitionofalivingorganism.(Seenotesatendofplan).After
thatreadthestoryHowPlantsGrowtoaidinteachingthestagesofaplantgrowth.Havea
diagramidentifyingeachpartoftheplant:seed,roots,stem,leaves,flower.Askstudentswhat
2

plantsandotherlivingorganismsneedtosurvive.Writetheseontheboard.Plantsneedsun,
water,air,andrichsoilforgrowthandsurvival.Thesearethenutrientsofaplant.Besure
keywordsarewrittenontheboardaswell.

Practice:Thestudentsaregoingtobecreatingtheirownplantsinwhichtheyhavetoidentify
theplantparts(usingthekeywords)andusedifferentsuppliestorepresentthedifferentpartsof
aplant.Theseedwillberepresentedbyanactualseedthatwewillglueonthepaper,atthe
bottomofthepage.Yarnwillbegluedfromtheseed,directeddownward,representingtheroots.
Thestemwillberepresentedbyagreenpipecleaner.Whencreatingtheleavesoftheplant,the
studentsaretoputtheleafunderthepieceofwhitepaperandgetacrayon.Pullthepaperoffthe
crayonandrubthecrayonhorizontallyatoptheleafthatisunderthepaper.Studentsshouldget
thelayoutoftheleaf,showingtextureandsizeoftheactualleaf.Studentsaretocutouttheir
leaves.Noticetheleavesaredifferentcolorsandsizes.Useappropriatecrayoncolorstoactually
representtheleafasbestaspossible.Theflowercanbedrawnusingcrayons.Finally,identify
eachpartoftheplant,drawinganarrowandpointingtotheplantpart.Thecorrectspellingof
eachpartwillbewrittenontheboardforthosewhoneedhelpspelling.Studentstoremainin
theirseatsandwillbecalledtocomeupandgettheirsupplies.Theywillberemindedtobe
respectfuloftheirclassmates,theirspace,andtosharetheirartsupplies.Studentswillcomeup
andgetoneofeachsupply,laidoutonthefronttable.Eachindividualshouldbeginbygluing
theseed,andbuildingup,justaswedidinengagementactivity.Youcanassumetheplantis
surroundedbyair.Besuretoincludedirtatthebottomofthepage.Eachstudentmustalso
includesunorrain;bothbasicresourcesneededforsurvivalandgrowthofaplant.Remind
studentswhentracingleavestoopressrelativelyhardtoshowtheimprintoftheleave.(Observe
andcommentontheseasateacher,notagroupdiscussion)*Makesurevocabularytermsare
beingused.

Questionstoasktocheckforunderstanding.
Whatarethefivepartsofaplant?
Wheredoesaplantneedtogrow?
Whatnaturalresourcesdoesitneedtogrow?
Whatisalivingorganism?Canyouprovidemewithotherexamples?Wheremightthey
befound?
Doyouknowanynamesofplants/flowers?(Higherlevelthinking)

ApplicationCallstudentsupindividuallytoshowtheclasstheircreationandhanginonthe

wall.Makesurestudentsusekeytermswhentheyexplaintheirdrawingtotherestoftheclass.
Thisisanopportunityforstudentstoaskotherclassmatesquestionsabouttheirwork.Theart
willbeonthewallfordisplayfortherestoftheunitonlivingorganisms.

Review:Lookandreviewatalltheimagesonthewall.Allowforpositivecommentaryand
similaritiesbetweentheimages.Highlightstrongexamplesandcomplimentartisticability.

Also,handoutatestwherestudentcandefinekeyterms.Sendhomeamatchingworksheeton
theplantpartsandpositionthattheycancompleteandshowtheirparents.

TeachersNotes:

Livingthingsaresystemsororganismsthattendtorespondtochangesintheirenvironmentand
insidethemselves,insuchawayastopromotetheirowncontinuationandlongevity.Theseare
theonesthathavetheabilitytobreatheorrespire,canmoveornavigateandconsequentlyhave
theabilitytomultiply.Theselivingthingsincludehumanbeings,plants,insects,andanimals
amongothers.
Anecosystemisacommunityinnature,madeupoflivingandnonlivingparts.
Plantpartsandtheirfunctions:
Roots:Rootsactlikestrawsabsorbingwaterandmineralsfromthesoil.Tinyroothairsstickout
oftheroot,helpingintheabsorption.Rootshelptoanchortheplantinthesoilsoitdoesnotfall
over.Rootsalsostorefoodforextrause.
Stem:Theysupporttheplant.Theyactliketheplant'splumbingsystem,conductingwaterand
nutrientsfromtherootsandfoodintheformofglucosefromtheleavestootherplantparts.
Stemscanbeherbaceouslikethebendablestemofadaisyorwoodylikethetrunkofanoaktree.
Leaves:Mostplants'foodismadeintheirleaves.Leavesaredesignedtocapturesunlight,which
theplantusestomakefoodthroughaprocesscalledphotosynthesis
Flower:Flowersarethereproductivepartofmostplants.Flowerscontainpollenandtinyeggs
calledovules.Afterpollinationoftheflowerandfertilizationoftheovule,theovuledevelops
intoafruit.
Seed:containnewplants.Seedsforminfruit

Definitionstovocabulary:

Ecosystem:everythingthatexistsinaparticularenvironment
Nutrients:asubstancethatprovidesnourishmentessentialforgrowthandthemaintenanceoflife
NaturalResources:anaturalresourceissomethingthatisfoundinnatureandcanbeusedby
people.Earth'snaturalresourcesincludelight,air,water,plants,animals,soil,stone,fossilfuels,
andmaterials.
Plantparts:roots,seed,stem,leaves,andflower.
LivingOrganisms:livingthingsthatcontributetotheecosystem

Worksheet that would get sent home with

students
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/nttidb/le
ssons/nh/plantnhw.html

Examplestoshowinclass
duringdiscussions: