1. Topic-
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2. Content-
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seeds, plants, grow, sprouting seeds, planting seeds, garden, cycle,
sequence, roots, stem, leaves, sun, soil, water. |
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3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
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Students will understand what a plant needs to grow (sun, water,
soil). Students will sprout a seed and plant it making observations
as it grows. Children will make ongoing observations on their plants,
and eventually use these to create a vegetable garden. |
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4. Objectives-
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Students will sequence, illustrate, and label the growth cycle of
a seed. Children will label a diagram (or their own drawings) of the
parts of a plant. Students will make, log, and illustrate observations
and hypothesize, as their seeds and plants grow. |
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5. Materials and Aids-
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Book: "From Seed To Plant," by Gail Gibbons
Sprouting Seeds: green bean or lima bean seeds, snack-size ziplock
bags, paper towels, water.
Planting Seeds: biodegradable seed starter pots, potting soil, water,
quick-sprouting veggie or fruit seeds (watermelons & other beans work
great), sunny spot, plastic wrap or lid, plastic spoons and popsicle
sticks.
Writing/Lesson Supplies: science journals/notebooks, sequencing worksheet
or plain paper, crayons/markers, pencils, Plant KWL chart, camera.
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6. Procedures/Methods-
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A. Introduction-
Children will gather on the reading rug, and we will generally discuss
plants, and complete a KWL chart. Children will be asked what they
KNOW about plants (what they need to grow, types of plants, how they
start, parts of the plant, etc). I will introduce the book, "From
Seed to Plant" by Gail Gibbons, and use post-it notes to make notes
from myself and the children regarding new information and things
we WANT TO LEARN more about - these will go on our chart under W.
After the story, we will review, and add new things to the chart. |
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B. Development-
Children will each receive a ziplock bag, paper towel, and a seed.
They'll wrap the seed inside the paper towel, add a bit of water,
and close the bag. After they leave the bags in a sunny spot, they'll
use their science journals/notebooks to make observations and hypothesize
on what they think will happen to the seeds, bags, towels, and water. |
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C. Practice-
Each day, the children will add water if needed to their bags, and
will make observations on their bags/plants (After a few days, they'll
see roots, and a week there should be leaves.). They'll log these
and illustrate their findings. Once the seeds have gotten leaves,
they'll transplant them into the pots w/soil. Eventually, these will
go into a small veggie/fruit garden. |
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D. Independent Practice-
Children will continue their observations of their seeds on an ongoing
basis. During their observations, they will make hypothesis in small
groups, and compare/contrast baggies. They'll also be able to use
magnifying glasses to get closer looks at the seeds, roots, and leaves.
I will take daily photos of the plants, so children can see the progress
of their plants at the very end instead of relying on their journal
artwork. |
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E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-
Physical accommodations will be made for students who require. I
will also make accommodations for below-level students to draw pictures
or sequence pre-drawn cards. For above-level students, they will be
expected to draw and write at a higher performance level. |
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F. Checking for understanding-
I will observe students discussions during their observations, and
will ask formative questions to help guide them, if necessary. I will
also review their journals to ensure they are making the proper connections.
At the end of each day/class period, we will review as a group and
I will use my observation and listening to guide students. |
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G. Closure-
We will visit our KWL chart, and complete the L section for what
we have LEARNED. We will review the sequence of growth for the plants,
and will discuss differences in our plants, as well as investigate
growing a veggie garden. Children will create a book from their drawings,
detailing the growth cycle and sequence of their seeds/plants using
illustrations as well as the photos I have taken through the lesson/unit. |
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7. Evaluation-
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Science journals will be evaluated at the end of the unit using
a rubric for science and writing, as well as ongoing feedback.
The sequence activities will be evaluated for understanding as well. |
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8. Teacher Reflection-
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I will assess myself by making observations about what the students
were able to identify with ease or difficulty. I will also take notice
how the students respond to discussion and will adjust my questioning
accordingly. I will take note of the desired end result, and compare
that with what I ended up with, and analyze whether or not the lesson
ran smoothly with regard to loss of instruction time and confusion. |
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