Download 3.L.2 Resource Pack: Plants and how they Survive

North Carolina Science Essential Standards
3.L.2 Resource Pack: Plants and how they Survive
Essential Standard:
3.L.2 Understand how plants survive in their environments.
Clarifying Objectives:
3.L.2.1 Remember the function of the following plant 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.
Vertical Strand Maps:
NCES Interdependence of Life http://scnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Strand+Maps
Online Atlas maps:
http://strandmaps.dls.ucar.edu/?id=SMS-MAP-1405
http://strandmaps.dls.ucar.edu/?id=SMS-MAP-2122
http://strandmaps.dls.ucar.edu/?id=SMS-MAP-1437
http://strandmaps.dls.ucar.edu/?id=SMS-MAP-0048
North Carolina Unpacking:
http://scnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Race+to+the+Top+Support+Tools
Teacher Content & Concept Knowledge
Framework for K-12 Science Education
LS1.A: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?
A central feature of life is that organisms grow, reproduce, and die. They have characteristic structures (anatomy and
morphology), functions (molecular-scale processes to organism-level physiology), and behaviors (neurobiology and, for
some animal species, psychology). Organisms and their parts are made of cells, which are the structural units of life and
which themselves have molecular substructures that support their functioning. Organisms range in composition from a
single cell (unicellular microorganisms) to multicellular organisms, in which different groups of large numbers of cells
work together to form systems of tissues and organs (e.g., circulatory, respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal), that are
specialized for particular functions.
Special structures within cells are also responsible for specific cellular functions. The essential functions of a cell involve
chemical reactions between many types of molecules, including water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
All cells contain genetic information, in the form of DNA. Genes are specific regions within the extremely large DNA
molecules that form the chromosomes. Genes contain the instructions that code for the formation of molecules called
proteins, which carry out most of the work of cells to perform the essential functions of life. That is, proteins provide
structural components, serve as signaling devices, regulate cell activities, and determine the performance of cells
through their enzymatic actions.
Grade Band Endpoints for LS1.A
By the end of grade 2. All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see,
hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants
also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive, grow, and produce more plants.
By the end of grade 5. Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in
growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. (Boundary: Stress at this grade level is on understanding the macroscale
systems and their function, not microscopic processes.)
LS1.B: GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANISMS
How do organisms grow and develop?
The characteristic structures, functions, and behaviors of organisms change in predictable ways as they progress from
birth to old age. For example, upon reaching adulthood, organisms can reproduce and transfer their genetic information
to their offspring. Animals engage in behaviors that increase their chances for reproduction, and plants may develop
specialized structures and/or depend on animal behavior to accomplish reproduction. Understanding how a single cell
can give rise to a complex, multicellular organism builds on the concepts of cell division and gene expression. In
multicellular organisms, cell division is an essential component of growth, development, and repair. Cell division occurs
via a process called mitosis: when a cell divides in two, it passes identical genetic material to two daughter cells.
Successive divisions produce many cells. Although the genetic material in each of the cells is identical, small differences
in the immediate environments activate or inactivate different genes, which can cause the cells to develop slightly
differently. This process of differentiation allows the body to form specialized cells that perform diverse functions, even
though they are all descended from a single cell, the fertilized egg. Cell growth and differentiation are the mechanisms by
which a fertilized egg develops into a complex organism. In sexual reproduction, a specialized type of cell division called
meiosis occurs and results in the production of sex cells, such as gametes (sperm and eggs) or spores, which contain only
one member from each chromosome pair in the parent cell.
Grade Band Endpoints for LS1.B
By the end of grade 2. Plants and animals have predictable characteristics at different stages of development. Plants and
animals grow and change. Adult plants and animals can have young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the offspring
themselves engage in behaviors that help the offspring to survive.
By the end of grade 5. Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and
animals have unique and diverse life cycles that include being born (sprouting in plants), growing, developing into
adults, reproducing, and eventually dying.
LS2.A: INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS IN ECOSYSTEMS
How do organisms interact with the living and nonliving environments to obtain matter and energy?
Ecosystems are ever changing because of the interdependence of organisms of the same or different species and the
nonliving (physical) elements of the environment. Seeking matter and energy resources to sustain life, organisms in an
ecosystem interact with one another in complex feeding hierarchies of producers, consumers, and decomposers, which
together represent a food web. Interactions between organisms may be predatory, competitive, or mutually beneficial.
Ecosystems have carrying capacities that limit the number of organisms (within populations) they can support.
Individual survival and population sizes depend on such factors as predation, disease, availability of resources, and
parameters of the physical environment. Organisms rely on physical factors, such as light, temperature, water, soil, and
space for shelter and reproduction. Earth’s varied combinations of these factors provide the physical environments in
which its ecosystems (e.g., deserts, grasslands, rain forests, and coral reefs) develop and in which the diverse species of
the planet live. Within any one ecosystem, the biotic interactions between organisms (e.g., competition, predation, and
various types of facilitation, such as pollination) further influence their growth, survival, and reproduction both
individually and in terms of their populations.
Grade Band Endpoints for LS2.A
By the end of grade 2. Animals depend on their surroundings to get what they need, including food, water, shelter, and a
favorable temperature. Animals depend on plants or other animals for food. They use their senses to find food and
water, and they use their body parts to gather, catch, eat, and chew the food. Plants depend on air, water, minerals (in
the soil), and light to grow. Animals can move around, but plants cannot, and they often depend on animals for
pollination or to move their seeds around. Different plants survive better in different settings because they have varied
needs for water, minerals, and sunlight.
By the end of grade 5. The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food
webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Either way, they are
“consumers.” Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and
animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to
the soil for plants to use. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy
ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web
of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem.
LS2.C: ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS, FUNCTIONING, AND RESILIENCE
What happens to ecosystems when the environment changes?
Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics fluctuate over time, depending on changes in the environment
and in the populations of various species. Disruptions in the physical and biological components of an ecosystem—
which can lead to shifts in the types and numbers of the ecosystem’s organisms, to the maintenance or the extinction of
species, to the migration of species into or out of the region, or to the formation of new species (speciation)—occur for a
variety of natural reasons. Changes may derive from the fall of canopy trees in a forest, for example, or from cataclysmic
events, such as volcanic eruptions. But many changes are induced by human activity, such as resource extraction,
adverse land use patterns, pollution, introduction of nonnative species, and global climate change. Extinction of species
or evolution of new species may occur in response to significant ecosystem disruptions.
Species in an environment develop behavioral and physiological patterns that facilitate their survival under the
prevailing conditions, but these patterns may be maladapted when conditions change or new species are introduced.
Ecosystems with a wide variety of species—that is, greater biodiversity—tend to be more resilient to change than those
with few species.
Grade Band Endpoints for LS2.C
By the end of grade 2. The places where plants and animals live often change, sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly.
When animals and plants get too hot or too cold, they may die. If they cannot find enough food, water, or air, they may
die.
By the end of grade 5. When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics,
temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet
others move into the transformed environment, and some die.
LS4.C: ADAPTATION
How does the environment influence populations of organisms over multiple generations?
When an environment changes, there can be subsequent shifts in its supply of resources or in the physical and biological
challenges it imposes. Some individuals in a population may have morphological, physiological, or behavioral traits that
provide a reproductive advantage in the face of the shifts in the environment.
Natural selection provides a mechanism for species to adapt to changes in their environment. The resulting selective
pressures influence the survival and reproduction of organisms over many generations and can change the distribution
of traits in the population. This process is called adaptation. Adaptation can lead to organisms that are better suited for
their environment because individuals with the traits adaptive to the environmental change pass those traits on to their
offspring, whereas individuals with traits that are less adaptive produce fewer or no offspring. Over time, adaptation can
lead to the formation of new species. In some cases, however, traits that are adaptive to the changed environment do not
exist in the population and the species becomes extinct. Adaptive changes due to natural selection, as well as the net
result of speciation minus extinction, have strongly contributed to the planet’s biodiversity.
Adaption by natural selection is ongoing. For example it is seen in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Organisms like bacteria, in which multiple generations occur over shorter time spans, evolve more rapidly than those for
which each generation takes multiple years.
Grade Band Endpoints for LS4.C
By the end of grade 2. Living things can survive only where their needs are met. If some places are too hot or too cold or
have too little water or food, plants and animals may not be able to live there.
By the end of grade 5. Changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful. For any
particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
ESS2.A: EARTH MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS
All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among Earth’s systems. This energy
originates from the sun and from Earth’s interior. Transfers of energy and the movements of matter can cause chemical
and physical changes among Earth’s materials and living organisms. Solid rocks, for example, can be formed by the
cooling of molten rock, the accumulation and consolidation of sediments, or the alteration of older rocks by heat,
pressure, and fluids. These processes occur under different circumstances and produce different types of rock. Physical
and chemical interactions among rocks, sediments, water, air, and plants and animals produce soil. In the carbon, water,
and nitrogen cycles, materials cycle between living and nonliving forms and among the atmosphere, soil, rocks, and
ocean.
Science for All Americans:
INTERDEPENDENCE OF LIFE
Every species is linked, directly or indirectly, with a multitude of others in an ecosystem. Plants provide food,
shelter, and nesting sites for other organisms. For their part, many plants depend upon animals for help in
reproduction (bees pollinate flowers, for instance) and for certain nutrients (such as minerals in animal waste
products). All animals are part of food webs that include plants and animals of other species (and sometimes the
same species). The predator/prey relationship is common, with its offensive tools for predators—teeth, beaks,
claws, venom, etc.—and its defensive tools for prey—camouflage to hide, speed to escape, shields or spines to
ward off, irritating substances to repel. Some species come to depend very closely on others (for instance,
pandas or koalas can eat only certain species of trees). Some species have become so adapted to each other that
neither could survive without the other (for example, the wasps that nest only in figs and are the only insect that
can pollinate them).
There are also other relationships between organisms. Parasites get nourishment from their host organisms,
sometimes with bad consequences for the hosts. Scavengers and decomposers feed only on dead animals and
plants. And some organisms have mutually beneficial relationships—for example, the bees that sip nectar from
flowers and incidentally carry pollen from one flower to the next, or the bacteria that live in our intestines and
incidentally synthesize some vitamins and protect the intestinal lining from germs.
But the interaction of living organisms does not take place on a passive environmental stage. Ecosystems are
shaped by the nonliving environment of land and water—solar radiation, rainfall, mineral concentrations,
temperature, and topography. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a wide
variety of environments: freshwater and oceanic, forest, desert, grassland, tundra, mountain, and many others.
In all these environments, organisms use vital earth resources, each seeking its share in specific ways that are
limited by other organisms. In every part of the habitable environment, different organisms vie for food, space,
light, heat, water, air, and shelter. The linked and fluctuating interactions of life forms and environment
compose a total ecosystem; understanding any one part of it well requires knowledge of how that part interacts
with the others.
The interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem often results in approximate stability over hundreds or
thousands of years. As one species proliferates, it is held in check by one or more environmental factors:
depletion of food or nesting sites, increased loss to predators, or invasion by parasites. If a natural disaster such
as flood or fire occurs, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in a succession of stages that eventually
results in a system similar to the original one.
Like many complex systems, ecosystems tend to show cyclic fluctuations around a state of approximate
equilibrium. In the long run, however, ecosystems inevitably change when climate changes or when very
different new species appear as a result of migration or evolution (or are introduced deliberately or inadvertently
by humans).
EVOLUTION OF LIFE
The earth's present-day life forms appear to have evolved from common ancestors reaching back to the simplest
one-cell organisms almost four billion years ago. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for
three main sets of observable facts about life on earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about
us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity, and the
sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion
years.
Since the beginning of the fossil record, many new life forms have appeared, and most old forms have
disappeared. The many traceable sequences of changing anatomical forms, inferred from ages of rock layers,
convince scientists that the accumulation of differences from one generation to the next has led eventually to
species as different from one another as bacteria are from elephants. The molecular evidence substantiates the
anatomical evidence from fossils and provides additional detail about the sequence in which various lines of
descent branched off from one another.
Although details of the history of life on earth are still being pieced together from the combined geological,
anatomical, and molecular evidence, the main features of that history are generally agreed upon. At the very
beginning, simple molecules may have formed complex molecules that eventually formed into cells capable of
self-replication. Life on earth has existed for three billion years. Prior to that, simple molecules may have
formed complex organic molecules that eventually formed into cells capable of self-replication. During the first
two billion years of life, only microorganisms existed—some of them apparently quite similar to bacteria and
algae that exist today. With the development of cells with nuclei about a billion years ago, there was a great
increase in the rate of evolution of increasingly complex, multicelled organisms. The rate of evolution of new
species has been uneven since then, perhaps reflecting the varying rates of change in the physical environment.
A central concept of the theory of evolution is natural selection, which arises from three well-established
observations: (1) There is some variation in heritable characteristics within every species of organism, (2) some
of these characteristics will give individuals an advantage over others in surviving to maturity and reproducing,
and (3) those individuals will be likely to have more offspring, which will themselves be more likely than others
to survive and reproduce. The likely result is that over successive generations, the proportion of individuals that
have inherited advantage-giving characteristics will tend to increase.
Selectable characteristics can include details of biochemistry, such as the molecular structure of hormones or
digestive enzymes, and anatomical features that are ultimately produced in the development of the organism,
such as bone size or fur length. They can also include more subtle features determined by anatomy, such as
acuity of vision or pumping efficiency of the heart. By biochemical or anatomical means, selectable
characteristics may also influence behavior, such as weaving a certain shape of web, preferring certain
characteristics in a mate, or being disposed to care for offspring.
New heritable characteristics can result from new combinations of parents' genes or from mutations of them.
Except for mutation of the DNA in an organism's sex cells, the characteristics that result from occurrences
during the organism's lifetime cannot be biologically passed on to the next generation. Thus, for example,
changes in an individual caused by use or disuse of a structure or function, or by changes in its environment,
cannot be promulgated by natural selection.
By its very nature, natural selection is likely to lead to organisms with characteristics that are well adapted to
survival in particular environments. Yet chance alone, especially in small populations, can result in the spread
of inherited characteristics that have no inherent survival or reproductive advantage or disadvantage. Moreover,
when an environment changes (in this sense, other organisms are also part of the environment), the advantage or
disadvantage of characteristics can change. So natural selection does not necessarily result in long-term
progress in a set direction. Evolution builds on what already exists, so the more variety that already exists, the
more there can be.
The continuing operation of natural selection on new characteristics and in changing environments, over and
over again for millions of years, has produced a succession of diverse new species. Evolution is not a ladder in
which the lower forms are all replaced by superior forms, with humans finally emerging at the top as the most
advanced species. Rather, it is like a bush: Many branches emerged long ago; some of those branches have died
out; some have survived with apparently little or no change over time; and some have repeatedly branched,
sometimes giving rise to more complex organisms.
The modern concept of evolution provides a unifying principle for understanding the history of life on earth,
relationships among all living things, and the dependence of life on the physical environment. While it is still
far from clear how evolution works in every detail, the concept is so well established that it provides a
framework for organizing most of biological knowledge into a coherent picture.
Earth processes
Plants and animals reshape the landscape in many ways. The composition and texture of the soil, and
consequently its fertility and resistance to erosion, are greatly influenced by plant roots and debris, bacteria, and
fungi that add organic material to the soil, and by insects, worms, and burrowing animals that break it up.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy:
It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for
survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms,
the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of
organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Students should become
acquainted with many different examples of ecosystems, starting with those near at hand.
K-2: Students should investigate the habitats of many different kinds of local plants and animals, including weeds,
aquatic plants, insects, worms, and amphibians, and some of the ways in which animals depend on plants and on each
other.
By the end of the 2nd grade, students should know that
 Animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use plants (or even other animals) for shelter and nesting.
5D/P1
 Living things are found almost everywhere in the world. There are somewhat different kinds in different places.
5D/P2
3-5: Students should explore how various organisms satisfy their needs in the environments in which they are typically
found. They can examine the survival needs of different organisms and consider how the conditions in particular habitats
can limit what kinds of living things can survive. Their studies of interactions among organisms within an environment
should start with relationships they can directly observe. By viewing nature films, students should see a great diversity of
life in different habitats.
By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that
 For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals thrive, some do not live as well, and some do
not survive at all. 5D/E1*
 Insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal material for food. 5D/E2
 Organisms interact with one another in various ways besides providing food. 5D/E3a
 Many plants depend on animals for carrying their pollen to other plants or for dispersing their seeds. 5D/E3b
 Changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful. 5D/E4
 Most microorganisms do not cause disease, and many are beneficial. 5D/E5
Processes that Shape the Earth
Students should learn what causes earthquakes, volcanos, and floods and how those events shape the
surface of the earth. Students, however, may show more interest in the phenomena than in the role the
phenomena play in sculpting the earth. So teachers should start with students' immediate interests and
work toward the science. Students may find it harder to take seriously the less-obvious, less-dramatic,
long-term effects of erosion by wind and water, annual deposits of sediment, the creep of continents, and
the rise of mountains. Students' recognition of those effects will depend on an improving sense of long
time periods and familiarity with the effect of multiplying tiny fractions by very large numbers (in this
case, slow rates by long times).
Students can start in the early grades with the ways in which organisms, themselves included, modify
their surroundings. As people have used earth resources, they have altered some earth systems. Students
can gradually come to recognize how human behavior affects the earth's capacity to sustain life.
Questions of environmental policy should be pursued when students become interested in them, usually
in the middle grades or later, but care should be taken not to bypass science for advocacy. Critical
thinking based on scientific concepts and understanding is the primary goal for science education.
By the end of the 2nd grade, students should know that
 Chunks of rocks come in many sizes and shapes, from boulders to grains of sand and even smaller.
4C/P1
 Change is something that happens to many things. 4C/P2
 Animals and plants sometimes cause changes in their surroundings. 4C/P3
By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that
 Waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape the earth's land surface by eroding rock and
soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas, sometimes in seasonal layers. 4C/E1
 Rock is composed of different combinations of minerals. Smaller rocks come from the breakage
and weathering of bedrock and larger rocks. Soil is made partly from weathered rock, partly
from plant remains—and also contains many living organisms. 4C/E2
Big Ideas:
Structure and Function
Systems and System Models
All living organisms have basic needs that must be met in order to survive.
Living things have structures that function in ways that help them to survive.
Living things interact with their environment.
When an environment changes, the organisms that live there will be affected.
Behaviors and physical (structural) adaptations help living things to survive.
Essential Questions:
What kind of life cycles do plants have?
How does the structure of a plant help it to survive?
How does the behavior of a plant help it to survive?
How do adaptations sustain life? … in individual plants? … in plant species?
What changes in an environment might lead to adaptations?
How does soil impact the growth and development of plants?
Enduring Understandings:
Living organisms depend on plants for survival.
Plants have distinct characteristics.
Plants have specialized body parts that serve particular functions.
Plants have specialized body parts that help them to survive in their environment.
Plants have a life cycle that includes distinct stages.
Plants change throughout their life cycles.
Plants are adapted to live in different habitats.
Soil is composed of different materials.
Soil contains nutrients that are used by plants.
Identify Misconceptions:
Formative assessment probe guide
http://scnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Grade+Four+Resources
Common Misconceptions
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/polar-plants/common-misconceptions-about-plants
http://www.homeofbob.com/science/misconceptions/plants.html
https://www.learner.org/courses/essential/earthspace/session1/ideas.html
http://www.zdnet.com/article/ten-misconceptions-about-soil/
http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Science-Stories/Soil-Dig-It/Alternative-conceptions-about-soil
Instructional Resources:
Plants: Everything You Need
These resources will help students study the structure, varieties and uses of seeds, plants, flowers, and
trees.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/unit/plants-everything-you-need
Beyond penguins and Polar Bears: Plants
Plants are a common topic in elementary classrooms for good reason – they are an effective, inexpensive
way for students to observe living organisms and life cycles firsthand. Primary students often focus on
familiar plants, basic plant structures and their functions, and our use of plants as a food source. In the
upper-elementary grades, students investigate germination, plant life cycles, and flowering and seed
production in more detail. These students are also ready to consider the diversity of plants around the
world and the adaptations that allow plants to survive in very different environments.
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/polar-plants/hands-on-lessons-and-activities-about-plants
Plants and Seeds
A plant unit that integrates mathematics concepts.
http://www.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/pdfs/plants.pdf
Plant Structure and Function Unit
http://www.duxbury.k12.ma.us/cms/lib2/MA01001583/Centricity/Domain/488/Grade%203%20Life
%20Science.pdf
Plant Life Unit
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/ttasystem/teaching/eecd/domains%20of%20child%20development/science/plant-life.pdf
What do Plants Need to Grow? Unit
This unit encompasses plants parts, growth and development and needs, as well as soil.
http://learnaboutag.org/resources/lesson/what.pdf
Leafing the Nest: The Life Cycle of a Plant
The purpose of this unit plan is to teach science concepts through a constructive approach and in
collaborative groups about the plant life cycle. Throughout the lessons, there is scaffolding,
differentiation to address student’s needs, and hands-on engaging activities. During this unit, students
will “turn into scientists” as they learn about seeds, germinations, needs for a seed to grow, and the
different parts of plants.
http://www.myips.org/cms/lib8/IN01906626/Centricity/Domain/8123/2nd%20grade%20Unit%20Pl
ant%20-%20The%20Life%20Cycle%20Of%20A%20Plant.pdf
Plants and How they Survive Unit
https://www.sde.idaho.gov/academic/ela-literacy/files/exemplar/grade-3/plants/Unit-Plan-TemplatePlants.pdf
Living Life as a Plant lesson
In this media-rich lesson, students investigate how plants respond to their environment. They also
explore adaptations, such as how some plants are adapted to life in the desert and why some plants trap
and digest insects.
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.oate.lplifeasplant/living-life-as-a-plant/
Plants Unit
This unit includes activities focused on plant growth and development as well as life cycles of plants.
http://81west.com/curriculum/Grade%203/Science3/plants_tn.pdf
Planting Thoughts lesson
Students gain an understanding of the parts of a plant, plant types and how they produce their own food
from sunlight through photosynthesis.
https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_bio_lesson04
Beans and How they Grow Learn NC Lesson
The students will incorporate computer skills, math, and literature with books such as: Miss Rumphius and The
Reason for a Flower.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3463
Plant Adaptations Lesson
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade4/life_proce
sses/sess_4.4d.pdf
Savvy Soil Learn NC Lesson
The students will compare and contrast the physical characteristics of three soils: clay, humus, and sand.
They will create double bubble maps and list poems about the soils.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3404?ref=search
K-12 Soil Science Teacher Resources
Here is a bank of many lessons and hands-on activities all about soils and topics related to soils. These
materials include lessons and activities are posted directly by SSSA as well as external links to materials
that we have reviewed and recommend. You can search for materials by grade level and/or subject
and/or type of lesson. Have a look and give it a try!
http://www.soils4teachers.org/lessons-and-activities
SOIL net
This section gives you loads of activity sheets to download and copy. They will help you learn more about
soil and its properties hopefully whilst having fun! Most of the sheets also have a teachers page attached
as well as the student sheet.
http://www.soil-net.com/dev/page.cfm?pageid=activities_sheets&loginas=anon_activities
The GLOBE Program – Learning about soils
A Soil Storybook and activities.
https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/soils/story-book
SOIL at work
Games and learning activities focused on learning about soil.
https://extension.illinois.edu/soil/
Fast Plants Activities
http://www.fastplants.org/resources/digital_library/index.php?P=BrowseResources&ParentId=204
Bottle Biology GROW Buckets
http://resources.fastplants.org//agriscience/agriscienceappendixa.pdf
Video Resources:
Plant Adaptations http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=2307
Plant parts http://www.watchknowlearn.org/SearchResults.aspx?SearchText=Plant+parts
Soil http://www.watchknowlearn.org/SearchResults.aspx?SearchText=Soil
You at the Zoo Plant Adaptations http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/a362ee72-74b34b10-9e7c-e7ecbb9aaa8d/a362ee72-74b3-4b10-9e7c-e7ecbb9aaa8d/
Scholastic Study JAMS Plants
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/index.htm?topic_id=plants
Text Resources:
Plant Adaptations http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/adapt.html
Plant Adaptations from CK-12
http://www.ck12.org/biology/Plant-Adaptations/lesson/Plant-AdaptationsBIO/?referrer=concept_details
Plant Adaptations Online picture book
https://schools.smcps.org/gkes/images/Plant_Adaptations.pdf
The Scoop on Soils
http://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/soils/story-book
Terminology:
https://quizlet.com/30969277/grade-3-science-plants-vocabulary-flash-cards/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/plants.shtml
Writing Prompts:
1. Create a pamphlet that explains the different habitats that plants live in.
2. Write and illustrate a children’s picture book that shows and explains the growth and development of a plant,
as well as the life cycle of a plant.
3. What is your favorite flower? Write a poem about it.
4. Create a storyboard for a film that will introduce students to the different types of soil and why soil is
important to plants.
5. Write a story with a plant as the superhero.