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1st Grade
- Lesson
- 37 minutes
Garden Tales: Growing Adventures in Plantland
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to immerse first-grade students in a hands-on exploration of plant life, enhancing their understanding of plant biology and ecology through real-world experiences. By collaborating with community partners and utilizing the school courtyard for a community garden, students actively engage in planting, observing, and documenting plant growth. This project fosters respect for nature, critical thinking, and collaborative skills as students create and share their digital Plant Storybooks, showcasing their learning journey.
Learning goals
Students will explore plant growth and survival by engaging in hands-on activities, such as planting and observing in the community garden. They will develop skills in measuring plant lengths, analyzing data, and creating informative texts through digital Plant Storybooks. Collaborative discussions and reflections will enhance their understanding of plant biology and ecology, while fostering respect for diverse perspectives. The project will culminate in students presenting their findings and insights, demonstrating their learning journey and understanding of plant adaptation.
Standards
- 1-LS1-2 - Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
- 1-LS3-1 - Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
- 1-LS1-1 - Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
- 1-ESS1-2 - Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
- 1-LS1-2 - Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
- 1-LS3-1 - Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
- 1-LS1-1 - Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
- 1-ESS1-2 - Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
- C.1.2 - Compose informative and/or explanatory texts, using a combination of drawing, dictating, writing and digital resources, to establish a topic and provide information about the topic.
- C.1.6 - With guidance and support, collect information from real-world experiences or provided sources to answer or generate questions.
- C.1.5 - With guidance and support, participate in shared research and writing projects.
- RI.1.4 - Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a grade-level text.
- RI.1.6 - Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
- RI.1.7 - Use the visuals and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
- RI.1.10 - With prompting and support, flexibly use a variety of comprehension strategies (i.e., questioning, monitoring, visualizing, inferencing, summarizing, using prior knowledge, determining importance) to make sense of grade-level appropriate, complex informational texts.
- KY.1.MD.1 - Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
- KY.1.MD.2 - Express the length of an object as a whole number of same-size length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end with no gaps or overlaps.
| Week 1 | Day 1 |
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| Activities |
Begin the lesson by gathering students in the school courtyard garden. Read aloud 'The Tiny Seed' by Eric Carle, engaging students with questions about the story's themes like plant growth and survival. Encourage them to visualize and discuss how the tiny seed grows and changes over time. Use this time to connect the literary themes to the real plants they see around them, helping them understand what plants need to grow. This activity sets the stage for the day's exploration and encourages students to observe their surroundings with a curious mind. Ensure to have copies of the book available for visual reference. (15 minutes)
Guide students through the community garden, encouraging them to observe different plants and their unique features. Ask them to focus on identifying plant parts such as roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, and discuss their functions. Provide each student with a magnifying glass to observe details closely, and have them share their findings with a partner. This hands-on exploration allows students to connect the story's concepts with real-world examples, reinforcing their understanding of plant biology. Encourage them to make connections between the plants they observe and those in the story. (10 minutes)
Introduce students to the concept of measuring plant lengths using non-standard units. Provide them with string and rulers or measuring tapes. In pairs, students will select a plant and use the string to measure its height, then compare it to a ruler to determine its length. Encourage them to record their findings in their garden journals, noting any differences between plants. This activity helps students practice measurement skills and understand plant growth through a practical application. Discuss as a group how different plants vary in size and what factors might influence their growth. (7 minutes)
Conclude the lesson by gathering students to share their observations and insights. Facilitate a discussion on how the plants in the garden are similar to or different from the ones in 'The Tiny Seed.' Encourage students to reflect on what they have learned about plant growth and survival. Ask open-ended questions to prompt critical thinking, such as 'Why do you think some plants grow taller than others?' and 'What do you think plants need to survive?' This reflective discussion helps solidify their learning and prepares them for future lessons in the series. (5 minutes)
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