Little Sprouts: Kindergarten Plant Adventure!

Kindergarten Grade Project 2 weeks

Little Sprouts: Kindergarten Plant Adventure!

Karen G

K-ESS3-1

K-ESS2-2

K-PS3-1

K-LS1-1

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Purpose

The purpose of this plant project is to provide kindergarten students with hands-on opportunities to explore and understand the essential needs and survival strategies of plants through direct observation and experimentation. By engaging in real-world activities such as planting seeds and observing their growth, students will develop a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of living organisms and the environments they inhabit. This project aims to foster curiosity and critical thinking, encouraging students to ask questions, make observations, and communicate their findings effectively.

Learning goals

The learning goals center on understanding the vital needs and survival mechanisms of plants, as well as the environmental impact they and we can have. Through hands-on activities and observations, kindergarteners will explore how plants grow, the significance of various plant parts, and how sunlight influences growth. By engaging with community partners and reflecting on their observations, students will develop an argument supported by evidence regarding how plants and animals can modify their environments to meet their needs.

Standards

[Kentucky] K-ESS3-1 - Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
[Kentucky] K-ESS2-2 - Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.
[Kentucky] K-PS3-1 - Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.
[Kentucky] K-LS1-1 - Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

Products

Throughout the project, kindergarteners will create a series of plant journals featuring daily drawings and observations of plant growth and changes. At the conclusion of the project, each student will craft a poster or model showcasing their cumulative plant knowledge and observations, to be presented during the 'Plant Knowledge Fair.' These tangible products will demonstrate their understanding of plant needs and growth, connecting with the project's essential questions and standards.

Launch

Begin the project with a 'Plant Adventure Walk' around the school grounds where kindergarteners can collect and examine different plant leaves or flowers. Encourage students to engage their senses by touching, smelling, and observing the plants they encounter. Use this opportunity to discuss the importance of different plant parts in survival and establish a curiosity-driven foundation for the learning experience.

Exhibition

Invite family members and community partners to the classroom at the conclusion of the two-week plant project for a 'Plant Knowledge Fair.' Each kindergarten student will showcase their learning by presenting either a poster or model of their plant observations. This event allows students to share their knowledge and the insights they gained about plant growth, survival needs, and environmental changes, fostering engagement and celebration of their achievements alongside the broader community.

Rubric

Mastery-Based Rubric Standards-first rubric

Category	Standard	Beginning (1)	Developing (2)	Proficient (3)	Exceeding (4)
Kentucky	K-ESS3-1 - Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.	I can show you my drawing of a plant and tell you what a plant needs to live and where it grows I can point to my model and explain which parts of the plant help it get the things it needs, like sunlight and water.	I can make a simple drawing or model to show some of the things plants need to live, like sunlight and water, and where they get these things from their surroundings.	I can use my plant journal and my poster or model to show how plants and animals need certain things from the places they live, like water, sunlight, and space to grow I can explain how these places help them meet their needs.	I can create a poster or model that shows what plants and animals need to live and how the places they live help them grow big and strong.
Kentucky	K-ESS2-2 - Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.	I can use my observations from our plant adventure walk to tell a story about how plants and animals change the place they live in to get what they need I can describe with my drawings and words how a tree gives us shade or how flowers make places more colorful and lively.	I can talk about how plants, like the ones I saw on our walk, change their surroundings to help them grow, like how they reach for sunlight I can give examples to show how plants and animals make changes around them to get what they need.	I can explain how plants and animals can change their surroundings, like how a plant grows toward the sunlight or a beaver builds a dam, and I can give examples from my plant journal to show how they do this.	I can create a poster that shows how plants and animals can change their environment so they can live better I use my plant journal to show examples, like how roots grow to find water I can explain these ideas with drawings and words when I share my work at the Plant Knowledge Fair.
Kentucky	K-PS3-1 - Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.	I can notice what happens to the plants when they are in the sun and draw or talk about what I see.	I can use my plant journal to draw pictures of my plants and tell what happened to them when the sun shines on them I can see how the plants change when they get sunlight and talk about it with my friends.	I can notice and talk about how sunlight feels warm on the leaves and the ground during our plant walks I can draw pictures in my plant journal showing sunny and shady spots and say how they are different.	I can observe how plants change when they are in the sunlight and when they are in the shade I can explain what I see happening to the plants and draw pictures to show what I have learned I can talk about how sunlight helps plants grow and describe the differences I notice.
Kentucky	K-LS1-1 - Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.	I can name some parts of a plant and talk about what they do to help the plant live and grow I can use my plant journal to show the pictures I drew and the changes I noticed about my plant.	I can talk about how plants need sunlight, water, and air to grow I can draw pictures of plants and show what they need to be healthy and strong When I look at plants during our adventure walk, I can notice the different parts of the plant and think about their jobs.	I can describe what plants need to live by talking about what I saw when I looked at my plant every day, like how it changed when it got sunlight and water I can tell my friends what is important for plants to grow by showing my drawings in my journal and saying what I noticed.	I can explain what plants need to live and grow by showing different patterns I noticed during my Plant Adventure Walk and the changes I saw in my plant journals.

Learning Journey

Identify & Define the Problem or Opportunity

Students will observe plants in their real environment, notice how sunlight and location affect them, and interview high school agriculture partners to understand how people help plants meet their needs. They will document observations and questions to define what plants need to live and grow healthy.

Days 1 - 2

🌿 Plant Adventure Walk Observations

Launch 30m

☀️ Sunlight & Shade Temperature Check

Knowledge/Skill Building

🗺️ Sunny vs. Shady Plant Map

Deliverable

👩‍🌾 Interview with Ag Buddies

Community Experience 30m

📝 Plant Interview Notes & Drawings

Deliverable

Research & Gather Insights

Students will gather deeper insights about plant needs by organizing interview information, observing patterns in sunlight and plant growth, and mapping how plants interact with their environment. They will synthesize user feedback and create visual experience maps that show relationships between plants, people, and places.

Days 3 - 4

🌞 Sunlight & Soil Warmth Lab

Knowledge/Skill Building

🧠 Sorting Plant Needs Patterns

Knowledge/Skill Building

🗣️ Plant Interview Highlights Chart

Deliverable

🗺️ Plant & Place Model Demo

Knowledge/Skill Building

🧩 My Plant Experience Map

Deliverable

Develop Ideas & Plan

Students will analyze what plants need most in their environment and plan user-centered designs for their garden habitat models and Plant Knowledge Fair displays. They will define key plant “user” needs, prioritize usability (sunlight, water access, space), and create simple plant personas and design criteria to guide their upcoming prototypes.

Day 5

🌱 What Do Plants Need Most?

Knowledge/Skill Building

☀️ Sunny Spot or Shady Spot?

Knowledge/Skill Building

🪴 Our Plant Persona Cards

Deliverable

🏗️ Garden Habitat Must-Haves Chart

Deliverable

Create & Test Prototype(s)

Students will build a quick garden habitat prototype that shows how a plant meets its needs in a specific place, test it with classmates as users, and collect feedback to improve their design before the final version.

Day 6

🧱 Quick Garden Habitat Model

Deliverable

👀 Peer Plant Test Walk

Research

🗣️ Explain & Defend Our Design

Assessment 10m

Improve & Refine

Students will refine their Kindergarten Garden Habitat Models and Plant Scientist Posters by analyzing usability feedback, improving clarity of plant needs and environment connections, and creating a simple evidence-based usability report to prepare for the Plant Knowledge Fair.

Day 7

🔍 Feedback Sorting with Smile Cards

Knowledge/Skill Building

✏️ Garden Model Fix-It Plan

Deliverable

🛠️ Habitat Model Improvements

Project Work

🖍️ Poster Label & Evidence Upgrade

Deliverable

🎤 Practice Share & Peer Feedback

Project Work

📋 Usability Improvement Report

Assessment 30m

Launch & Share

Students will launch and share their finalized plant models and posters during the Plant Knowledge Fair, demonstrating how plants meet their needs in specific environments and how people and plants change their surroundings. They will present evidence from their journals, ensure their displays are understandable for different visitors, and complete a final accessibility and evidence-based mastery check.

Day 8

15 min over capacity (30 min available across 1 day)

🌱 Plant Knowledge Fair Showcase

Assessment 30m

🔎 Visitor Accessibility & Evidence Check

Assessment 15m

Evaluate & Iterate

Students will observe how visitors and classmates interact with their Kindergarten Garden Habitat Models and Plant Scientist Posters, gather simple feedback, and revise their models and explanations to better show how plants meet their needs in specific environments.

Day 9

👀 Watching Visitors Use Our Garden Models

Research

💬 Plant Feedback Circle

Deliverable

🛠️ Improving Our Habitat Models

Project Work

☀️ Checking Sunlight Evidence

Knowledge/Skill Building

📝 Our Model Improvement Plan

Deliverable

Reflect on Competency Growth

Students will reflect on how they have grown as plant scientists and designers by revisiting their journals, models, and presentations, identifying evidence of their learning about plant needs, sunlight, environments, and how people and plants change their surroundings. They will share concrete examples of growth connected to BCPS competencies and celebrate their progress during the Plant Knowledge Fair.

Day 10

30 min over capacity (30 min available across 1 day)

🌱 Revisiting My Plant Journal Wall

Knowledge/Skill Building

🪴 My Growth as a Plant Scientist

Deliverable

☀️ Sunlight & Soil Evidence Share

Assessment 30m

🌼 Explaining Our Garden Habitat Model

Assessment 30m

Little Sprouts: Kindergarten Plant Adventure!

Purpose

Learning goals

Standards

Products

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Exhibition

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