A'planting we will go

This lesson is based on the book, The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle. This story will be used to introduce the students to the concept that seeds change and grow into plants when conditions in the environment including temperature, light, water and soil are appropriate. Students will learn that plants produce seeds that can become new plants. Through extended activities, the students will experience first-hand the germination of seeds. They will become familiar with the parts of a plant and learn how each part works to produce a healthy plant.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts, English Language Development, and Science

By Karol Schriber

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• understand that most plants develop from seeds.
• learn what plants need to begin and to sustain life.
• identify the parts of the plant and know how each part benefits the plant.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4 weeks

Materials/resources

• The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
• Soil
• Gravel
• Seeds
• Two clear plastic cups per student
• Permanent markers
• Response sheet
• Observation log
• Picture box writing paper
• Assorted colors of construction and tissue paper
• Literature about seeds and plants (See supplemental resources)

Technology resources

Word Processing Program such as Microsoft Word

Pre-activities

The children will take a walking field trip around the school grounds to observe the changes occurring in the plant life during the spring season. (Earlier walks taken in the Fall and Winter would be beneficial, so that the students could easily identify changes occurring in April and May.)

Activities

1. The teacher reads the big book, The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle. The students discuss the journey of a small seed as it travels through the seasons. Discussion questions might include:
   • How does the seed change?
   • What season provides the requirements for the seed to develop into a small plant?
   • What environmental conditions are necessary for the tiny seed to grow?
   • During what season does the plant grow and mature? Why? Tell what happens to the seed in the fall and winter.

   After this, the teacher will list, discuss and define the following vocabulary words: seed, sun, rain, air, earth, soil, roots, stems, leaves, flowers. These words will become the weekly spelling list.

2. At the science center the learners will plant five sunflower seeds in a clear plastic cup. They will put a thin layer of gravel followed by potting soil into the cup. They will place five seeds in the cup and gently push each one into the soil, making sure that at least one seed is against the edge of the cup so that its development can easily be observed. They will add 1/2 cup of water. The learners will invert another plastic cup on top of the first cup. Each student’s name and date will be written on the cup with permanent marker.
3. The learners will complete a response sheet telling the steps they followed at the science center. (File attached)
4. Each cup of planted seeds will be placed on a table in front of a window where it can easily be observed. Additional cups of seeds will be prepared and placed in other environments, such as a refrigerator, a dark cabinet, or on a table in the room, but deprived of water.
5. The learners will observe their terrarium daily and date and record their observations. When plants begin to develop the learners will also sketch what they see. (The observation log is a blank calendar with the month and days written in.)
6. When plants have grown to the top of the cup, the learners will measure the tallest plant using a piece of string. The teacher will show the learners how to hold the string next to a ruler to find out how many inches tall their plants are. Strings will be attached to a class chart for the students to observe and compare.
7. The learners will identify and name the parts of their plants: roots, stem, leaves, flower. Students will learn why each part is important to the plant. They will fold a piece of white construction paper into four equal parts. In each section they will draw and label one part of the plant’s life cycle: seed, seed/roots, stem, leaves/flower.
8. The learners will observe the planted seeds that were deprived of water or placed in other environments and discuss what happened to those seeds as compared to what happened to the seeds they planted. The class will use a graphic organizer to compare how the seeds/plants deprived of water and the seeds/plants given adequate water are alike and different.
9. After the plants have grown, the learners will use a graphic organizer to assist them in planning a recount narrative about the growth of seeds. The story will include an introductory sentence, three sentences beginning with first, next and last, and a concluding sentence telling how they feel about what happened to their seeds. These stories will be illustrated and displayed. The edited stories will be typed on a word processor and bound into a book for the classroom library.
10. The learners will decorate their plant containers with permanent markers to resemble a vase. They will take them home as a Mother’s Day gift. An original poem, or a group poem such as this one could be included:
    

    Roses are red,
    Violets are blue,
    I planted these seeds
    And grew them for you.
    Happy Mother’s Day!

    Love, _________

Assessment

Teacher observation

Response sheet and observation log

Recount narrative story
Oral responses to questions during discussion

Picture showing development of the seed with parts labeled

Supplemental information

Suggested Children’s Literature:

• Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Ruth Titherington
• I’m A Seed by Jean Marzollo
• Bear’s Bargain by Frank Asch
• The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
• The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
• The Berenstain Bears GROW-IT! by Stan & Jan Berenstain
• Discover the Wonder (Module A, Plants) Scott Foresman Science

Modifications

For the novice LEP student, make sure there are a lot of visuals available for a true understanding of germination.

Alternative assessments

For assessment, the LEP student could be allowed to label a diagram of the plant and/or seed with the use of a word bank.

Another assessment could be to let the novice LEP student draw the process of planting the seed through germination rather than be asked to verbally describe the process.

Critical vocabulary

Spend plenty of time helping LEP students know the following vocabulary words:Seeds, Growth, Environment, Germination

Comments

These activities can be used during center time as part of a unit on seeds and plants. Activities have been suggested that could be utilized at the following centers: science (discovery), math, library, writing, listening, spelling, art and computer. If you want to send the plants home for Mother’s Day, you must check the germination time of the seeds you select and the date for Mother’s Day. Then figure out when to start these activities. Developing activities focused on a theme make it possible to integrate many areas of the curriculum, and help children see how these areas are interrelated.