Download Plant Cycle GRADE K-2 BACKGROUND

Plant Cycle
GRADE K-2
BACKGROUND
Plants are living organisms and share common characteristics with all other living things. All organisms are composed of
cells, grow, reproduce, and respond to various kinds of stimuli like temperature. However, plants have additional
characteristics which distinguish them from other organisms. Plants have the ability to manufacture food
(photosynthesis); have unlimited or almost unlimited growth; and cell walls made of cellulose (used in making paper).
Students should learn that most plants are green, have roots, grow, have flowers, have leaves, live in soil, and drink
water.
The kingdom of plants includes seed plants, algae, ferns, and mosses. Plants have many cells and tissues. They make
their own food using chlorophyll (the green pigment) through a chemical process called photosynthesis, which converts
water and carbon dioxide into sugars, if there is enough light. They do not move on their own. Students sometimes
mistake some invertebrate animals, like coral or sea anemones as plants. They reason that if it looks like a plant, it is a
plant. Even mushrooms, most children think is a plant because it grows. Children that just see a part of plant like a
bulb, root, or seed may not think it is a plant because it is not green.
Planting and watching seeds grow is a wonderful experience for students. A seed is like magic, a seemingly lifeless thing
which can grow into a living plant. Growing seeds can be a very inspirational activity, especially if the children are
allowed to watch the seed grow and mature. Watching plants grow will also teach students patience and observational
skills.
The requirements for growing a plant are water, nutrients, and sunlight. Too much or too little of these requirements
can prevent a plant from growing. This activity has the students looking at the key components of nutrients, so they
need to have the soil.
Plants are very useful in our society. The old saying, “Either you grow it, or mine it,” still holds true. Children are not
aware of where items they use every day come from. Plants may be used for decoration, erosion and climate control
(wind breaks and shade), foods, beverages, flavoring, medicines, fabrics, rope and other fibers, wood, rubber, dyes,
paper, and many other uses.
Many clothes are still made from cotton, which is grown on plants and harvested. Another plant fabric is linen made
from the flax plant. Fabric that is made of polyester is synthetic and has a petroleum base. Medicines like aspirin
originally came from a tree. Scientists are discovering new medicines from plants every year. The taste from many soft
drinks, even cola, comes from various plants. Plants most important contribution to humans is the food potential.
Grains are used in many food products, especially flour. Even the morning breakfast is from plants. Oatmeal from oat;
corn flakes from corn; and bran flakes from wheat. Most societies are based on one grain as their staple. Many parts of
Asia use rice; parts of North America and Europe use flour; and Central America uses corn as its staple.
BASIC LESSON
Objective(s)
Students will be able to…
 Describe plants.
 Explore how seeds grow and the requirements needed.
 Make and record observations as the seeds grow.

Explore uses of plants.
State Science Content Standard(s)
Standard 3: Students through the inquiry process, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, structures, and functions
of living things, the process and diversity of life, and how living organisms interact with each other and their
environment.
I.
Identify that plants and animals have structures and systems that serve different functions for growth, survival,
and reproduction
 Identify plant and animal structures, i.e., plants: root, stem, leaf. animal: bones, skin
II.
Describe and use models that trace the life cycles of different plants and animals and discuss how they are differ
from species to species
 Describe a plant life cycle (seed to plant to flower)
Materials
Safety
From the Kit
Provided by Teacher
 Collect all fabric
swatches and return to
 Plant Worksheet
 Crayons or colored pencils
the appropriate bag.
 Book – From Seed to Plant
 Plastic water or soda bottle – one per
student or pairs of students
 3 Spray bottles
 Nail/hammer or scissors to punch hole in
 10 hand lens
bottom of bottle
 Bags of fabric – two cotton,
 soil
polyester, wool, and linen
 seeds – flower or vegetable – beans grow
 Plant Cycle Magnets
well
 Foam Bean Plant Model
 water
 paper plates or flat plastic lid to catch any
excess water
 plastic spoons
 Small rocks or gravel
Key Vocabulary

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







Bulbs
Photosynthesis
Seeds
Light
Nutrient
Water
Fiber plant
Germinate
Mastery Questions
See Lesson
Detailed Plan
Activity - LIFE CYCLE - PLANTS
Engage
Ask students what they think or know plants need in order to grow and be healthy. Brainstorm answers in small groups
and then have them share with the class. Put the student responses on a chart or white board and keep the list to refer
to at the end of the lesson.
Explanation
Discuss with students the needs of plants which include water, air, soil, light, and moderate temperatures. (See
background)
Exploration
1) You may want to make an overhead of the “What are Plants?” worksheet or use a document camera to share it with
the class during the discussion. Hand out the worksheet to your students. For each box ask students to answer the
following questions in their mind before they answer yes or no.
Does it move? (no)
Does it make its own food? (yes)
Can it live in the dark? (no)
Does it need soil to grow big? (yes)
Is it green? (yes)
Is it part of a plant? (yes or no)
2) If their answer corresponds to the answers given above then it is most likely a plant. Get your students to reason
out the answer and not to just give an answer. Although the frog is green it isn't a plant and an onion is only part of
a plant, that's why it isn't green. The mushroom is not a plant; it is a fungi which cannot produce its own food from
the sun. Discuss with the students why or why not each is a plant.
3) You may want to go outside and have the students determine what a plant is. Remember even grasses and weeds
are plants!
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Activity – Life Cycle of a Plant -Plant a Seed and Watch it Grow
Engage
Ask students “How do plants grow? From what do they start? What are the steps the plants go through to grow? What
does a plant need to grow?” Read From Seed to Plant to them. Use the foam bean model to show how a plant can grow.
Exploration
During this activity the students will prepare the growing environments for their seeds, plant them, water them, and
then watch them grow.
1. Cut off the tops of the plastic bottles leaving 8 cm of plastic. Punch 6-7 small holes at the bottom of each
container. Tell the students that when the seeds grow and the roots get larger, the roots need air. Water is
important, but too much water sitting in the container can "rot" the roots. The rocks are used to prevent the
roots from touching the bottom and getting water soaked. Instruct students to place a few small rocks on the
bottom of the plastic container, just enough to make one layer. Get a bucket of soil and have the students fill
the plastic containers 3/4 full of soil.
2. Place the seed about 1 centimeter into the soil. This will vary depending on the type of seed (refer to the
package the seeds came in). When the students water their seeds, first have them use a spray bottle to water,
so that they make the "home" for the seed ready because pouring water will unsettle the seed. They can start
to pour water, when the seed starts to root and sprout. Place the bottle on a paper plate or flat plastic lid to
catch any excess water.
3. Move the seed to a warm area, but not into direct sunlight. Again this will depend on the seed type (refer to
packaging). The seed provides food for the plant until the leaves are formed, which will then let the plant
produce its own food. Read the directions to the students so they understand that you must do this for each
package of seeds you get.
4.
Be careful that the students do not over water their seeds. It is OK for the soil to dry a little, a soaking wet soil is
not the best environment.
5. Each day have the students, in a journal draw and/or describe what their seeds look like as they grow.
Assessment
When the seeds are done growing, ask the students: “Did every student’s seed grow the same? If not, can you explain
why? Did everyone add the exact same amount of water? Did every seed container receive the same amount of
sunlight?”
Refer to the chart or characteristics written on the whiteboard. Did the list hold true?
Using the plant cycle magnets have the class create a plant cycle on the board. Correctly label each stage.
Assess student understanding from responses.
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Life Cycle of a Plant – Uses of Plants
Engage
1. Instruct the students to look around the classroom for items made from plants. They might find paper, wood desks,
rulers, balloons, rubber bands, erasers, cotton shirts, decorative plants, something made with natural dyes, pencils,
twine, baskets, bayberry candles, mint chewing gum (both gum and flavoring come from plants) and many other things.
Make a list on a piece of paper. Continue writing new items when students go home and ask their parents if they know
anything else that comes from plants. Other items to be mentioned – rope (hemp), flour (wheat), popcorn (corn),
oatmeal (oats), tires (rubber).
2. Explanation/Exploration
3. Most students do not realize that cotton is grown on a plant. If you have a cotton plant with a bud of cotton, show the
students that the little ball of cotton is then made into fibers that can be used for spinning. If not show them the picture
found in the kit of the cotton plant and point out the fibers. Show students different kinds of cotton fabric. Explain to
students the difference between wool and polyester. Wool is from sheep and polyester is from an oil based product.
You may want the students to bring one or two products from home that are made from plants. Have a "show and tell,"
products from plants.
4. Put a few hand lens and sample of the different fabrics for the students to observe. Place the five different fabrics on a
plate and let students in groups of two observe the fibers. Instruct the students to look at the differences in the threads
that make up the various fabrics. Cotton fibers, for instance, have a distinct texture composed of flat ribbons. Linen
fibers are jointed like bamboo. As a class list, on a board or chart, the different properties and characteristics the
students observe.
You may want to make another list of plant foods that students ate. Instruct them to ask their parents for help and read
labels of items they eat, to see if plants were involved in making the product.
Assessment
Students will pick a plant and write about a use for the plant. Students can write one story about how the plant is really
used and then, as an extension, the students can make up a use for the plant. Be creative!
Assessment
See activities

Resources
Life Cycle Diversity in Balance – Plant Life – Math Science Nucleus
ADVANCED LESSON
Objective(s)
Students will be able to…
 observe and collect data to produce a graph.
 analyze and interpret information using the graph.
 draw conclusions based on their observations.
 collect data by sorting and then counting the number of each type of bean in their cups.
 conclude and define the factors contributing to the life cycle and growth of a plant.
 Understand how to identify factors needed by seeds to germinate
 Be able to describe some major stages of plant growth
 Be able to explain the role fruits play in spreading seeds
 Make drawings and measurements of growing plants
State Science Content Standard(s)
Standard 3: Students through the inquiry process, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, structures, and functions
of living things, the process and diversity of life, and how living organisms interact with each other and their
environment.
1) Identify that plants and animals have structures and systems that serve different functions for growth, survival, and
reproduction
2) Identify plant and animal structures, i.e., plants: root, stem, leaf. animal: bones, skin
3) Describe and use models that trace the life cycles of different plants and animals and discuss how they are differ
from species to species
4) Describe a plant life cycle (seed to plant to flower)
Standard 1: Students through the inquiry process, demonstrate the ability to design, conduct, evaluate, and
communicate the results and form reasonable conclusions of scientific investigations.
1) Select and use appropriate tools including technology to make measurements (including metric units) and represent
results of basic scientific investigations.
2) Use data to describe and communicate the results of scientific investigations.
Materials
Safety
Provided
by
Teacher
 [List any safety
From the Kit
precautions here]
 Anno’s Magic Seeds by
 student journals
Mitsumasa Anno
 Apple
 mixture of various beans
 Chart paper
 small cup or scoop (dental cup)
 One roll of paper towels
 Seeds Data Table labeled with the  Pre-soaked lima beans – enough for each
names of each bean used
student to have one
 One copy of Jack and the
 For each team of three students:
Beanstalk
o 15 dried lima beans
 One small dish containing several
o Three paper plates
lima beans
o Three large, re-sealable plastic bags
– gallon size
 10 hand lens
 Three copies of Cool Beans Record
Page per student group
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Key Vocabulary
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germinate
Mastery Questions
See Lessons
Detailed Plan
Sorting, Counting, and Graphing Beans Lesson
Engage
First the teacher will read and discuss Anno’s Magic Seeds. Then the students will discuss the process of a plant life cycle
and note the cycle of plants during the different seasons. The students will pose possible how and why questions in
order to better understand the related concepts in the story to the growth of a plant. (Ex: What does a plant needs in
order to grow?) Use the plant cycle magnets to help review the plant cycle.
Exploration/Explanation
1. After reading Anno’s Magic Seeds and discussion of the reading selection has taken place, the students will
manipulate a mixture of beans and explore the different types. Each student will scoop out a mixture of beans
and begin sorting them into the different types according to the presented teacher data collection table entitled
“Seeds”.
2. Each student will count the number of beans in each group and then record their data using tally marks. This
collected information will be used later to create a graph.
3. The students use multiple strategies to find the total sum of beans in their scoop. The students will add the
addends of each group of beans then use other strategies such as grouping and counting by 2, 5, 10, 3, 4, and
repeated addition to find the sum. (Teacher may also reinforce the concept of odd and even at this time.)
4. The students will use their completed tally marks data sheet to create a graph on the computer using a program
such as Excel or Graphers (Sunburst). This spreadsheet can be recreated using any spreadsheet program where
students can graph their seed totals. If a spreadsheet is not possible, have the students graph the information
the traditional way.
5. The students will use their math journals or the seed data sheet to write conclusions/facts about their data
collection under “My Bean Facts”. (ex. My cup of beans had two more lima beans than kidney beans.)
Assessment
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The teacher will monitor students’ work as they complete their journal entries. Informal observation will be
used to determine if the concept of “typical” number and average number of beans is understood.
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Exploring Plants Lesson
Overview
In this lesson, students are introduced to the study of plants. They begin by sprouting bean seeds on moistened paper
towels and making drawings and measurements of their growth. Next, they watch time-lapse videos that illustrate the
major stages of plant growth. Another video introduces fruits and challenges students to consider how seeds can be
spread. Students apply their understanding by performing their own investigations of plant growth. These videos are
not crucial to the lesson but add to the experience. You can supplement with other video clips of your choosing.
YouTube is a great source. To view the videos mentioned in the lesson you will have to join PBS.org.
Part I: Cool Beans (pre-soak lima beans overnight before doing the activity)
Engage
1. Begin the lesson by assembling the class in a large group for a reading. Read aloud the beginning of Jack and the
Beanstalk. Stop right after Jack receives the magic beans. Help students make a connection between beans and seeds.
Then pass around a small dish of lima beans and discuss the following questions. Record students' ideas on the board or
on a piece of chart paper as you go.
a. Do you think these beans are real or magic?
b. Do you think the beans are like seeds? Why or why not?
c. Do you think that plants can grow from the beans?
2. Write the question, "Can plants grow from beans?" on a piece of chart paper and post it in the classroom. Then have
students view the Paper Towel Plants QuickTime Video.
Exploration
3. Invite students to try to grow plants from beans themselves. Divide the class into teams of three students and provide
the necessary materials. Explain that each team will make a set of paper towel plants for each teammate. Walk around
the room and help the student teams assemble their paper towel plants as shown in the video. (Put a doubled paper
towel on the paper plate. Place five lima beans on each plate. Pour water over the beans and let it soak into the towel.
Place the each bean/plate in a Ziploc bag and seal it.)
4. Instruct the teams to place their three paper plates in three different locations around the room. Suggest that they
pick locations that will tell them something about what conditions seeds need to germinate (such as different kinds of
light or temperature).
5. Hand out the Cool Beans Record Page and ask students to fill it out. Explain that they should use a pencil to draw what
they see now, and what they think the beans will look like when the investigation is done. They should make their
drawings big enough so that they fill the space. If students haven't had experience making observational drawings, you
may want to demonstrate using a different object, such as a piece of popcorn.
6. After students have finished writing, ask them to share with their teammates what they expect to happen to their
beans.
7. Provide each student pair with a soaked lima bean. Instruct students to open their beans and observe the parts they
see inside. Then ask students to list the parts that they see. Guide the discussion to bring out the following parts:
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Seed coat – seed covering
Cotyledons – substance inside the plant
Tiny leaves
Tiny root-like structure
ww.aginclassroom.org/
Ask students what ideas they have about the functions of each part of the bean. Seed Covering – protects the seed.
Cotyledons – provides energy for the seed to grow. Leaves – helps absorb heat and moisture for growth. Root – absorbs
water and nutrients for growth. Make a drawing that incorporates these features and post it in the classroom.
8. Allow teams to observe their beans for several days and to add water to them as necessary. Each day, students should
make observations, draw their beans, and make measurements. Using the Cool Beans Record Page, instruct students to:
a. Write the date (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) for each round of observations.
b. Write a new question each day based on that day's observations and measurements.
Assessment
9. After the beans have sprouted, ask students to share their drawings and measurements with the class. Discuss the
following questions:
a.
b.
c.
d.
How do your drawings help answer the question, "Can plants grow from beans?"
What new idea do you have about seeds or growing plants?
How is this idea different from what you thought before?
What new questions do you have?
During the discussion, note if the beans grew better if there was more sunlight or if it was warmer or cooler. Some
students may choose NOT to add water to their beans overtime. Did this affect the results? Answer the question – did
plants grow from beans?
Part II: Growing Up
Engage
10. Write the question, "How do plants grow?" on a piece of chart paper and ask students to share their ideas based on
their observations from the first activity. Write student responses on the chart paper. Guide the discussion to bring out
that all of their beans followed a similar sequence of events. Write this sequence on the chart paper.
Exploration/Explanation
11. Next, ask students, "What do plants need to grow?" Guide the discussion to bring out that the seed starts out with
its own food. Students may have noticed that when their seeds germinated, the cotyledons shrank as the leaves grew
bigger. Use this discussion as an opportunity to describe the importance of sunlight and soil to plants. Explain that after
the food contained in the seed runs out, the young plant needs to use its leaves and sunlight to make more food. The
plant obtains water and nutrients from the soil using its root system.
12. Explain that some plants grow to become adults in just weeks or months, while others may take years (just as people
do). This growth happens so slowly that we don't notice it as it happens. Time-lapse photography however, allows us to
see this growth in a matter of seconds. Give each student a copy of the How Do Plants Grow? Document. Explain that
they will now watch a short video of time-lapse photography that shows the important life stages of plant growth.
Instruct students to use the handout to describe three examples from the video that show different stages of plant
growth. Their descriptions should include drawings and the names of the plant parts that they saw. Then have students
watch the From Seed to Flower QuickTime Video several times as needed until they have completed the handout. Other
videos found online have time-lapse of plants growing.
Assessment
13. Conclude the activity with a class discussion. Ask students how the video in Step 12 helped them to answer the
question, "How do plants grow?" Also discuss the following questions:
a. What new idea(s) do you have about seeds or growing plants?
b. How is this idea or ideas different from what you thought before?
Part III: Fruit Wrappers
Engage
14. Begin the next activity by reminding students that plants cannot move around like animals can. Write the question,
"How do plants spread from one area to another?" on a piece of chart paper and post it in the classroom. Ask students
to think of ways that seeds can move away from the plant. Record their answers on the board or on a piece of chart
paper.
15. Show students an apple and ask them, "What is inside the apple?" Guide the discussion to bring out that the apple
contains seeds.
Explanation/Exploration
16. Explain to students that they will watch a short video that shows how fruits can spread plant seeds. Give each
student a copy of the Fruit Wrappers Document. Ask students to answer the questions on the handout as they watch
the Fruit Wrappers QuickTime Video. Explain that these questions refer to the fruits shown in the video. Have students
watch the video several times as needed until they have completed the handout. If you are unable to share the video
with the students, you can give them the same information by demonstrating it yourself.
This video from Curious George introduces students to the importance of skins, peels, and other fruit coverings, which
help protect a fruit's precious cargo: seeds. Seeds are a plant's offspring. For plants to survive, they must distribute their
seeds in places where they stand a good chance of growing. Fruits are part of a plant's reproductive strategy. The
teacher explains to the students that ripe fruit is more attractive to animals. This is important, as fruit-eating animals
transport seeds contained inside fruit to other places, where they are deposited and subsequently germinate.
Assessment
17. Conclude the activity with a class discussion. Ask students how the video helped them to answer the question, "How
do plants spread from one area to another? Are there other ways that seeds can spread from plants that are not eaten?"
Also discuss the following questions:
a. What new idea(s) do you have about seeds or fruits?
b. How is this different from what you thought before?
c. Why do you think that it might be helpful for a plant to start growing some distance away from its parent plant?
Assessment
Overall Assessment
1. Instruct the teams to use the first piece of chart paper to create a picture story that illustrates how a lima bean
develops into a plant. Students should use words to enhance their descriptions and label any parts that they feel
are important to the story.
2. Instruct the teams to use the second piece of chart paper to create a picture story that illustrates how a seed
contained in a fruit can move to another location and start a new plant. They should illustrate as many different
ways of seed dispersal as they can. Teams should use words and labels to identify important structures and to
convey actions.
Resources
Adapted from: A lesson plan for grade 2 Mathematics By Mary Jackson
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Paper Towel Plants QuickTime Video
From Seed to Flower QuickTime Video
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Fruit Wrappers QuickTime Video
EXPLORE MORE
1. With the arrival of spring, many of us find our students staring longingly out the window. As teachers, we
attempt to continue to teach the required standards, but it's a challenge. Why not take advantage of spring
fever by bringing the outdoors inside with some plant activities?
2. Bring Nature Indoors
3. Plants provide an excellent way to teach students about inquiry and science process skills. Something as simple
as growing seeds in cups can provide endless hours of classroom activities. You can start by purchasing some
seeds, such as lima beans or peas, and placing them in a baggie with a wet paper towel. Within two or three
days, the seeds will begin to sprout, and students can plant them (sprout side down) in some potting soil (about
¾ inch deep). By allowing them to sprout before planting, the seeds will grow faster and provide almost instant
excitement when the first green shoots begin to pop out of the soil.
4. Compare and Contrast Various Plants
5. Individuals or small groups can investigate how different variables affect plant growth. Give them a few colorcoded cups and have them place the cups around the room. For instance, each group has three red cups, three
blue cups, and three green cups. Each cup gets a similar seed. So, lima beans in each red cup, peas in each blue
cup, and sweet peas in each green cup. Near the window, each group can place a cup of each color, in the coat
room they can place another cup, and a table somewhere a third set of cups. Each day your kids will love
checking to see how light affects the growth of their plants. You can extend this idea by varying water amounts
or fertilizer amounts. Add some math by having groups measure and chart plant growth. Assign different types
of charts to each group. For example, one group makes a pie chart, another makes a bar graph etc. Hang up all
the charts and discuss the similarities and differences in reporting data.
6. Research Projects Using Plants
7. Capitalize on the fact that your pupils are yearning to be outside by assigning them a research project about
plants. Topics can be individually selected, and the choices are many. Someone can research which types of
flowers are preferred by various pollinators (such as butterflies), and someone else could choose to document
the numbers and types of insects observed around a particular flower garden. As a class, you could also track the
path of Monarch Butterflies as they make their way north from Mexico using this project. If you plant milkweed
near your school, you can even encourage Monarchs to make a stop in your area.
8. Ideas for Extending Lessons on Plants
9. As part of a plant unit, students might also learn about the parts of a flower, the life cycle of a plant, plant
reproduction, or the role insects play as plant pollinators. The possibilities are endless, and you’ll have given
your students a reason to stay focused on learning in the last few weeks of school! What follows are more plant
life cycle activities and lessons.
10. Plant Life Cycle Activities
11. The Tiny Seed
12. Here, pupils conduct an investigation to compare and contrast how seeds grow in different locations. They find
out how seeds travel and identify the parts of a seed.
13. How Does a Green Plant Grow?
14. This lesson, which can be used at various grade levels, teaches how seeds grow. Pupils design a way to
experiment with seed growth, conduct the experiment, and then discuss their results.
15. The Great Plant Escape
16. Scholars participate in a WebQuest about plants. They learn about the parts of a plant, plant life cycles, and how
plants reproduce.
17. How Much Is Too Much? How Little Is Too Little?
18. Pupils perform experiments to determine the nutrients plants need. They learn about fertilizers, compost, and
soil management. They identify nutrient deficiencies in plants. They vote on issues related to agriculture and
urban water issues.