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Lesson Plan Template
Author(s):
Author Affiliation and Location:
(e.g. Duke, Beaufort, NC)
Optional Author Website
Optional Author Contact
Information (e.g. email)
Introduction/Abstract to Lesson
Plan (max. 100 Words)
Include aspects of the lesson that
are unique and innovative.
List of Standards Addressed
Common Core, NC Essential
Science, Next Gen, etc. (This
should be list of all full standards
addressed by the lesson)
Optional: Standards Mapping Grid
Lauren Diepenbrock and Katharine Swoboda Bhattarai
North Carolina State University
www.laurendiepenbrock.com
[email protected]; [email protected]
Rooted in NC: Does the environment influence plant growth and survival?
The goal of this lesson is to teach younger learners about plants and how they
survive in their environments. This lesson incorporates North Carolina math and
science standards and Common Core language skills. By growing plants in a variety
of soil types representative of North Carolina soils, students will learn (1) the basic
life cycle of a plant and (2) how soils influence plant growth. Through observation
and scientific note-taking, students will learn the structures of a plant and their
functions. By measuring growth parameters (height, number and length of leaves,
number of flowers, size of roots), students will use basic math skills to compare
plant growth in each soil type and represent their data graphically. Through
research, preparation, and reporting to their class on a food plant of interest,
students will gain experience in the language arts.
North Carolina Essential Standards
Science
1.L.1 Understand characteristics of various environments and behaviors of
humans that enable plants and animals to survive.
1.L.1.1 Recognize that plants and animals need air, water, light (plants only), space,
food and shelter and that these may be found in their environment.
1.L.1.2 Give examples of how the needs of different plants and animals can be met
by their environments in North Carolina or different places throughout the world.
1.L.1.3 Summarize ways that humans protect their environment and/or improve
conditions for the growth of the plants and animals that live there(e.g., reuse or
recycle products to avoid littering).
3.L.2 Understand how plants survive in their environments.
3.L.2.1 Remember the function of the following structures as it relates to the
survival of plants in their environments: Roots – absorb nutrients; Stems – provide
support; Leaves – synthesize food; Flowers – attract pollinators and produce seeds
for reproduction.
3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive
and grow.
3.L.2.3 Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.
3.L.2.4 Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and
components (sand, clay and humus) of soil determine the ability of soil to support
the growth and survival of many plants.
5.L.2 Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their
ecosystem.
5.L.2.3 Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of
plants and animals to their ecosystem.
Math
Common Core Cluster: Represent and interpret data
3.MD.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked
with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the
horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or
quarters.
Next Generation Science Standards
Science
3-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the
environment. [Clarification Statement: Examples of the environment affecting a
trait could include normally tall plants grown with insufficient water are stunted;
and, a pet dog that is given too much food and little exercise may become
overweight.]
English Language Arts Common Core Standards
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their
own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.5
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express
information and enhance understanding of presentations.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
Learning Objectives using
Measurable Verbs (what students
will be able to do)
Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused
questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while
avoiding plagiarism.
Part I. Growing plants in NC soils
Students will be able to:
1) Describe the basic life cycle of a seed plant
2) Illustrate how soil type can influence plant growth
3) Interpret data and determine which of three soil types is best for plant growth
Part II. Mimicking damage caused by common pests of NC Cole crops
Appropriate Grade Levels
Group Size/# of students activities
are designed for
Setting (e.g. indoors, outdoors,
lab, etc.)
Approximate Time of Lesson
(Break down into 20-50 minute
periods)
Resources Needed for Students
(e.g. scissors, paper, pencils, glue,
etc.)
Resources Needed for Educators
(e.g. blackboard, PowerPoint
capabilities, etc.)
Students will be able to:
1) Describe what the different parts of a seed plant are for (e.g., seeds, leaves,
roots, flowers)
2) Interpret data and compare how damage to different plant parts can influence
plant growth
3) Combine what they learned in Parts I and II in a presentation about a favorite
fruit or vegetable
Elementary School (K-5)
Part I. Plants can be grown by individuals, pairs, or small groups of students
depending on class size and teacher preference.
Part II. Students should work in small groups to mimic insect damage caused by
common pests of NC Cole crops. Suggestion: Have students mimic caterpillar
damage (hole punch) in class and the teacher mimic wireworm damage (scissors)
before class time. Depending on the age of learners and/or teacher preference, all
damage could be inflicted by a teacher or by helpers.
Indoors
Part I: Around 2 weeks (1 day for introduction and seed planting; ~14 days for
plants to grow to the flowering stage; 1-2 days for wrap up, including taking plant
measurements and calculating and graphing average measures of plant growth).
Part II. Around 2 weeks. The teacher should plant Wisconsin Fast Plants® seeds in
clear cups with standard potting soil a few days before starting Part II of the lesson
(Parts I and II can overlap by a few days to shorten the total amount of time
needed to complete both parts of the lesson). The plants will take ~14 days to
reach the flowering stage again, at which point the students will take plant
measurements and calculate and graph average measures of plant growth as in
Part I. Students should start inflicting damage once plants have at least a few
leaves (day 5 or 6 after seeds were planted).
Part I. Rulers for taking plant measurements
Part II. Paper punch, scissors
General. Each student should keep a lab notebook (e.g., several sheets of paper
stapled together [see Observation page template]) with observations, drawings,
data, and conclusions from both parts of the lesson plan.
Part I. Clear cups, components of three soil types (potting soil with vermiculite,
sand, clay, rocks), three bowls/bags to mix soil in, 1-2 packets of Wisconsin Fast
Plants® seeds, watering can, markers to write names on soil cups.
Soil type recipes:
Mountain: Mix 1 part pebbles/rocks with 3 parts potting soil
Piedmont: Mix 3 parts clay with 1 part potting soil
Coastal Plain: Mix 3 parts sand with 1 part potting soil
Part II. Clear cups, potting soil, 1-2 packets of Wisconsin Fast Plants® seeds,
watering can, markers to write names on soil cups.
General. Black/white board for collecting data and reinforcing concepts,
PowerPoint and a computer connected to a projector to display images from
provided slide presentation (if desired).
Apps/Websites Needed
Not required, but NC Dept of Agriculture has a lot of good resources online.
Lesson Activity (step by step
description of activity)
Overview & Background
North Carolina is very diverse both geographically and agriculturally. This lesson
incorporates these two factors into a lesson plan to help students learn about the
importance of agriculture in NC. Along with age-appropriate science lessons, we
incorporate math concepts and English Language Arts skills to provide a wellrounded learning experience for elementary students.
Experimentation and observation will center on plants, which provide a lot of the
food that we eat, and how they are affected by the environment. This lesson has
two main parts: In Part I, students will learn about abiotic (non-living)
environmental factors that can impact how a plant grows by exploring how soil
type, which varies greatly across NC, influences plant growth. In Part II, students
will explore the biotic (living) factors that can impact plant growth by seeing how
two very different types of insect pests inflict damage to two different parts of a
plant, and how that damage impacts plant growth.
Step by Step Activity
Part I. Growing plants in NC soils
Engage: The lesson should begin with a discussion of food that leads into a
discussion of agriculture and, more specifically, agriculture in North Carolina. Begin
the lesson by asking students about their favorite fruits and vegetables and make a
list on the board. Ask students if they know where these foods come from. Have
any of the students grown any of these foods, perhaps in a family garden or on the
family farm? If not, have any of the students ever seen any of these foods being
grown, perhaps during a visit to a farm or orchard? Have any of the students ever
visited a roadside farm stand? The discussion should conclude by reinforcing the
idea that all of the fruits and vegetables that we see in the supermarket are grown
by farmers somewhere in world, which is why we can buy most fruits and veggies
year-round.
Next, the discussion should move to agriculture in North Carolina. Have any of the
students been to the North Carolina State Fair and learned about some of the
many crops grown in NC? [Note: Information about the diversity and value of crops
grown in NC can be found in the NASS survey information provided]. Part of the
reason that we are able to grow such a wide variety of crops in NC is due to the
fact that the state is very diverse geographically - we have both mountains and
beaches! NC can be divided into three main regions based on geography - the Blue
Ridge Mountains, the Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. Different types of crops are
grown in the three regions of NC because some crops grow better in the
Mountains, some grow better in the Piedmont, and some grow better in the
Coastal Plain. Why? There are many reasons, but the fact that different types of
soil are present in the three regions has a big impact on what types of crops can be
grown there. Therefore, the goal of Part I of this lesson is to determine how soil
type affects plant growth using NC soils as a model.
Explore: Provide each student (or pair or small group of students) with a clear cup
with soil from one of the three regions of NC and a clear cup with 2-3 Wisconsin
Fast Plants® seeds. Have students write their name(s) on the soil cup and then
plant their seeds in the soil cup (placed on top of soil). Students should be
responsible for watering and maintaining their plants over the course of the
experiment. Hand out a lab notebook to each student and have them make their
first entry, including their name, their soil type, and the date that they planted
their seeds and any initial observations that they may have.
Students should observe their plant every day and keep a daily log of observations
and drawings in their lab notebook. Students should keep track of when their
seeds sprout and when leaves and flowers appear [Note: Plants can be thinned to
one per container if desired]. Students should also make observations regarding
the growth of leaves and any other plant parts that might develop over the course
of the experiment.
After approximately 14 days, or once most plants have flowers, have students
harvest their plants and collect the following data (see Data collection template):
1) Overall height of plant
2) # leaves
3) Length of each leaf (up to 10 leaves)
4) # flowers
5) Length of three longest roots
6) Plant weight (if scale is available)
During a subsequent class period, collect data from each group on the board and
calculate (or have the students calculate) average values for each type of
measurement made on plants grown in Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal Plains
soil types. [Note: Students can practice how to calculate averages by calculating
the average length of leaves and the average length of the three longest roots on
their plants.] Have students graph and then compare how plants grown in the
three soil types differed according to the measured characteristics. During a class
discussion, determine in which soil type the plants grew the largest. Were different
parts of the plant larger/smaller when grown in different soil types? How did soil
type affect plant growth overall? Which type of soil is the "best" for growing this
particular type of plant? Based on the class data, in which region of NC would the
students choose to grow this particular type of plant? What aspects of the soil in
each region might have affected plant growth?
Explain: Periodically over the course of the 14-day growth period, ask students to
share what they have observed so far about their plants. Are there any obvious
differences between plants being grown in the three soil types?
Elaborate: After students have chosen which region in NC they would grow this
particular type of plant in, extend the class discussion to factors other than soil
type that might affect how plants grow in the three regions in NC. Have students
brainstorm ideas and create a list on the board. Abiotic (non-living) factors might
include weather, temperature, elevation, etc. Biotic (living) factors might include
pests, beneficial organisms such as pollinators, etc. Use this part of the discussion
to bridge to Part II of the lesson.
Part II. Mimicking damage caused by common pests of NC Cole crops
Engage: Ask students to describe what the different parts of a seed plant are for
(e.g., seeds, leaves, roots, flowers). The teacher can link this discussion back to Part
I of the lesson if different parts of the plants were larger/smaller on average when
they were grown in different NC soil types. During or after the discussion, have
each student label the parts of a plant and explain the role that each part plays in
the growth and development of the plant. [Note: This can be done as a class
activity but each student should create their own information page to go in their
lab notebook (see Plant parts template)].
At this point, remind students of the list of factors other than soil type that they
thought might affect plant growth during the wrap-up discussion for Part I. Just like
each part of a seed plant serves an important function and is essential for its
survival, remind students that other organisms also have to meet their own needs
in order to survive. To this end, there are a number of organisms that depend on
seed plants for their survival - some consume plants for food (pests and/or
livestock), while others visit plants to collect resources that they need to survive
(like pollinators). Wisconsin Fast Plants® are members of the crucifer family of
plants and are closely related to cabbage, turnips, broccoli, and other cruciferous
vegetables. A number of pests that inflict different types of damage attack
cruciferous vegetable crops (aka, Cole crops) in NC and surrounding states (see
Extension handout). Therefore, the goal of Part II of this lesson is to determine how
one type of biotic factor, pest damage, affects plant growth and development.
Explore: Start to grow Wisconsin Fast Plants® a few days before starting Part II of
the lesson. Seeds can be grown in regular potting soil in clear cups as before. In this
activity, students - with the teacher's help - will mimic the damage caused by two
different kinds of pests that commonly attack Cole crops and measure the effects
of different types of damage on plant growth. Pests include wireworms, which live
underground and attack plant roots, and caterpillars that feed on above-ground
plant material (see PowerPoint slides for more information).
The experiment should be run with three treatments, including 1) a "no damage"
control, 2) wireworm damage, and 3) caterpillar damage, but can include an
optional fourth treatment consisting of 4) wireworm and caterpillar damage
together. It is best to have roughly equal numbers of plants assigned to each
treatment, so divide students into small groups based on the number of plants that
will receive a treatment involving caterpillar damage. [Note: If the teacher has
access to live aphids, they can be placed on plants as another optional fourth
treatment. Aphids insert their mouthparts into plants and suck up plant juices,
inflicting a different type of damage than caterpillars, which chew up leaf material.
Alternatively, a video of aphids sucking on plants could be watched during the
discussion part of the lesson to illustrate the damage caused by a different type of
pest].
Each day, starting after plants have grown for a few days and have at least a few
leaves, inflict damage to plants assigned to each treatment as follows:
1) Control - do nothing
2) Wireworms - use scissors to cut down into the soil to damage the roots [Note:
This is a job for the teacher only - one cut per day should be enough].
3) Caterpillars - have each student punch one hole in a leaf on their group's plant
using a handheld hold punch
Optional treatments:
4) Wireworm/caterpillar - combine techniques described above
4) Aphids - place a few aphids on each plant and let them do their thing
After approximately 14 days, or once most plants have flowers, have students
harvest their plants and collect the same data that they collected in Part I of this
lesson (see Data collection template):
1) Overall height of plant
2) # leaves
3) Length of each leaf (up to 10 leaves)
4) # flowers
5) Length of three longest roots
6) Plant weight (if scale is available)
Again, collect data from each group on the board and calculate (or have the
students calculate) average values for each type of measurement made on plants
that received each type of damage. Have students graph and then compare how
plants damaged by each type of pest differed according to the measured
characteristics.
Explain: Ask students how their observations of the damaged plants were different
from those of the “normal” undamaged plants. Were there differences in the
number of leaves? Were the plants the same height? Was there a difference in the
number of flowers produced? Did plants die? Ask the students to explain these
differences based on what they’ve learned about how the different parts of a plant
help it grow and survive. We recommend that the teacher ask these questions
during a class discussion, however, students could explain this information in their
notebooks as part of a written assessment.
Elaborate: It is important for students to reflect on and then integrate the material
covered in Parts I and II of this lesson. To assist in this process, have students pick a
fruit or vegetable (their favorite) and research what it needs to grow. Can it be
grown in NC? In which part of the state (Mountains, Piedmont, or Coastal Plain) is
it grown? Are there any pests that attack it? Have students add this information to
their lab notebook and prepare a short presentation to give to the class about
growing their favorite fruit or veggie.
Reflection/Assessment
Part I. Students will make daily observations and drawings in their lab notebook
and collect plant growth data at the conclusion of the experiment; notebooks
should include numerical and graphical summaries of the data collected.
Before turning in their lab notebook, have students reflect on the experiment and
what they learned. Have them write down (at least) three things that they learned
and one thing that they would do differently if they had to repeat the experiment
again.
Take some time to evaluate and comment on each student's lab notebook before
moving on to Part II.
Part II. Students will again make daily observations and drawings in their lab
notebook and collect plant growth data at the conclusion of the experiment;
notebooks should include numerical and graphical summaries of the data collected
and a reflection on what they learned during Part II of the lesson and what they
would do differently next time.
Students will also complete a short presentation on growing their favorite fruit or
veggie.
Final Product/Assessment (e.g.
quiz, blog, presentation, essay,
etc.)
Each student will turn in a lab notebook with observations/drawings for Parts I and
II of the lesson and will give a short presentation about their favorite fruit or
veggie.
Feedback Form for Teachers
Images:
Appendices:
Background Reading for Teachers:
All of the extra images and information will be available in PowerPoint format, allowing teachers to easily access the
elements of the lesson plan that they would like to use.