SEEDS

Literature Focus UnitEDU 315Nicole McCrory

Literature Selection The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle The Lorax by Dr. Suess From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons Seeds by Ken Robbins How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan, Loretta Krupinski (Illustrator) The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland, Tatsuro Kiuchi (Illustrator) A Seed is Sleeping by Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia Long (Illustrator) Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum What Are Seeds? by Molly Aloian The Life Cycle of a Tree by Bobbie Kalman; Kathryn Smithyman;Barbara Bedell Oh Say, Can You Seed? All About Flowering Plants by Bonnie Worth; illustrator

Aristides Ruiz What Do Roots Do? by Kathleen Kudlinski; illustrator David Schuppert To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson; illustrator Margaret Chodos-Irvine

THEME STUDY Students will take part in a thematic unit

on seeds and plants. This unit will integrate reading, writing with social studies, science, mathematics, art, music, and physical education.

Students will develop an understanding of seed growth and development, plants and seed/plant terminology, optimal growing conditions, and types of seeds.

Language Arts: Reading Activities Students will read various fiction and

non-fiction books and poetry about seeds and plants through silent reading, partner reading, guided reading, and reading aloud.

Students will read their seed stories and poems to the class.

Students will share their seed journals.

Language Arts: Writing Activities Students will write a letter to someone who

lives on a farm. They need to ask detailed questions.

Students will write a What is it Poem. Students will write a seed to plant poem. Students will add seed and plant words to the

Word Wall. Students will write a journal on seed growth Students will create lyrics to a photosynthesis

song.

Language Arts: Speaking Activities The students will use the author’s chair to

read their stories and poems aloud. Students will join in a grand conversation on

what seeds they like/dislike and why. Students will participate in a small group

discussion about What Do Roots Do? by Kathleen Kudlinski

Students will participate in a reader’s theatre of To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson

Language Arts: Listening Activities Students will listen to audio versions of seeds and

plant literature Students will listen as the teacher discusses seeds

and plants and how they grow and why. They will listen as the teacher shares information about North Dakota seeds.

Students will listen respectfully to their peers as they share their seed stories, poems, and journal entries.

Students will listen to their peers opinions during grand conversations.

Students will listen to photosynthesis song

Language Arts: Viewing Activities Students will view seed and plant paintings by

famous artist. Students will view photographs of seeds and plants. Students will take a field trip to a farm to observe

seeds and plants and take photographs. Students will view the word wall. Students will take a nature walk to observe the

plants. Students will view plant videos (see technology

ideas) Students will view artistically displayed poems.

Language Arts: Visually Representing Activities Students will take photographs on their

field trip. Students will display their poems in an

artistic presentation. Students will create a seed Word Wall. Students will view their own plants

growing in the classroom. Students will create seed pattern.

Science Activities Students will investigate the seed cycle through

experiments such as growing their own plant. Students will view seeds with a microscope. Students will dissect a seed and label parts Students will investigate different types of

seeds. Students will research soils and what types

develop good plants. Students will investigate different types of

fertilizer

Mathematics Activities Students will graph the development of

their plant. Students will measure their plant growth. Students will create patterns using

different seeds. Students will graph results from soil

experiment. Students make diagrams from fertilizer

research.

Social Studies Activities Students will complete a KWL chart about farming

seeds. Students will create a Venn diagram by comparing

crops in various parts of the United States. Students will create a map of ND crops. A local farmer can visit the classroom Students will discuss importance of seeds and

plants for North Dakota. Students will investigate different seeds from

other countries.

Music and Art Activities Students will make paper plants. Students will mount and title photographs

taken outdoors. Students will create an artistic background

for their poems. Students will make instruments using seeds

to make music. Students will make masks using different

types of seeds. Students will listen to photosynthesis song.

Physical Education Students will play vocab relay. Students will go on a field trip to a farm. Students will plant a tree as a class Students will participate in a seed and

plant scavenger hunt with pedometers Students will plant a garden.

Technology http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_uez5WX1o http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/clie

nt_ftp/ks2/science/plants_pt2/

http://www.growandlearn.org/ Digital photography Newspapers Audiotapes of literature Magic School Bus: Plants Seeds Video Way Cool Science: Seeds and Plants By Max Orbit

Video Bill Nye the Science Guy videos

Language Art Strategies Activating background knowledge: students will think

what they already know about seeds and plants. Brainstorming: students will think of many ideas

related to seeds and plants through writing activities. Predicting and Monitoring: students will predict the

plant growth and keep track of plant growth in a journal.

Playing with Language: students will use language creatively through stories, poems, and journals.

Revising: students will make changes to written activities.

Visualizing: students will draw pictures in their minds.

Language Arts Skills Print: students will recognize words on the

Seed Word Wall. Comprehension: students will recognize

literary genres of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Language: students will apply various skills in their writing activities: stories, poems.

Reference: students will make venn diagrams, graphs, read newspaper articles

Grouping patterns Large Group: grand conversations, field

trips, nature walk, viewing videos, word wall, Venn diagram, farmer visit.

Small Group: small group discussions, creation of instruments, writing plant journals, mounting and titling plant photographs, identification of ND crops.

Individual: writing stories, poems, letters, journal entries

Morning Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayLanguage Arts *Grand

Conversation *Teacher provides information on seeds

*Listening Center and silent reading: Seed stories *Add Words to Word Wall

*Seed Poetry *Small group discussion: What Do Roots Do?

*Reader's Theatre: To Be Like the Sun *Write a Letter to Farmer

*Create new lyrics for photosynthesis *Author's Chair: Share Poems

Art/Music *Make Paper plants *Listen to photosynthesis song

*Create Masks with seeds *Create own photosynthesis song

*Create instruments

*Create background for poems *Make music with seed instruments

*Artist's Gallery: View poems, plants, masks *Perform songs

P.E. *Plant a Garden *Plant a Tree *Go to on a Field trip to Local Farm

*Play vocab relay *Scavenger Hunt

Afternoon Math *Create patterns with seeds

*Graph development *Measure plant growth

*Measure plant growth *Graph development

*Measure plant growth *Graph Development

*Graph results on soil experiment *Measure Plant growth *Graph development

Science *Provide info on seed growth *Plant Seeds *Begin Seed Journal

*View seeds under microscope *Seed Journal

*Dissect Seed *Seed Journal

*Provide info on Soil *Experiment: Soil *Seed Journal

*Provide info on fertilizer *Experiment: Fertilizer *Seed Journal

Social Studies *KWL Chart on farming seeds

*Provide info on seeds from other countries

*Create Venn diagram: Crops in US

*Create Map of ND crops

*Visit from Farmer

Assessments Journal entries and KWL Chart: Rubric Participation in grand conversations Analytical Writing Traits Rubrics and peer

conferences for stories and poems Performance assessment of author’s chair, small

group science experiments Math graphs, Venn diagrams, plant journals and

Social Studies maps: Checklist Spelling test with words from the Seed Word Wall Active participation in physical education and

music performances Portfolio of art work: plants, poetry presentation,

and photography