#4763. Plants: Life Cycle and Part Functions

Science, level: 3-5
Posted 06/05/2014 by Leida Rosario (Leida Rosario).
Allentown, USA
Materials Required: Computer with Internet access, journals
Activity Time: 2 days of 90 minutes block
Concepts Taught: plant life cycle and plant part functions

LESSON PLAN
Name: Leida Rosario
Subject/Period/Grade: ESOL/Science, 3rd grade
Title/Topic: Plants: Life Cycle and Part Functions
Lesson Duration: 2 days
Date / Day Minutes
Day 1 90 minutes
Day 2 90 minutes

PA Standards:
(ELPS Standards, if applicable)
Science: 3.1.3.A.3 Illustrate how plants and animals go through predictable life cycles that include birth, growth, development, and death.
S.3.B.1.1.1 Identify and describe the functions of basic structures of animals and plants (e.g. animals: skeleton, heart, lungs; plants: roots, stem, leaves).

English Language Proficiency Standards:
Standard 1: English language learners communicate in English for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.
Standard 4: English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content of science.

Technological Standards:
Goal 1: Language learners demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills in technology for a multilingual world.
Goal 1, Standard 1: Language learners demonstrate basic operational skills in using various technological tools and Internet browsers.
Goal 1, Standard 2: Language learners are able to use available input and output devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, printer, headset, microphone, media player, electronic whiteboard).


Instructional Objectives:
•Students will be able to describe how plants grow from seed to plant.
•Students will be able to identify parts of a plant and their functions.
•Students will be able to use technology to search for information.
•Students will be able to use technology to present information.

Pre-requisite Skills: Tap into students' prior knowledge and preview important vocabulary words about plants.
Instructional Strategies: Respond to visual clues, cooperative groups, hands-on investigation, use of technology.
Vocabulary / Concepts:
Life cycle, grow, seed, stem, trunk, flower, leaves, roots, germination, sunlight, minerals, plant, ground, cover, soil, tree, seedling.
Investigate, search, VoiceThread, upload information, website,

Materials, Resources, Equipment: Computer with Internet access, journals

TEACHING SEQUENCE
Pacing / Minutes LESSON PHASES
5 minutes Warm-Up / Do Now
Bring some seeds and share personal experiences about plants (e.g., planting a garden, getting a plant for the classroom).
20 minutes Listen to the story "The Tiny Seed" online. Talk to children about the story and discuss the big ideas. Set the purpose for the lesson. Introduce the objectives of the lesson. Create a Word Bank with key vocabulary words (refer to the Vocabulary/Concept section).

20 minutes: Instructional Phase
Watch the video "The life cycle of a Plant." Discuss information with the students. Have children draw a picture of the life cycle of a plant in their journals.

15 Minutes: Have children work with a partner and select a part of a plant and do a quick writing about it (Children in level 1 can write in their native language or draw an illustration).

25 minutes: Next, have children search online for information about the part of the plant they chose and record the information in their journals. They will be provided with some websites where they can find useful information about their topic (refer to the list of websites at the bottom of this lesson).

5 minutes Closure
Get together as a whole group and wrap-up the lesson for the day. Ticket out: Write on a sticky note 1 fact you learned about plants.


Day 2
TEACHING SEQUENCE
Pacing / Minutes LESSON PHASES
5 minutes Warm-Up / Do Now
Review Key Vocabulary Words

10 minutes Introduction to the Lesson

Create an Anchor Chart about the life cycle of a plant as the students recall information learned from the day before.

20 minutes: Instructional Phase
Check progress on the students' plant part report. Once students are ready for the next step, explain: With the information found about the plant parts and their functions, you will create a VoiceThread. Introduce students to VoiceThread and explain that it is an interactive tool that allows users to add images and audio to share information around media. Play the VoiceThread I created or create your own to share with your students.

35 minutes: Have children search for a picture or photograph of the plant part and guide them through the process of creating their own VoiceThread.


20 minutes Closure
Go over the VoiceThread the students created and show children how to add comments. Talk about their experiences creating the VoiceThread.
Home Assignment
Talk to your parents at home about the importance of plants. Ask them about different ways that people use plants. Get ready to share the next day and compare answers.

Assessment Plan:
Students will go back to the picture they drew about the life cycle of a plant and will write to describe the process. Students in level 1 can just label the illustrations. Students VoiceThread will be used to evaluate the second part of the lesson (plant parts and functions).

Differentiation / Accommodations for Individual Learners:
Students in level one can just label the plant parts for the VoiceThread.
Students will be working in groups of 2 or three students. The groups will be divided by mixing language ability levels. Videos and text are provided with information about the topic to facilitate understanding.

References and Resources

The Tiny Seed
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=cqE3Kcc8Zgg&feature=kp

Introduction: Video about life cycle of a plant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ3fRX1yqyM


Video: Parts of a plant and their functions.
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/builders/boards/assetGuid/8D61F036-9B63-E518-3023-1957ECF724C5/includeHeader/true/layout/default

Text: part of a plant and their functions
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts2a.html

Plant parts and their functions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lf9SgXNg5s

VoiceThread "Plants"
https://voicethread.com/share/5828489/

Parts of plants
http://www.tooter4kids.com/Plants/parts_of_plants.htm



POST-LESSON ANALYSIS / REFLECTION
At the end of the lesson, we will create and Anchor Chart for plant parts and functions. We will also reflect on how the lesson went and how the use of technology helped us to have a better understanding of the lesson.