Grade Level: 1st Grade
Subject: Science
Topic: Plant Development
Learning Objective:
- Identify the basic parts of a plant (root, stem, leaves, flowers).
- Understand the stages of plant growth (seed, sprout, seedling, mature plant).
- Explain what plants need to grow (sunlight, water, soil).
Materials Needed
- Real seeds (e.g., sunflower or bean seeds)
- Small pots or plastic cups, soil, and water
- Worksheets with plant diagrams
- Growth chart
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
- Start with a warm-up question: “Where do plants come from?”
- Show students pictures of seeds and mature plants.
- Briefly explain that plants go through different stages as they grow.
2. Hands-On Activity: Planting Seeds
- Demonstrate how to plant seeds in small pots.
- Let students plant their seeds, add soil, and water them.
- Ask students to predict how their seeds will grow and keep a journal to track their progress.
3. Group Discussion and Chart Creation
- Create a large chart labeled “What Plants Need to Grow” and let students contribute ideas (e.g., sunlight, water, soil).
- Encourage students to draw connections between what they learned and what they may see happen with their plant
4. Wrap-Up
- Hand out worksheets with blank plant diagrams for students to label the parts (root, stem, leaves, flower).
- Ask students to write or draw one thing they learned about plants in their journals.
- 5E Lesson Outline
- 1. Engage
- Begin by asking students a question like: “What do you think happens when you put a seed in the ground?”
- Show students pictures of seeds and mature plants.
- Ask them to share their ideas about how a seed grows into a plant.
- Use a short time-lapse video showing plant growth to spark curiosity.
- 2. Explore (Hands-On Activity)
- Activity: Planting Seeds
- Show students how to plant seeds in small pots.
- Provide each student with soil, a clear plastic cup, and seeds to plant.
- Have students water their seeds and place them in a sunny spot.
- Encourage students to predict what will happen to their seeds and document their thoughts in a journal.
- 3. Explain
- Create a large class chart titled “What Plants Need to Grow.”
- Guide students to contribute ideas like sunlight, water, and soil.
- Discuss how each part (e.g., roots, stem, leaves) helps the plant grow.
- Use visuals or diagrams to explain the different stages of plant development (seed, sprout, seedling, mature plant).
- 4. Elaborate (Real-World Connections)
- Interactive Connection:
- If possible, take students on a short walk to observe real plants around the school.
- Ask students to identify the parts of the plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers) and connect them to the chart they created.
- Art Activity: Have students draw or craft their plant, labeling its parts.
- 5. Evaluate (Wrap-Up and Assessment)
- Hand out worksheets with blank plant diagrams for students to label the parts of a plant.
- Ask students to complete a journal entry (drawing or writing) about one thing they learned about plants.
- Assess understanding through their journal reflections and diagram accuracy.
- Video for reference:
- Bean Time-Lapse – 25 days | Soil cross section
- Worksheets created by Nikki Sabiston on Teachers Pay Teachers
- Digital tools to be used: Google slides for the lesson presentation and Brainpop
- Reflection:
- The first lesson was very basic and straight to the point, with some discussion, and there were hands-on opportunities for the students, but it seemed like something they would lose interest in quickly. The second lesson, adapted with the 5E model, extended the students’ learning by providing more visuals, more opportunities for discussion, and different interactive opportunities. Incorporating Google Slides makes the lesson more engaging for the students by having visuals while incorporating the time-lapse and Brainpop videos and allows for deeper thinking during the group discussion.
