Developing Observational and Engineering Skills in a Study

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LESSON PLAN

Developing Observational and Engineering Skills in a Study of Plants

“Students demonstrated knowledge of the roots supporting the

stem and strengthening the stem by connecting/twisting. I really

liked how the students had a chance to revise their leaf designs.

They all demonstrated knowledge of the plant parts and func-

tions through this project.” M E L I S S A K R U S E

OVERVIEWCombining and applying the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics with sculpture, students construct two-dimension-al and three-dimensional models of plants at differing scales. . Recording their scientific observations and inquiry of a variety of plant materials (flowers, leaves, seedlings, etc.) and specimens of pollinators form the Natural History Museum, students create botany journals to document their questions, findings, and speculations throughout the project. Upon studying the source ma-terials, students identify parts of plants, features of the animals that help with pollination, and discuss how these physical features help each other to survive. Students make small-scale sculptures representing plants from seed to flower, after which they create large-scale sculptures in a process that requires them to carefully evaluate the weight, height, width, and choice of materials as they engineer the large-scale models.

ARTIST/TEACHER TEAMJodi Brisebois/Melissa Kruse and Lynn Stacey

GRADE/SCHOOL1st Grade, Lincoln Acres School, National School District

DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNINGSculptures and journals


MATERIALSPencils, materials to make seeds, handout of a generic flower and roots, sample plant and pollinator specimens, aluminum wire, toothpicks, paper pulp, basin, paper towels, markers, and printmaking materials

VOCABULARYPaper sculpture, wire sculpture, pulp, printmaking

COMMON CORE PROFICIENCIES• Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly, and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textural evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1]• 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.7) –here is the complete version• Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college- and career-readiness level. [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.6]

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAcademic• Students use geometric concepts to solve nonroutine problems.• Students design, revise, and construct a mathematical model to inform and solve an abstract situation.• Students analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources.

Arts• Students use additive and subtractive processes in making simple, natural forms.• Students perceive and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. • Students incorporate visual art vocabulary to express observation.• Students create artwork based on observations of actual objects and everyday scenes.

Students create Papier-Mâché Pollinators.


Social development/critical thinking• Students collaborate in groups, listening to one another’s questions about nature and sculpture ideas.• Students identify and choose the content, and address what plant parts to create and how that changes with scale.• Students work in small groups identifying key details and elements of their sculptures.

LEARNING EXPERIENCESConstruct a Seed Pod Sculpture Goal: Introduce concepts of seeds and their movement. Teacher and artist introduce project to students. Artist begins with a brief sketching activity by asking the students to draw and write how a seed travels. This exercise helps gauge the students’ current knowledge, checking for any key science vo-cabulary they may list on their drawings. Students generate questions about plants to guide the project. Once their sketch is complete, a variety of materials are used to demonstrate how material qualities (weight, size, texture, etc.) affect movement (i.e., a crumpled piece of paper vs. a sheet of paper). Students make their own seed using different materials and share/test its movement quality in partners. As each pair works together, students discuss and describe qualities that support a seed’s mobility and identify/revise the material of their seed to improve its mobility. Assessment: Through class discussion students reflect on the following questions: What seed shapes might you recog-nize from our environment? How do they travel? Can it float, fly, or roll? What material qualities support its mobility?

Build a Plant Sculpture with Roots and Stem Goal: Identify and label parts of a plant, and create a small-scale model of a plant focusing on soil environment, seed ball to roots, and stem. Using props, artist and teacher demonstrate how a seed grows in its plant cycle. A balled up pipe cleaner is used to cre-ate a seed. To show the growth, it unravels and expands into a stem, which pokes through a paper plate representing the top of the ground. Nutrients and water are placed under the plate showing a strong stem. Students are encouraged to share their input about what they think happens next in the plant cycle. Teacher provides a handout illustrating a generic flower with roots for the students to review and identify plant parts and their corresponding functions.Different workstations are established throughout the classroom for students to create their own version of a plant. Artist and teacher rotate around the stations to model techniques and processes to students.Once all of the individual parts are created, the plant pieces are assembled together to create a sculpture. Those students who finish early can assist others as needed. Assessment: Using the handout, are students able to identify the external features that help plants survive? Can students identify the different parts of a plant? Are they able to describe their functions? Do students’ visual representations match learned information? Show student examples for others to learn from.

Students create sculptures.


Extension: If there is additional time, students can create a visual representation of water or nutrients for the roots.

Create a Small-Scaled Plant Sculpture with Leaves and Petals Goal: Discuss the differences and similarities between real plants and their previously engineered plant, and adopt vo-cabulary when referring to plant family members. Review plant anatomy by having students sketch a plant and diagram its different parts. Check the students’ work using a reference handout and live plant examples such as rose heads and rosemary stems. Students begin by working with two-di-mensional plant drawings using different paper leaf-making techniques (twisting, crumple, fold) out of tissue paper.Artist models the sculpture-making activity, showing different ways to connect leaves and flowers to stems before distributing materials. Students use paper, pipe cleaners, floral wire, soil, and tissue to construct the sculptures. Students use a paper plate as a base to store and transport their sculpture upon completion. The teacher may ask and show how plants attract/repel creatures. (Optional: allow students to add scented plant oils or rosewater to their sculpture.) Assessment: What materials did you use to construct a model of a plant? How does your plant stand, eat/drink, and make seeds? What are the lengths of your plant’s stem and roots?

Sculpt a Larger Scale Plant Goal: Reconstruct one of four parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves/branches, and flower/petals. Use cooperative skills to assemble all parts into one large-scale plant. Artist and teacher lead a discussion about scaling up the plant sculpture. Together the class decides how tall the sculp-ture should be. Looking at a selection of real plants, students consider the size of flowers and leaves in relation to the height of the plant. Have students discuss the size and number of flowers and leaves on each plant. Do the students notice that the larger flowers and leaves require thicker or sturdier stems? Do they notice that vines often have many leaves and flowers whereas larger flowers often have one to three flowers and fewer leaves? What other observations do they make?Artist and teacher facilitate sculpture making after dividing the class into four groups and assigning them to build one of the following: roots, stem, leaves/branches, and flower/petals. Depending on the size of the sculpture, the artist should provide some general guidelines as to the size of the plant parts so they relate to the overall size of the sculpture. Students use paper, alumi-num wire, markers, and tape to create the plant parts. Once the individual components are complete, the teacher gathers groups to guide their assembly into one large sculpture by twisting wire tightly around itself. Branches are blended in different directions and paper leaves are connected with floral wire. Teacher has students test the balance of the plant by gently nudging the sculpture to the left and to the right. Does the sculp-ture remain standing? If not, have students discuss how they can fix it. Is it too top heavy? Are the leaves not evenly distributed

Students sculpt plants.


Students sculpt pollinators.

around the stem? Is the base large enough or weighted enough to keep the plant upright? Students hone in on bal-ance and symmetry, while testing the plant’s structural soundness. Adjustments should be made to the sculpture until it is balanced sufficiently to remain upright.Groups observe, reflect, and take notes on what makes a strong plant structure. Students return to observing natural models of real plants and make notations about the plant’s balance and symmetry. Assessment: Are students able to describe what they’ve learned about the size of plant parts, their shapes, and forms? Can students identify materials and tools needed to build a large-scale plant and how the parts connect? Are students able to work as a team to assess the plant’s stability and make adjustments as needed? Assess students’ ongo-ing written summaries and reflections.

Papermaking Goal: Create colorful, flavored, scented paper out of plant-based products to assess how it absorbs water much like a plant. Students are guided into basic papermaking, starting with mixing pulp with water in a basin. As the pulp is mixed with hands to the desired paper consistency, students take handfuls of pulp and gently squeeze out any excess water into the basin. Students return to their table to continue shaping the pulp, with the option of incorporating plant materials (e.g., seeds, petals, or grass) into the paper they are making. Upon completion of the paper shaping, students place their finished paper product to dry on a sheet of wax paper. (Optional: Use a framed screen to distribute a layer of pulp into a sheet of paper. Carefully peel it away and let it dry on a sheet of wax paper.) Assessment: How does paper (made from plants) absorb water? How is it the same or different from a plant?

Papier-Mâché Pollinators Goal: Synthesize observations and research about pollinators into the form of a papier-mâché sculpture. Artist facilitates the students’ sculpture making by demonstrating different ways of shaping paper pulp into a desired pollinator form. Artist shows how layers of paper towel may be added to the students’ sculpture and how to incorporate the use of small tools (toothpicks) to carve details. Other objects may be added to make a pollinator’s wings


or antennae. Once students have completed their sculpture, they may place it on a paper plate and let it dry outside. Assessment: Can students define pollinators? Do they understand what features and parts an example pollinator has? Observe how students construct their work and apply their knowledge by using direct evidence in defending their choices.

Extension: Once paper sculptures are fully dried, they can be colored with markers by dabbing ink onto the absorbing fibers layered on the outside of the sculpture.

Making Prints of Plant Leaves Goal: Use printmaking to explore the design of a leaf from nature. Students apply concepts of symmetry when inspect-ing the leaf’s veins and when comparing their larger plant sculptures to their leaf prints. Artist guides students through the printmaking process by choosing colored paper, ink, and a fresh leaf. The ink is rolled over the leaf with a small paint roller, and the chosen paper is placed on top. Students rub the back of the paper in small circles with a wooden spoon. The harder one rubs, the more ink will transfer, making dark contrasts to the print. When the paper is care-fully removed, the imprint of the leaf is left. Students watch and assist each other as they handle the different materials. Freshly made prints are set aside to dry on a clean surface. Assessment: How does a leaf look when it is printed? What details do the students see that they didn’t before? Is it sym-metrical? Define similarities between the human circulatory system and plants. How is a leaf like a hand?

Present and Share Learning Goal: Present knowledge about the process of creating a plant sculpture. Students prepare for their presentation by constructing posters with notes from their botany journals and reflecting on the process of constructing a three-dimensional plant model. Students practice and rehearse their oral presentation, illustrating the shape of the plant in relation to its function. If the teacher is unable to coordinate a class presentation with another class, have student take turns presenting in groups. Assessment: Are students able to share their collaborative activities and identify the tasks required for the project? What do they now know about plant life?

ACADEMIC STANDARDS CCSS ELA-LITERACY W 1.2, 1.3, 1.7, 1.8; SL 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6; Old CA Science Life Sciences: 2a – e; Investigation & Experimentation: 4a – e; NGSS NNGSS K-2-ETS1.2, NGSS K-2-ETS1.3; Measurement & Data: 1.2; Geometry: 1.1, 1.2; Visual Art: 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8

CROSS-CURRICULAR STRATEGY APPLICATIONS• Build models of geometric forms to investigate qualities of objects.• Construct collages of community members from precut shapes to discover how complex objects comprise simple geometric forms.• Create journals or notebooks to record and analyze patterns found in the natural world.

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Developing Observational and Engineering Skills in a Study