Inquiry Science Unit Plant Life - · PDF fileLauren Petersen- Inquiry Science Unit ... grows into a plant, ... accurately without any trouble remembering their names

Inquiry Science Unit

Plant Life

Lauren Petersen TE 804

Lauren Petersen- Inquiry Science Unit

Name: Lauren Petersen and Britani Reid School: Schulze Academy for Technology and the Arts Grade Level: 2nd grade Science Topic: Plants: Parts and Life cycle

Learning Goals

Scientific Practices What should the students learn to do or do better?

Michigan Grade Level Content Expectation

Example specific practices

Inquiry Process

S.IP.00.11 Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate senses. S.IP.00.12 Generate questions based on observations using the senses. S.IP.00.13 Plan and conduct simple investigations using the senses. S.IP.00.14 Manipulate simple tools (hand lens, balances) that aid observation and data collection. S.IP.02.15 Make accurate measurements with appropriate units (meter, centimeter) for the measurement tool. S.IP.00.16 Construct simple charts from data and observations.

S.IP.02.11 Make purposeful observations of plant growth that include the needs of plants and the plant life cycle. S.IP.02.12 Generate questions based on observations of plant growth and plant parts. S.IP.02.13 Plan and conduct simple investigations into plant parts, plant growth and survival to determine the needs of plants. S.IP.02.14 Manipulate simple tools (metric rulers and meter sticks) to determine the growth of plants. S.IP.02.15 Make accurate measurements of the growth of plants in appropriate units (meter, centimeter). S.IP.02.16 Construct simple charts and graphs from data and observations of plant growth and life cycles.

Inquiry Analysis and Communication

S.IA.00.12 Share ideas about the senses through purposeful conversation. S.IA.00.13 Communicate and present findings of observations. S.IA.00.14 Develop strategies for information gathering (ask an expert, use a book, make observations, conduct simple investigations, and watch a video).

S.IA.02.12 Share ideas about the needs, parts and life cycle stages of plants. S.IA.02.13 Communicate and present findings about plant investigations in science journals. S.IA.02.14 Develop strategies and skills for gathering information about the life cycle of plants.


Reflection and Social Implications S.RS.00.11 Demonstrate science concepts about the senses through illustrations, performances, models, exhibits, and activities.

S.RS.02.13 Recognize that when a

science investigation is done the way

it was done before, similar results are

expected.

S.RS.02.15 Use evidence when

communicating scientific ideas.

S.RS.02.16 Identify technology used

in everyday life.

S.RS.02.11 Demonstrate the life cycle of plants through various illustrations, performances, exhibits, or activities. This will be accomplished through books, matching/memory game, students creating their own life cycle book, and watching the growth of students’ own seeds in the classroom S.RS.02.13 Students will be able to apply the needs of plants to grow their own seeds. Students will observe the growth of the seeds, which will prove that if a science investigation is set up the same way, similar results are expected each time. S.RS.02.15 Use evidence when communicating ideas about the needs of plants and the life cycle of plants. S.RS.02.16 Identify technology used to enhance the growth of plants that is used in everyday life.

Content Standards

L.HE.0213: Identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower type, color, size) that are passed on from parent to young. L.OL.02.14: Identify the needs of plants. L.OL.02.22: Describe the life cycle of familiar flowering plants including the following stages: seed, plant, flower, and fruit.

- Students will apply what they know about the parts of a plant by piecing together plastic plant parts (leaves. stem, petal, etc.)

- Students will justify their knowledge about plant parts, and their functions at the end of the first half of the unit on a plant parts quiz. Students will complete the same task at the end of the unit through a quiz on the life cycle of plants, by recounting what happens at each stage of the cycle.

- Students will review and demonstrate their comprehension of the parts of a plant by playing a memory game, which involves matching a plant part picture with a description of the part function.

- Students will explain the process of the life cycle by creating a visual time line of the life cycle. They will also create a book on the life cycle with descriptions and images of each stage.

- Students will apply the needs of a plant by planting their own seed and giving their seed what it needs to grow and become a plant. Students will be able to describe what happens during each stage of the seed’s growth.


EPE Chart For Plants: Parts and Life Cycle

Experiences Patterns* Explanations*

- putting together a model plant with the different pieces of the parts

- using an observation chart for to track the growth of students’ own lima beans

- making a plant book of the life cycle - work with partners to play plant part memory

game - looking at and reading literature about plant

life - exploring various plant life cycles

- In order to survive plants need specific characteristics that were passed down from their parent. (i.e. a lima bean plant and a tulip plant both contain stored food.) L.HE.02.13

- If you leave a plant alone for two weeks, and you do not water it and it doesn’t rain, then the plant will die due to lack of water. L.OL.02.14

- If you put a plant seed in the ground and provide it with air, warmth, light, and water, it will germinate and begin to grow. L.OL.02.14/L.OL.02.22

If a seed is planted in the ground with enough air, light, and water, the seed would be able to germinate. L.OL.02.14 Once the seed germinates, roots can develop to help get water and nutrients to the seed and it can continue to grow. L.OL.02.22 As the seed grows into a plant, it begins to take on characteristics of its parent, such as the type of flower it grows. L.HE.02.13 The plant will then pollinate and flower, eventually becoming a fruit. The fruit contains new seeds, and the new seeds drop to the ground the cycle begins again. L.OL.02.22

* Document each statement with the code for national standards benchmarks or other source.

Inquiry Application


Central Question and Model Response

Central Question

How does a flower grow in my backyard?

Model Response

I would take a seed and plant it in the dirt where it can get sunlight and air. I would make sure it gets enough water by watering it. Then it will germinate and start to grow a stem and roots will grow to help get nutrients and water. Now the plant will grow leaves and flowers, and eventually turn into a fruit. The fruit has new seeds in it. Once it becomes a fruit it will drop, and now a new seed from the fruit will start to grow and turn into a new plant.


Pre-Assessment Analysis

For our unit, I administered two pre-assessment tasks to my students. The first

pre-assessment task to my whole class was designed to find out what they know about

plant parts. Students had to fill in a worksheet by labeling the plant parts, and the

description of what each one did. We had originally thought of providing the words and

a description of each part for the students to use as they completed the pre-

assessment. After some thinking I decided to just give them the part descriptions, and

have them decide what each part was called, since my students touched on plants last

year in first grade. I anticipated some students remembering the different part names,

so I wanted to see what prior knowledge they still had about plant parts. The second

task entailed students to take four stages of a plant’s life and glue them in the correct

order. The purpose of this pre-assessment was to look more closely at what my

students know about the life of a plant. My students did not learn about the life cycle last

year, and this is where their conceptions most likely are coming from other experiences

outside of school, also known as the Funds of Knowledge, which were Family

Knowledge and Experience, and Popular Culture. I thought this task would help

transition nicely into the small-group talk that focused on these two Funds of

Knowledge, and that way my pre-assessment data would provide a more cohesive look

at what my students conceptions are before the start of our plant unit. The

interpretations below contain information on all three pre-assessments, and are listed by

each student.


Student One: Emmanuel

1.) Pre-Assessment Task #1: Labeling Plant Parts

Emmanuel had an accurate conception about where each part of the plant

was on the plant illustration. He was able to label each part correctly. So, he

was able to tell me where the flower, stem, leaves, and roots are located

accurately without any trouble remembering their names. Although he was

able to label the parts correctly, he struggled with describing what function

each part performed. For example, Emmanuel said that the flower “supports

the plant.” The answer that correlated to the name was, “the flower makes

seeds for the plant.” Emmanuel also said that the stem “soaks up water and

minerals.” Even though the stem contains the xylem and phloem to carry the

water and minerals, the correct answer what that the stem “supports the

plant.” Emmanuel definitely had the right idea on each part, but will need

more instruction on the actual function of each part. His conceptions of this

portion of the assignment will be helpful when executing the unit and what I

should spend more time on.

2.) Pre-Assessment Task #2: Life Cycle Order

Emmanuel did a pretty accurate job of putting the life cycle squares in order.

He only mixed two around. They were switched because the first picture he

had was a seed with roots that were already sprouted, with it raining, and the

next square was the picture of the freshly planted seed when it is raining.

Even though he mixed the two up, he still had the right idea, and was

probably thinking about the seed needing rain to start growing. He had the


next two pictures in order, which were of the stem starting to grow, and the

last was of the plant with leaves grown. Overall, it seems as though

Emmanuel had a somewhat accurate perception of the life cycle.

Student Two: Airreona


On the first pre-assessment task, Airreona had an accurate conception of

each plant part. She correctly labeled each part on the diagram. Since her

conceptions were accurate, she must have had some prior experience to

plants. She was able to label them correctly and even mentioned that she

remembered learning about the plant last year. Even though she was able to

recall the plant parts locations on the diagram, she was not able to come up

with all of the functions of each part. For example, Airreona wrote that the

flower “soaks up water and minerals,” and the roots “make seeds.” She did

however have some background knowledge to explain what the stem and

leaves provide support for the plant’s life. For the stem, she stated that it

“supports of the plant,” and she was able to explain that the leaves “make

food.”


During this task, Airreona was able to correctly put in order all four squares to

describe the life cycle. The accurate order points to Airreona having enough

prior knowledge to effectively explain through the illustrations the life cycle of

the plant.


Student Three: Tiera B.


Just like the other two students, Tiera was able to label the plant parts

correctly. She must have had experiences and a foundation of background

knowledge from first grade to enable her to correctly label the plants.

Although her conceptions on this portion of the task were correct, Tiera was

able to describe one of the parts accurately. She was able to describe that the

flower makes “seeds.” To explain the stem’s function, she wrote the word

“minerals,” as in soaks up water and mineral (description for roots). For the

roots, she said “food,” meaning that the roots make the food for the plant.

Lastly, for the leaves, she wrote “plant,” to explain that the leaves support the

plant. Tiera most likely has not had many prior knowledge about what each

part does, even though she know where each part is located on the plant.

This reinforces that I will need to spend more time explaining the functions

than explaining where each part is located.


For the second task, Tiera was able to put the first square of the root being

watered first. After that, she did not put the picture squares in the right order.

As the next step, she had the leaves growing, then she had the picture with

the roots growing, and as the last step she had the picture of the stem starting

to grow. After examining her finished pre-assessment, I will have to spend

some time explaining the order of each stage, as well as what happens during

each stage.


Student Four: Alaya


On the first pre-assessment, Alaya was able to successfully label all of the

part plants. She was also able to accurately describe the function of the

leaves and the roots. Her main conceptions that will hopefully be corrected

during the unit are her explanations of the flower and the stem’s function (she

mixed up the two). I felt that this conception she had is not completely off in

the sense that she does not have a solid foundation of what most of the plant

parts do, but we will need to touch on how seeds and food are made within

the plant.


After her completion of task two, I saw that Alaya was able to put the picture

squares in the right order. Although she was able to do so, I am still not

convinced that she comprehended the stages, and would be able to explain

to me what is happening in all of the steps. It seemed as though she has a

general foundation of the sequence, but I hope to expand upon it when we

learn these concepts in the unit itself.


Pre-Assessment Analysis Chart- Small Group Talk

Student

(first name only)

Interview response(s)

(drawing, written and/or oral)

Funds of Knowledge:

Interpretations and Implications for teaching:

Emmanuel When I asked the group the question, “What types of things, if any, does your family do with plants?” Emmanuel was able to respond with, “My mom plants flowers every spring outside our porch. She lets me help her water them with the hose.” When I asked him what happens as it was watered, he answered, “It grew tall and leaves and flowers grew from the top.”

He could explain verbally his experience stems from his experience with his mother’s garden. He was able to easily recall meaningful moments that he shared with his mom. Has prior experience planting and having flowers in the house. He was able to draw on these meaningful experiences to recall how the plant grew as it was watered over time by connecting his memories of taking care of the plants to the scientific idea.

Airreona At first I was pretty wary about whether or not Airreona knew the life cycle of a plant like her pre-assessment task two displayed, or if she had simply guessed the order. But after we completed the small group talk, I feel that she did have prior exposure to plants and the stages it goes through as it grows. Most of her prior knowledge comes from Popular Culture. During the small group talk, Airreona answered and explained the question “Is there anything you have ever seen on TV about plants?” Airreona said, “One time I saw on TV about plants and how it grows.” I asked her to explain what she watched and she replied, “It starts off as a seed and needs to be watered. After it has water, the roots can grow, and then after the roots grow, the stems and leaves can start to grow and it turns into a plant.” I thought her answer was pretty thorough. She was able to give a basic description of how a plant grows.

She was able to convey her conceptions that have been formed about what she has seen on TV about how plants grow. Her explanations were clear and explicit. She was able to make connections to the topic from prior knowledge and experiences. During the actual unit, I will need to elaborate during the unit on what happens during each stage, and make sure my students comprehend the whys.

Tiera Tiera has not really thought about her thinking of the plants in her neighborhood and outside in an academic way, like she did when she was learning about them in

Although it seemed as if Tiera did not have any Family Experiences that formed conceptions in her schema of plants, she was able to convey what she thinks as


first grade. When I asked the group if they had ever seen plants at home, she said “no, but I have some on my street.” She also said, “I saw a plant on TV once.” She has more background experiences from seeing plants around her neighborhood, and she told the group that she had “picked some flowers in the school’s grass.”

limited experience to plants. Her thought process on plants in only a school setting has reinforced the incorporation of experiences in the actual unit that are relatable to real-life.

Alaya Alaya was able to contribute about a couple of different aspects in relation to her funds of knowledge from Family Experiences. She told the group about the plant her sister grew in their room. She watched it grow, and helped her sister water it while they had it in the room. These experiences not only provided her with prior knowledge on plant life, but the needs of plants. When she told the group the plant died I asked her why she thought it did and she replied, “We didn’t give it enough water.”

She was able to connect the plant’s death to her and her sister’s forgetfulness to water the plant. I also found it interesting that she mixed up the life stages of the leaves and the stems growing after she watched the plant grow. From this foundation, when we talk about the needs of plants I will want to make sure that students know plants need more than just water to survive.

Small Group Observation Notes and Implications

Observations Interpretations and Implications for Teaching

Art Students were working on an African mask that required working in groups with materials. Students work quietly and efficiently during this time. Overall most of the students enjoyed the hands-on activity and being able to create an art project during the activity. For example, most students rarely talked the entire time. There were a couple of students that took charge of making sure the mask templates were passed around, supplies were distributed, etc. These students were Niah L., Romell S., Kyree C., and Airreona G. One student, Demarco J., would walk around to different students to make sure they knew how to trace the mask and make the correct cuts. A couple of students in particular did not really interact much with those they were working with. These students were Emmanuel C. and Tiera B. Centers

Art Students were able to use their creativity to complete mask, which kept students focused during art project. It was very interesting to observe how students stayed on task for almost the whole time during the art project. My students really enjoyed using their creativity to come up with a design for their mask. I will keep this in mind during unit to allow time for students to use their creativity to complete assignments, specifically the post-assessment in the construction of the life cycle book. Centers and Standing in Line When standing in line, I was amazed to see how many students were actually standing in line the way that they should (facing forward, hands to sides, no talking). During centers, students were able to stay on task for the most part. The center where students had the most


During this time, students were in small groups of three to four students, completing tasks that included word knowledge, reading, listen to reading, writing, computers/take to window (literacy games). At word knowledge, Tiera B. would tend to take many of the pipe cleaners. In reading, I noticed how well Darrell R. followed directions quietly, chose a book and read quietly. Demarco J. took charge in the listening center to set up the tape and make sure everyone was on the right page. At the writing center, Airreona G. was the leader and students followed her quiet working skills to complete a graphic organizer. At computers/take to window, Monquize T. made sure students who were supposed to be at the computer and take to window were in the correct places. Standing in Line I observed my students as they prepared to go to Library. Most students were able to follow directions to stand in line. There were a couple of students, however, that were talking, not paying attention, and not facing the correct way For example, Alaya D. and Hailey S. spent a lot of time talking to each other, and failed to change their behavior in line after the first time I acknowledged the choices they were making.

difficulty was the writing center, mainly because I think they were having a hard time coming up with a topic to start writing about, since it was a “free choice topic.” These two tasks brought similar conclusions. When I begin teaching the plant unit, I will make sure directions for each task are clear and explicit. I will also ensure that my expectations for the students are clear and stated up front. That way, students will know what is expected of them, and what they need to accomplish during each activity. The unit will focus on being a structured sequence of events where students can maintain successful work habits in order to take meaning from their learning.


Summary of Findings

After closely looking at four of my students’ pre-assessments and the pre-

assessments as a whole, I was able to learn a lot about what my students already

know, what conceptions I need to fix or expand upon, and what prior experiences have

helped shape their schemas of plants. An overall strength of my class was their ability to

label the plant parts. Almost all of my students were able to correctly name and label

each part on the diagram. Only 6 of my 21 students that completed the first pre-

assessment mixed up some of the plant part names. This strength provides me with the

inclination that I will not have to spend a lot of instructional time going over where each

part is located. Rather, focus on the description of each plant part. This is definitely a

naïve conception that I will have to pay attention to will be these descriptions, as well as

the life cycle stages. I feel like I should spend the biggest chunk of the unit going over

each life cycle stage and its importance to the next step in the plant’s growth. Through

the different experiments and activities Britani and I have planned, I hope to make this

portion of the unit meaningful so my students’ conceptions build off of one another. I

think this will be accomplished through the activities and the knowledge of their peers

during paired activities.

I will also be able to draw from my students’ ideas when teaching the plant unit.

Many students seemed to have experiences with plants outside of school. I will

anticipate making these outside connections to their real lives during our activities in

order to maximize meaningful learning and conceptions based on connections they can

make to their worlds.


Even though many students were able to give correct descriptions for some of

the plant parts, I am still wary of how accurate the pre-assessment turned out to be.

This is what I will need to address most in my teaching during the unit. Since they had

the description bank, it would have been really easy for my students to just guess what

each part did, instead of coming up with their own explanation based on their

conceptions about plants that were already in place. On the second pre-assessment

task, students could have easily guessed the order and glued them in place without

putting much thought into the cycle of the plant, so I do not know if I can truly assess

based on their prior knowledge and conceptions about the life cycle. Therefore, I see

some fault with the pre-assessment tasks now that I have analyzed my results. If I were

to administer these tasks again, I would not have given a word bank for the first task,

and would have seen what they could come up with on their own. For the second task, I

might have still provided the pictures, but I probably would have had them in order and

have the students explain what was taking place in each picture of the life cycle, and tell

me why they think so. To make sure my students’ conceptions are based off of their

learning and experiences, I am going to provide enough inquiry-based activities so they

can explore and investigate the concepts behind plants. I want to make sure they have

those “ah ha” moments where the material clicks, and they begin to grasp the concept

being taught. I think this will be accomplished best with hands-on activities during the

inquiry. Such activities will include dissecting seeds, planting their own seeds, and

looking at different types of plants through the use of vegetables. I am very excited

about incorporating hands-on science to our school day, because the exposure is so

important and fundamental in my students’ educations.


Special Needs

I have one student in my class that has a learning disability. In order to provide

him with an appropriate learning environment, I will be sure to have many manipulatives

and visuals that he can work with. This really helps him grasp the task at hand, and will

be the necessary aid in his science learning. In my planning, I will need to be sure to

have some sort of visual available for him to have with him while he finishes the task. I

will also consider that he be paired with the female student sitting next to him during

paired activities, because she seems to help keep him on track when he tends to get

overwhelmed. I also have a student with ADHD. For her as well as other students in my

class, I will be sure to give clear and explicit instructions, letting my students know

exactly what I expect from them. This will mean that I will have to carefully plan out what

I am going to say, have back up activities for them in case they finish early, and be

accessible during the activities for any extra assistance. This way there will be no

confusion, and students will be able to focus on what they need to accomplish in the

task, rather on how they are supposed to complete it.


Instructional Approach Unit Name: Plant Life Unit Author(s): Lauren Petersen and Britani Reid Unit Learning Goals:

- Students will find patterns of the functions of the seed coat, stored food, and embryo with lima bean seeds.

- Students will look for patterns in plant parts to discover how the root, stem, leaf, and flower play a critical function in the life of a plant.

- Students will discuss and compare ideas on what a plant needs to survive

- Students will be able to explain the patterns of how a plant changes as it grows through each stage of the life cycle (seed is planted, seed sprouts/germinates, plant produces flowers, fruit and seeds begin to develop, and seeds mature).

- Students will communicate results through writing and diagrams.

- Students will grow of their own lima bean seed to chart the growth that takes place in each cycle.

Date No. Activity Label Activity Description Activity Functions* (Why this activity in this

sequence?)

3/09/10 1 Establish a Question-What’s Inside a Seed?

Students will sit on the carpet as I read the story Seeds, by Ken Robbins. This will also act as the introduction to the plant unit. I will ask the question, “What do you think is inside of a seed?”

Use literature that introduces experience of seeds. The text will provide students with a connection to the seed dissection activity they will be completing later in the lesson.

3/09/10 2 Eliciting students’ ideas on seed parts

Students will sit on the carpet to brainstorm and elicit ideas about what they think might be inside of a seed. I will record their ideas on chart paper.

Students will be able to elicit ideas about what is inside of a seed. It is also an opportunity for me to probe their thoughts on topic to better understand what they took from the read aloud.

3/09/10 3 Investigating a Lima Bean

Each student will have their own lima bean. We will walk through the steps as a class to dissect and split open the lima bean. Each student will have their own dry and soaked seed, but will work in pairs to investigate the lima bean seed. Students will first look at dry seed, make observations, and then receive a soaked seeds to look for patterns and changes they saw. They will record observations through illustrations and a written explanation on a seed dissection worksheet that coincides with the experiment.

Allows exploration of ideas in an experiment of seeds. Students will need to record their observations on their first hand experience with the seed. Students will also have to look for patterns in the dry and soaked seeds with partner. It will also provide students with time to record their findings and ideas on their observation sheets.

3/09/10 4 What do we know? Explain observed

Students will explain what they investigated and record their answers for the following question in

Establishes a question that gives experience a purpose. Students will be able to share their ideas with their


patterns

their journal, “What are the different things you found inside of the seed?” Students will use their science journals to answer what they saw inside of the seed through a written description and illustration. After they write in their journals and discuss with partner, we will discuss patterns discovered during the investigation in a whole group share.

partner. Sharing their ideas will enable them to discuss evidence backing up their ideas. Students will also work on coming to an agreement on observed patterns. Group share will provide opportunity for students to explain patterns they found to answer the question.

3/09/10 5 Introduce scientific idea of seed parts

I will explain the three different seed parts and functions to my students. Students will label and explain a seed diagram template that highlights the seed coat, stored food, and the embryo (tiny plant).

New scientific information on seed parts and functions will help students connect their real life experience to the content, building a knowledge base so they can answer future questions asked throughout the unit.

3/10/10 6

Establish the question, how does a seed help a plant start to grow?

As a whole-group on carpet, students will discuss when I introduce one part of the central question for the unit, “What do you think the seed can do to help a plant start to grow?”

Establishes a problem that will need to be solved through multiple experiences.

3/10/10 7

What does a plant need to survive?

Students will share what they know about what humans need in order to survive. I will record their ideas on chart paper. I will ask the question, “What does a plant need to survive?” Students will predict and share their ideas on what they think a plant needs to survive. I will record these ideas underneath human needs.

Students’ ideas will share their ideas of what they already know about the needs of a plant. Their initial ideas forming a possible answer to the question will provide a foundation to build off of their knowledge and form a clear conception of plant needs.

3/10/10 8 Exploring Plant Needs

In the computer lab, students will use interactive online demonstration of what happens to a plant when it receives some of its needs and not the others. Students will record on worksheet what they observed when a plant:

- Receives sunlight, but no water - Receives water, but no sunlight - Receives sunlight and too much

water - Receives water, sunlight, and

air - Receives water, sunlight, but

not air

When they complete demonstration, we will come back as a whole group to share explored phenomena.

Students will look for patterns in their observations of the online demonstration. Students will convey their ideas in the whole group share and provide evidence from the observations to back them up.


3/11/10 9 Exploring Root, Stem, Leaf, and Flower Vegetables

Working in pairs, students will be given vegetables that exemplify the different plant parts: roots (carrots, radishes), stem (celery, asparagus), leaf (lettuce, spinach), flower (broccoli, cauliflower). Students will sort vegetables according to which part it is and record patterns between different vegetables on worksheet

Students will investigate different forms of each plant part to connect their prior knowledge on plant parts to their exploration of vegetables.

3/11/10 10 Sharing plant part patterns.

Four sets of partners will share what they explored about plant parts with the class; what patterns they noticed among them, what functions they bring to the plant. I will record their patterns on chart paper.

Students will explain ideas based off of their prior experience with plant parts, to connect to the plants they explored today. The patterns discovered in vegetables will provide the connection between each individual plant part, and its function on a plant such as a flower.

3/11/10 11 Explaining patterns of plant part locations/introducing functions on a flower

As a whole-group, we look at a poster of a flower diagram. Students share what they already know about where each plant part is located on the flowers. I will label the poster as students share what patterns they have seen on flowers in their past experiences with flowers. I will also introduce each plant function to the plant as a whole. Poster will be later hung in the classroom.

Students will be able to build on their knowledge of plant parts and compare their explanations with the scientific explanations I provide to them in whole group share and exploration.

3/11/10 12 Applying plant part knowledge to construct matching game

Each student will use explanation provided of each part function on the poster to construct “matching game” cards. Half of the set has the plant part name on a card. Students will fill in part description on the other half of the set. Students will play with partner to reinforce learned concept.

Students will be able to use and apply the scientific explanation to construct memory cards. Application will demonstrate students’ comprehension of content. Allow time for re-teaching to students who need to further instruction on plant part functions.

3/12/10 13 Plant Part Assessment

Students will have time to practice matching game with a partner. Students will complete pre-assessment worksheet that contains flower diagram. Student will label each part, and explain what each part’s function is.

Post-assessment will act as application of student knowledge to filling out blank diagram.

3/15/10 14 Establish We will read as a class Little Brown Introduce experience through text.


central question of unit, “how does a flower grow in my backyard?”

Seeds. Ask students to think about how a flower might grow in their backyard. This will also act as the introduction to the central question we will be investigating during the rest of the unit.

Students elicit ideas from experiences, and we establish the problem for the unit

3/15/10 15

Explore life cycle through the rotating cycle, “watch the seed grow”

Students will construct and explore a rotating circle made out of two sheets, one behind the other. Top circle has a box window, and bottom circle illustrates each stage of the life cycle.

Explore life cycle independently.

3/15/10 16

Explore patterns of life cycle

Students explore patterns that they notice that take place in the cycle rotator. Record patterns in science journals, and explain to a partner.

Students record their observations in their journals to explain their ideas of patterns found. Students can express their ideas to a peer through evidence they found in rotating cycle.

3/15/10 17 Explaining plant life patterns.

As a whole group, we will look at pictures of baby plants and parent plants to explain similarities of parent plant.

Students will also use explanations to form conception of how plants are like their parent plant by looking at pictures of baby plants that derived from a parent plant.

3/16/10 18 Introduce scientific idea of the plant life cycle

Students sit on carpet as I read, How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan.

Introduce life cycle through a comprehensible informational text so students can make connection to their experiences.

3/16/10 19 Comparing student ideas of plant growth to scientific ideas

To look at explanation of each stage, we will look at interactive plant on SMART board, which breaks down and explains each life cycle stage. Students will fill out illustration chart that contains an illustration of each stage. Underneath each illustration, we will fill in stage explanation as a group.

Students compare patterns from text and experiences to demonstration. We will go through worksheet as a group so students can revise and compare their own explanations to the scientific explanation I provide.

3/16/10 20 Reflecting on what we know about plants

As a whole group, we will look back at our charts and journals to review and talk about what patterns we have learned about plant parts and the stages of the life cycle. Remind students of central question, how does a flower grow in my backyard?

Providing reflection time will allow students to conduct a self reflection of their learning so far, and review the different concepts learned. Students will be able to answer question of how a plant grows through the scientific explanation they learned.

3/17/10 21 Students apply what they know about plant parts to grow their own Lima Bean plant.

Each student is given a seed, wet paper towel, and sandwich bag with their name on it. The bags are taped to the window to begin seed observation. Students will write predictions in science journals on how they think the seed will grow.

Students apply the concepts they have learned to grow their own seed. I will be able to model for them how to chart the growth of their seed, and how to relate the information we have learned to what they will observe over the next couple of weeks.


3/17/10- 3/30/10

20-28

Applying concepts to observations

Over the rest of the course of the unit, students will record daily the growth and observations in their seed observation journal.

Students will be given time to independently apply the scientific explanation to the growth of their seed. Students will be able to start relating the unit question to their seed growth, so they can form an answer in relation to their experiences.

3/31/10 29 Assessment Students will construct a life cycle book. This book will contain the stages of the plant life cycle, a couple sentences explaining each stage, and a drawing to express what each stage looks like

Students will be able to use experiences and scientific explanations to conduct post-assessment.


Outline for a Daily Lesson Plan

Teacher: Lauren Petersen/Britani Reid Date submitted: 02/26/10 Lesson date: 3/10/10

Overall lesson topic/title: Introduction to Seeds

Learning goals:

Inquiry Goals

- Students will perform experiments with lima bean seeds to demonstrate the f unction of

the seed coat, stored food, and embryo.

Grade Level Content Expectations

L.OL.02.22: Describe the life cycle of familiar flowering plants including the following stages:

seed, plant, flower, and fruit.

Rationale:

The purpose of this activity is to provide our students with an opportunity to discover the seed,

which is where a plant’s life derives. The function of this lesson relates to the instructional

sequence and the I-AIM model because students will participate in the exploration and

investigation of lima bean seeds during the hands-on dissection will allow students to form

explanations of the function of each part of the seeds. Students will record data to explain

patterns in their observations. Students will apply what they have learned in the labeling of a

seed illustration, and can then share with the class what they have learned.

Materials & supplies needed:

- Dry Lima Bean Seed (per student)

- Soaked Lima Bean Seed (per student)

- Napkin (per student)

- Seed Dissection Lab Worksheet

- Seed Diagram Worksheet

Procedures and approximate time allocated for each event

• Introduction to the lesson

Activity One (5 minutes)

- I will introduce the lesson by calling students to the

carpet.

- I will explain to students that over the next couple of

weeks, we are going to be acting like scientists.

Scientists think critically about new things. They

explore and experiment with objects they are trying to

learn about and discover. They use what they have

observed to be able to explain what they saw. They work

hard and use materials properly and safely. They always

follow directions and listen carefully to make sure they

Academic, Social and Linguistic

Support during each event):

- There will be three students

that I will strategically be

seated on the carpet

(Demarco J., Niah L., and

Christian S.). These students

will be sat in the front row

of the carpet. One student

will be in the left corner, one

in the middle, and one in the

right corner.


stay safe. These are all jobs and rules we will need to

follow when we are scientists in the classroom.”

- We will make a chart of all of these different jobs of a

scientist and hang in the classroom to remind students of

their duties as a scientist.

- I will introduce the topic of plants and read the book

Seeds, by Ken Robbins. The purpose of the text is to

introduce the seeds in a way that will provide students

with a connection to the seed dissection activity they

will be completing later in the lesson.

Activity Two (5 minutes)

- Students will sit on the carpet to brainstorm and elicit

ideas about what they think might be inside of a seed. I

will record their ideas on chart paper. This will allow us

to see what our students already know.

- I will then tell our students that over the next few weeks

we will be exploring seeds and plants.

• OUTLINE of activities during the lesson

- Students will go back to their seats. I will call students

back to their seats by calling the desk row on the carpet

that is sitting the quietest and following directions.

Activity Three (20 minutes)

- I will tell them, “We are going to explore our own seeds

now. You will each get a seed dissection lab sheet.

When you get the sheet, put your name and short date on

the paper. When you get a napkin, leave it in the top

right corner of your desk and show me you are ready for

the next step (pencils down, eyes on me).”

- I will give each student a lab sheet and napkin. I will tell

students this lab dissection worksheet will help them put

what they observe into a written and drawn explanation.

- Once students are ready to begin, I will explain that we

are first going to be looking at a dry lima bean seed.

“When you get your seed, work with your partner at

your desk to answer the lab sheet questions 1-2. Be sure

to draw a diagram (illustration) of what you are

observing.”

- I will explain questions 1-2 to ensure students will be

able to use the questions during the observation.

Question 1 asks students to describe the dry seed.

Students will be told to use all of their five senses except

for taste. Question 2 asks students to predict how they

think the seed that has been soaked in water will be

- Students will be told how

scientists act so expectations

are set for them to follow

during science to ensure

they will be able to

accomplish their tasks

successfully.

- Working with the person

next to them during the

dissection will be beneficial

for students that need extra

assistance with directions.

They will be able to follow

along with their partner, and

hopefully have a more

meaningful exploration of

the seed in order to make

connections and discover

what each part does.

- Going over each question

will provide clarification to

what is expected of students

while they are observing and

dissecting the seeds.


different than the dry seed.

- Students will work in pairs to explore the dry seed.

- Once they have completed questions 1-2, I will instruct

each student on what they will need to do with the

soaked lima bean once they are given one. We will go

through the remainder of the questions, and students will

need to explore the soaked seeds to try and discover the

three different parts of the seed (what they think they

are, where they think they are, and what they do).

Students will use their lab sheet to explain their ideas in

words and a diagram.

- They will dissect the soaked seed and hopefully be able

to physically see the embryo, stored food, and seed coat.

Students will repeat the process of drawing a diagram of

the soaked seed. Students will also answer questions 3-5

on the lab sheet. Question 3 asks students to respond on

whether or not their predictions were correct and

describe the changes. Question 4 asks students to split

the soaked seed in half and describe what the inside

looks like. Question 5 lets students know that the seed

stores food for a new plant. It asks the students whether

or not they think the seed has food inside for the plant to

begin to grow, and why they think what they do.

- I will transition to the next activity through the clean-up

of the seeds.

Activity Four (5-10 minutes)

- As students finish, they will be responsible for taking

out their science journals and answering the following

question based on what they investigated during the

dissection, which will be on the board: “What are the

different things you found inside of the seed?”

- They will discuss their entry with their partner.

- After they write in their journals and discuss with

partner, rows will be called to quietly sit on the carpet.

Activity Five (10 minutes)

- We will discuss patterns discovered during the

investigation in a whole group share.

- During the whole group share, I will explain the three

different seed parts and functions to my students. I will

tell them that the seed coat protects the seed from

insects, and other factors that could harm the seeds.

There is a baby plant inside, called an embryo, that will

start to grow once it has what it needs to do so. There is

also stored food helps the baby seed starts to grow once

- Giving the dry seed and

soaked seed one at a time

will help prevent any

confusion on what they are

working with.

- In the last activity when

students have to label the

diagram of a seed, students

will have the names of the

three seed parts on it. A

couple of students will

benefit from having key

words to recall what they

observed in the dissection


it has water and warm soil.

- Students will be instructed to go back to their seats and

independently label and explain a seed diagram template

that highlights the seed coat, stored food, and the

embryo (tiny plant).

- As they finish, students will clean up their desk area and

bring their seed picture to the carpet.

• Closing summary for the lesson (5 minutes)

- I will have a handful of students share one thing that

they were most interested by in the dissection of the

seeds, and what they learned from that part of the

dissection.

- I will call students by desk rows that are sitting quietly

on the carpet to go back to their seats.

experience.

Basis for assessment

I will informally assess our students on their ability to

describe patterns during the seed exploration, and how they

labeled the seed diagram. I will also gauge in the closing on

how our students are able to explain the different parts and

what they learned. The purpose of today’s lesson is to try and

gauge how well students were able to use the experiment to

indicate the three parts of the seed.

Academic, Social, and Linguistic

Support during assessment

I will informally assess student

on ability to use the seed part

names to label the diagram.


Post-Assessment Unit Analysis and Reflection

Assessment Task Description Plant Parts and Functions Task Description: In this assessment, students will be assessed on whether or not they

were able to match cards that contain the part name of a plant, and its’ function.

Rationale: When students have to identify where on the plant each part is located, and

what the function of each part, they will be able to apply their knowledge on what they have explored and learned to provide evidence of what they learned thus far in the unit.

L.HE.0213: Identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower type, color, size) that are passed on from parent to young. Task Features that I am looking for:

Each plant part is correctly identified

Description clearly describes the function of each plant (e.g. the stem supports the plant)

Life Cycle Stages Task Description: Our post assessment for the plant life cycle will be on the plant life

cycle stages. At the end of the life cycle lesson, the students will be responsible for putting six squares in order that contains the stages of the plant life cycle, a couple sentences explaining each stage, and a drawing to express what each stage looks like.

Rationale: Prior to this activity we will be going over each stage, why it is important to

the life cycle, and what each stage looks like. This way the students will have the information to help them compile the stages. Having the students complete this independently will show us if they were able to comprehend the information we have taught over the past couple weeks. Also it will show us if our activities were affective in getting the concept across to our students or if we need to change up our instruction and activities for our next unit.

L.OL.02.22: Describe the life cycle of familiar flowering plants including the following

stages: seed, plant, flower, and fruit. Task Features that I am looking for:

Students use colorful and descriptive illustrations of each stage

Students include two sentences explaining what is taking place in each stage

Key words from unit are used (pollination, roots sprout, etc.)


Unit: Plant Life Cycle Task: Plant Parts and Functions Intern: Lauren Petersen Student # Goal Features # of goal

features

Identified Roots/Described

Function

Identified Stem/Described

Function

Identified Leaves/Described

Function

Identified Flower/Described

Function

1Airreona X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

2Romell X/ X/ X/ X/ 4/

3Juwante X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

4Christi X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

5Winter X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

6Monqui X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

7Emman X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

8Kyree X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

9Demarc X/X X/X X/ X/X 4/3

10Niah X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

11Sharda X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

12Tiera X/X X/X X/ X/X 4/3

13Kenne X/X X/X X/X X/ 4/3

14Alaya X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

15unique X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

16omarri X/ X/X X/X X/ 4/2

17elone X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

18davont X/X X/ X/X X/X 4/3

19darrell X/X X/ X/ X/ 4/2

20daniell X/ X/ X/ X/ 4/

21jujuann X/ X/ 2/

22hailey X/ X/ X/ X/ 4

23alerik X/ X/X X/X X/X 4/3

# 22/17 23/17 22/16 23/16

% 96% / 74% 100% / 74% 96% / 70% 100% / 70% %


Unit: Plant Life Cycle Task: Life Cycle Stages Intern: Lauren Petersen Student

# Goal Features # of

goal

features

Stage 1Pic/ Description

Stage 2 Pic/ Description





1Airreona

X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X 6/6

/2Romell

X/X 1/1

3Juwante


4Christi


5Winter

X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X 5/5

6Monqui


7Emman


8Kyree X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X 5/5/

9Demarc


10Niah X/X X/X X/ X/ X/ X/ 6/6

11Shar X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X 5/5

12Tiera

X/X X/X X/X 3/3

13Kenn

X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

14Alay X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X X/X 6/6

15unique


16omarri

X/X X/X X/X 3/3

17elone

X/X X/X X/X X/X 4/4

18davont

X/X X/X 2/2

19darrell

X/X X/ X/X X/X X/X X/X 6/5

20daniell

X/X X/ X/ X/X 4/2

21jujuann

X/ X/ 2/


22hailey

X/ X/ X/ X/ X/ 5/

23alerik


# 22/20 20/17 17/15 15/13 14/12 19/16

% 96% / 87% 87% / 74% 74% / 65% 65% / 57%

61% / 52%

83% / 70%

Response Analysis/Analysis of Patterns

Task 1: Plant Parts

In this task, students were given plant parts on a piece of paper. Once students

had these pieces of paper, they had to write the description to match the function of

each plant part. Students were assessed on whether or not they were able to identify

the plant part, and describe what that plant part is responsible for. In the chart above,

the first X represents the plant part. The second X represents whether or not students

were able to provide the function for each part. After charting my students’ results from

this post-assessment that was given half-way through the unit, I was able to see how

much my students really knew about the plant parts. Since my students had some prior

knowledge about plants from first grade, I knew they would not need as much time on

going over the parts, and this part of the unit acted more as a review on the parts, and

more focus on what each part does. From this data, I decided to not spend as much

time on the plant parts, and focus more on each stage. Therefore, I gave this post

assessment earlier than I was planning on giving it. I was very satisfied with my

students’ results. Two of the four plant part identifications, roots and flower, 100% of my

students recognized correctly. The other two plant parts, stems and leaves, 96% of my

students identified correctly. The pattern of these results allowed me to interpret my

students’ overall success on knowing the plant parts, and where they are located on the


plant. An average of about 72% of my students was able to describe the function of

each plant. From these results, I found a pattern that the majority of my students knew

the function of each part, but there are still a group of students who do not know the

functions. One pattern I noticed is that students were not as accurate in describing the

functions of the flower and leaves. This makes me wonder if my activities were more

helpful in understanding the functions of the roots and the stems. The students that

were not able to give the functions of these mixed up the two, and thought that the

leaves made the new seeds. These results were very pleasing to see, because it

provided evidence that my students were knowledgeable on the plant parts.

Task 2: Plant Life Cycle Stages

At the end of the unit, I gave my students a summative assessment where they

had to draw six pictures representing each stage of the life cycle, and two sentences to

describe what happens in those stages. From the data I collected, I was able to see

what my students learned most about the stages of the plant life cycle. I noticed a

pattern that 96% of my students were able to draw the first stage, and 87% of my

students were able to describe this stage. This was the highest percentage out of all the

stages. I also noticed a pattern that my students were more able to draw a picture of

each stage than they were to write sentences to describe what was happening. For

example, in stages four and five, only 57% and 52% of my students were able to

provide an accurate written explanation of each stage. I might account this to the lack of

writing that takes place on a day to day basis in all subject areas, not just literacy. Even

though I tried to bring writing into the units I planned during the internship, I think my

students are more willing to describe and show me what they know through pictures.


Even though I accept this form of explanation, developmentally I think my students need

more practice in writing.

Reflection Overall, I think the unit went very well. My students remained engaged. I think by

following the I-AIM model, I was able to focus more on using experiences and hands-on

activities to teach students the concepts of the plant parts and the stages of the life

cycle. My students really enjoyed doing the hands-on activities the most. For example,

my students really enjoyed the seed dissection. That was probably the quietest I had

ever seen them! They were so interested in what is inside of a seed, and how the seed

coat came off. My students also really enjoyed planting their own seeds later on in the

unit, and watching them grow over time. I think it was also was successful because I

based lessons and how I related concepts to my community of learners to their

everyday lives. In Reddy’s Adapting Scientific Habits of Mind in a Learning Community,

there was a lot of information regarding students’ ability to learn when they have a

mindset of being scientists themselves. I established this in my classroom of learners.

Students were able to tell me about gardens they have at their house, or what

experiences with plants they have had at places such as the grocery store. Even though

I think there were a lot of positives in my unit, I think there are also some areas that did

not go as well. The activity that did not go as smoothly as I was hoping was an

extension lesson I did on photosynthesis. My mentor teacher and I decided that

students needed more of a challenge, and so I created a lesson on what happens

during photosynthesis. It was a lot of new information, and I think some of my students

got confused. Since I did not feel they were comfortable in their knowledge on


photosynthesis, I did a follow-up lesson on it. They seemed to grasp the concept better

after this lesson. If I were to teach the lesson again, I would have tried to include more

of a hands-on activity to relate to photosynthesis.

I think the first post-assessment was most successful. Based on students’ prior

knowledge from previous grades, they were able to really learn off of the foundation

they already had on plant parts. From the patterns of the plant part results, if were to

teach this unit again, I would maybe spend more time on the leaves and the flowers

since the functions of the root and stem were easier to grasp for my students. Although

it always depends on the group of students you have each year, I will definitely take this

into consideration. After reviewing the second assessment, I really feel that most

students understood each stage, but really expressed their knowledge through pictures.

Even though I think this is a great way for students to express themselves, I think I

would have been really pleased to see students provide more of a written explanation. If

I were to teach the unit again, I think I would provide more writing opportunities to

explain each step. I think drawings are definitely a way to give all levels of learners to

express and demonstrate what they know, but I think being able to write even just a few

words on a concept is just as important. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this unit

to my second graders. Through the hands-on experiences and incorporation of the

smart board technology in my classroom, I was able to successfully keep students

engaged, and help them learn more about the plant parts and the life cycle a plant goes

through.

Documents

Inquiry Science Unit Plant Life - · PDF fileLauren Petersen- Inquiry Science Unit ... grows into a plant, ... accurately without any trouble remembering their names