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Green Things
Subject Area: Life Science
Grade Level: 1
Lesson Objective: Students will learn the functions of plant parts, a plant’s life cycle, and how
seed structures help them move away from the parent plant. In addition, students will use the
engineering design process to design a better parachute based on seed observations.
Duration: 3 hours
Standards
1.S.1: The student will use the science and engineering practices, including the processes and
skills of scientific inquiry, to develop understandings of science content.
Indicators
1.S.1A.1 Ask and answer questions about the natural world using
explorations, observations, or structured investigations.
1.S.1A.2 Develop and use models to (1) understand or represent
phenomena, processes, and relationships, (2) test devices or solutions, or
(3) communicate ideas to others.
1.S.1A.3 With teacher guidance, conduct structured investigations to
answer scientific questions, test predictions and develop explanations: (1)
predict possible outcomes, (2) identify materials and follow procedures,
(3) use appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and
quantitative data, and (4) record and represent data in an appropriate form.
Use appropriate safety procedures.
1.S.1A.6 Construct explanations of phenomena using (1) studentgenerated observations and measurements, (2) results of scientific
investigations, or (3) data communicated in graphs, tables, or diagrams.
1.S.1A.7 Construct scientific arguments to support claims or explanations
using evidence from observations or data collected.
1.S.1A.8 Obtain and evaluate informational texts, observations, data
collected, or discussions to (1) generate and answer questions about the
natural world, (2) understand phenomena, (3) develop models, or (4)
support explanations. Communicate observations and explanations clearly
through oral and written language.
1.S.1B. Technology is any modification to the natural world created to fulfill the wants and
needs of humans. The engineering design process involves a series of iterative steps used to
solve a problem and often leads to the development of a new or improved technology.
Indicator
1.S.1B.1 Construct devices or design solutions to solve specific problems
or needs: (1) ask questions to identify problems or needs, (2) ask questions
about the criteria and constraints of the devices or solutions, (3) generate
and communicate ideas for possible devices or solutions, (4) build and test
devices or solutions, (5) determine if the devices or solutions solved the
problem, and (6) communicate the results.
1.L.5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how the structures of plants help them
survive and grow in their environments.
Indicators
1.L.5A.1 Obtain and communicate information to construct
explanations for how different plant structures (including roots,
stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds) help plants survive, grow,
and produce more plants.
1.L.5A.2 Construct explanations of the stages of development of a
flowering plant as it grows from a seed using observations and
measurements.
Engage: Show a terrestrial turtle (box) and an aquatic turtle (slider). Ask students to figure out
where each one lives by looking at their bodies. “Just as animals have special body parts to help
them survive in their environment, so too do plants have adaptations that help them survive. In
today’s program, you will be learning about how the different parts of a plant help it survive in
its environment.”
Part 1: Plant Parts
Materials: lima beans (1 per child, soaked overnight) and dry lima beans, magnifiers (1 per
child), plant part cards, book: Are Plants Alive?, 6 tubs with a mix of different plant parts in
each, poster: plant life cycle, foam puzzle showing of seed growth, 3 bags of plastic plant growth
models, young pine saplings
Vocabulary: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, nutrients, ecosystem, environment,
sprout
Enrichment words: photosynthesis, germinate, cotyledon, seed coat, embryo
Essential Questions: What do plants need to grow? What is the purpose of each part of the
plant? What is the life cycle of plants?
Procedure:
1. Ask Essential Questions. Access prior knowledge by filling out chart: Our ideas.
2. Read Are Plants Alive?.
3. D
Our Ideas
What we learned
i
s
c
uss function of seeds. Give each student a soaked lima bean and a magnifier to observe
the parts: cotyledon, seed coat, embryo.
4. Pass out young pine saplings (1 per group). Have students identify the roots, stems, and
leaves. Discuss what each part does: roots-anchor, take in water/nutrients; stems- holds
plant up, carries nutrients to the leaves; leaves- change sunlight to plant food (energy),
photosynthesis
5. Discuss other plant parts: flowers, seeds.
6. Plant Part Sorting Activity: Give each group a tub of plant parts. Place the Part Cards in
the center of the circle and have the students classify the items into their correct category.
7. Show plant life cycle poster. Call on students to come up and put seed growth foam
puzzle together. In small groups, have students put together plastic models of plant
growth.
8. Reflect on Essential Questions by filling out chart
Part 2: Eco-hike
Materials: scavenger hunt sheets (1 per pair), critter boxes
Essential Questions: Can we find examples of each plant part? How are the plants that we see
adapted to this environment? Can we find examples of each stage of a plant’s life?
Procedure:
1. Go over Eco-hike rules: Stay together on trail. Don’t pick up rocks or sticks. Don’t pick
flowers or leaves.
2. Pass out Scavenger Hunt sheets to every pair. Go over the plant parts listed.
3. Look for examples of plant parts and plant life cycle stages during the walk.
Part 3: Seed Dispersal
Materials: egg cartons with different types of seeds (1 per pair), coconuts (1 per group), Ziploc
bags with different types of seeds, taxidermy squirrel, fan, materials for planting (cups, soil,
seeds, plastic wrap, rubber bands, 1 box per class), pitcher, small stuffed animals (1 per group) ,
electric fan, scrap paper/pencils for drawing designs, bucket of water, knitted booties and tubs of
seeds (sweet gum balls, sunflower, corn), electric hot pot, for parachutes: coffee filters (4 per
group), for whirly-bird: paper clips, scissors, paper.
Vocabulary: scat, physical traits
Essential Questions: Why do seeds need to move away from the parent plant? How do seeds
find the right place to grow? How can engineers build new things by studying plant parts?
1. Ask Essential Questions. Access prior knowledge by filling out chart: Our ideas.
2. Before the lesson, warm up some water in the electric hot pot. Have pairs of students
write their names on their cups, then put warm water and soil pellets in cups.
3. Classify seeds. Give each pair an egg carton of seeds and a plate with 3 dividers.
Students should decide how to classify the seeds into 3 groups. Discuss students’ ideas.
Put seeds back in egg cartons.
Our Ideas
What we learned
4. Start with story about walking under an oak tree and seeing thousands of acorns, but no
baby trees. Why? What do seeds need? How can seeds move away from the mother?
5. Discuss ways seeds can move: wind, water, eaten/scat, stick to fur. Use the taxidermy
squirrel to demo how a squirrel buries seeds which may later sprout. Have a volunteer
come to front to test stickiness with bootee on different seeds in the tubs.
6. Have students place 3 seeds on the NO and 3 on the YES sides of the lid based on their
predictions:
a. move by wind
b. move by sticking
c. move by being eaten
d. move by water (give each group a coconut)
After they make each prediction, let them test stickiness with stuffed animals or socks.
One of the pair will come to the front to test using the fan (wind) and
buckets of water.
7. Reflect. Discuss what they learned and observed about how the structure of each seed
helps it move. Fill out chart: What we’ve learned.
8. Planting seeds. Have students use pencils to stir up the soil pellets in their seed cups if
needed. Give each student a seed to plant. Put each class’ seed cups in box to take back.
Give teacher plant growth sheet to take back to class.
9. Enrich.
Option A: Engineering a better parachute. Ask students: “Who has shoes that
have Velcro? Velcro was designed by engineers who observed seeds that stick to fur.
An engineer is someone who uses science and math to solve problems. We are going to
use what we’ve learned about seeds that move by wind to design a better parachute.”
Give each pair of students 4 coffee filters. Ask one in each pair to hold one filter in each
hand with one of them balled up and the other open. Drop them both at the same time.
Which stays up longer? Problem: Design a parachute that will stay up longer. You may
tear it or fold it. Think about how seeds blow in the wind when you are making your
design. Revise your design and see if you can make it better. Draw your best design on
the paper.
Option B: Engineering a better whirly-bird. Ask students: “Who has shoes
that have Velcro? Velcro was designed by engineers who observed seeds that stick to fur.
An engineer is someone who uses science and math to solve problems. We are going to use
what we’ve learned about seeds that move by wind to design a better whirly-bird helicopter.”
See sheet for details on how to make the whirly-bird. Problem: Use what you have observed
about winged seeds to design a whirly bird. helicopter that will fly for longer than 2 seconds.
Have students test, revise, and then draw their best design on paper.
Attachment: Whirly-bird instruction sheet.
Background Information from Gr. 1 Support Documents
The basic needs of plants include:
Air: Plants need air to make their own food and grow.
Water: Plants need water to make their own food. Too much water or too little water could
cause the plant to die.
Nutrients: Plants need special nutrients to help them grow and stay healthy. Nutrients can be
found in the soil or water. Just as with water, too many nutrients or too few
nutrients could cause the plant to die.
Space: Plants need a certain amount of space to grow. The space below the ground allows the
plant to get the water and nutrients it needs. The space above the ground allows the plants to get
the light and air it needs. If there are too many plants in a particular area, the plant may not get
the materials it needs to grow.
Light: Plants need light to make their own food and grow. Plants can get light from the Sun or
from indoor light (light bulbs).
The major structures of plants:
Stems The part of the plant that grows out of the ground and supports the leaves, flowers, and
fruit
Root The part of the plant that grows in the ground and holds the plant in place
Leaves A flat, usually green part of the plant that grows from the stem
Flowers Flowers have petals that come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors
Fruits The part of the flowering plant that contains the seeds
Seeds The part of the flowering plant that will grow into a new plant
Each plant has a specific environment they call home, some plants have parts we can eat, and
that some plants have physical traits that make them unique from other plants.
Environment: The surroundings of living things: the air, water, plants, animals, and Earth.
Each plant has a particular environment where they thrive. For example, a cactus likes hot, dry
environments. It would not survive outdoors in an environment that had snow most of the time.
Edible parts: The part of the plant you can eat. Some examples of plant parts that can be eaten
are:
Stems: asparagus, celery, onions
Roots: carrots, beets, radishes,yams, turnips
Leaves: lettuce, spinach, cabbage
Flowers: broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes
Fruit: tomatoes, peaches, pumpkins, apples, oranges, cucumbers
Seeds: wheat, rice, corn, beans, peas, nuts
Physical traits Something that makes one plant different from another. Examples of physical
traits are the shape of leaves, the color of flowers, spines on a cactus, thorns on a rose or the stalk
of celery.