Lesson:  What makes a healthy plant?

Date:  September 12-13, 2006

Teacher:  Kelley Haney

Time:  45 minutes

NCSCofS

Competency Goal 1:  The learner will conduct investigations and build an understanding of plant growth and adaptations.

1.01 Observe and measure how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light, and water in the environment affect plant growth.

1.02 Observe and describe how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow in a particular environment.

1.04 Explain why the number of seeds a plant produces depends on variables such as light, water, nutrients, and pollination.

1.06 Observe, describe and record properties of germinating seeds.

Objectives

• Students will describe the requirements for plants to grow within an environment in general.

• Students will apply the knowledge they have gained from the growing of their own plants to understanding the needs of plants.

• Students will describe how various plants survive in various environments with the aid of adaptations. 

Materials

• Journals

• Various kinds of fruits

• Open space

• Need to Plant Part Chart Cards

• Scissors

Procedure

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Have various plants, flowering plants, fruits, and vegetables out and ask students, “What do all of these things have in common?”  If students are having trouble give them a hint.  (All of these things require specific things to grow and be healthy)

• Ask students if they can name these things

• Make comparisons to the things that they need to grow and be healthy.

Introductary Activity (20 minutes)

• Remind students that their experiments have been going on for a while

• Have students take out their bean project journals.  Ask students to share what is happening in their investigations.  Some investigations might not have produced results yet.  In this case have students write in their journals about what might happen.

• Invite students to share results. 

• Ask why they think this is happening.   (Refer to chart made in lesson 3).  Do you think plants need water, light, and air?  What is your evidence

• As students respond to questions and talk about each plant need, talk about roots, leaves, and stems as the plant parts that provide for these needs. 

• As students respond to questions, encourage them to make generalizations about other plants. 

• Ask students what they can conclude based on the growth of their plants are the requirements for growth of a plant.

Activity  (10 minutes)

• Tell students that there is one need of plants that is often forgotten about.

• Have students stand up in a spacious area, in a circle with at an arms width apart.

• The teacher will stand in the middle

• Ask students how being this far away from their classmates makes them feel.  Ask them if they believe plants could grow up healthy and strong living this far apart from other plants and why.

• Next have students move a little bit closer to each other.  Ask them if they believe plants could grow up healthy and strong living this far apart from other plants.

• Next have students all move in as close to each other as they can get.  Ask them if they believe plants could grow up healthy and strong living this far apart from other plants and why. 

°         Be sure it is pointed out that seeds sprouting too close to their parents may become weak and unhealthy because they are competing for the same limited resources. 

• Have students return to their seats. 

• Ask student what I represented. (parent plant)

°         Ask students how plants solve the problem of competing for limited resources. (seed dispersal)

°         What are some ways in which seeds are dispersed? (wind, moving water, exploding fruits, sticking to animal fur, passing out of animals after being eaten, falling out of coverings.)

• Ask students to make conclusions about why this is the case and how these needs are met and write this in a summary to turn in their journals. 

Assessment

• Students will keep and maintain a journal through this unit that will be graded periodically and at the end of unit.

• Students will complete a Need to Plant Part Chart
• Walk around and observe

• For one match have students write a sentence explaining their thinking since this requires some higher order thinking.  These will be graded by a rubric
   

• Ask students what they have learned if time allows.

Differentiation

• Advanced/Gifted Learners:  students will think of plant that have special adaptations in the given plant parts that allow the plant to survive in harsh conditions.  .

• English Second Language: Student will work with a partner/ peer tutor to do the assessment and be given extra time.  Directions will be given one-on-one with the student for the assessment.  The assessment will also be modeled. 

Reflection:

                I am learning to be flexible.  This lesson took two days because the plant check-in part of this lesson took longer than I thought, but I felt it was productive because it led nicely into today’s part of the lesson.  The discussion of yesterday let the students explore why their plants are growing the way they are.  It also let us discuss ways in which plants take in water and sunlight which is what led nicely into today’s part of the lesson. Flexibility is key when it comes to student learning and understanding. 

 
But what makes a plant grow? - Photosynthesis

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