Plant Life Cycle

Authors: Kari Bennett, Danika Harris, Crystal Stoner

Grade Level: 4

Time frame:

• Centers-3 days / 1 hour each day
• Class bean experiment- 10 consecutive days
• Website interactive-1 hour

Lesson Description or Explanation

This lesson plan involves using centers as a way of introducing the students to new science topics, as some children learn best with hands-on, interactive exploration. During the lesson the children will learn in a social setting, in small groups, discussing their new findings and making connections to other's responses. The curriculum will be parceled into 6 separate centers in which students will attend 2 centers each day for 30 minutes each. Students will observe, explore, infer, and predict, and they will learn through exploration. The big ideas to be addressed during this lesson are viewing plant cells through microscopes, identifying cell parts and deeper cell investigation, identifying parts of flowers through flower dissection, further exploration of the scientific method, discover baby plants in a seed through dissection, and deepen scientific knowledge through music and songwriting. Students will leave each center with a new awareness of each subject. Each student will have the opportunity to discuss their prior knowledge about each subject and then will obtain new understandings through exploration and participation and talking with peers.

The second part of the lesson comes after an in class experiment in which each student actually grows their own plant from a bean. More information about this activity can be found on the websites listed below. The interactive website allows students to explore and assess their own plant progress at their own pace.

Indiana Curricular Standards
Science: 4.2.7, 4.4.1, 4.4.3, 4.4.5, 4.4.6, 4.6.1
Music: 4.1.3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2
Math: 4.5.1, 4.7.6

ISTE Standards
1. Basic operations and concepts

• Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems
• Students are proficient in the use of technology

3. Technology productivity tools

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity
• Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works

5. Technology research tools

• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources
• Students use technology tools to process data and report results
• Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks

Assessments Formative / Summative

• Each center has its own rubric to which the students will be assessed. Assessments will also be made by observations that teachers make of students work and discussion with others.

Prior Knowledge

• Curricular Knowledge or Skills: To assess the student's knowledge of the content, we will devise a list of questions to address the student's current knowledge of the plant life cycle in order to determine the point where we need to begin.
• Technology Knowledge: The students will have the opportunity to visit multiple websites to explore and navigate the content.

Technology
Internet Resources:

• http://www.sln.org.uk/science/lifecycle/
• http://mgonline.com/experimentsforkids.html
• http://infowest.com/life/plants/htm
• http://compostcss.cornell.edu/plantgrowth.html
• http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html
• htp://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu.rothk/doplants.htm
• http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/nextmove/beanview/view1/php3

Materials:

• Center 1: Rubric, microscope and labeled diagram of microscope, reference books with large color photos of plant cells, labeled Jello model, prepared slides with onion plant cell, worksheet with diagram of cell for students to label
• Center 2: Rubric, cell parts/function poster, student's science books, matching worksheet, cell diagram, labeling worksheet
• Center 3: Rubric, flower, paper plate, plastic knife, tape, dissected flower parts diagram and labeling worksheet, student science book, other books showing flower diagrams
• Center 4: Rubric, book, What is a Scientist?, computer with streaming video loaded (video provided by teacher through her school account), poster of the steps of the scientific method, reference books
• Center 5: Rubric, lima bean-dry, observations sheet, magnifying glass, soaked lima bean, paper towel, bean dissection worksheet
• Center 6: CD Of scientific method song and CD player, lyrics to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", paper and pencils, various instrument that IUPUI interns created in Block II music
• Computers (two students per computer)
• Worksheet to be used in conjunction with overhead
• Elmo and flower diagram

Procedure
Center 1: Cells and Microscope

• Step 1: Demonstrate microscope use and safety rules
• Step 2: Introduce parts of the microscope and discuss the proper way to use and carry. Fill out diagram of microscope parts for future reference
• Step 3: Review parts of cell and definitions. Look especially at the cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm, cell shape, and pattern
• Step 4: Observe Jell-O model and discuss parts of cell that are visible: Cell wall, cytoplasm and nucleus
• Step 5: Look at cell model and plant cell under microscope. Student will draw a picture of a cell as viewed from their microscope. Student will use the information sheet provided to leable the parts of the cell that are visible

Center 2: Cell Structure and Function Center

• Step 1: Prior knowledge questions: What do students know about cells? Follow questions
• Step 2: Identify and discuss: Identify and discuss 8 main parts of a plant cell in depth
• Step 3: Quick overview: Go ove rparts again-name structure and function of 8 main parts
• Step 4: Evaluation: Matching worksheet and label cell diagram
• Step 5: Color cell: IF time allows, let the kids color their cell to look like the one on the poster/in their book

Center 3: Flower Dissection Center

• Step 1: Discuss safety rules for touching plants. No eating them and must was hands immediately
• Step 2: Demonstrate how to carefully dissect a flower, one piece at a time
• Step 3: Students dissect their flowers, carefully pulling off the petals, stamen, and place on diagram
• Step 4: Demonstrate how to cut open the pistil
• Step 5: Students cut open their pistil and observe the ovary and ovules inside and place on diagram
• Step 6: Complete diagram with correct names of lower parts and discuss observations with peers in group
• Step 7: Discuss as a group the names of each part and its function

Center 4: Scientific Method Center

• Step 1: Students will listen and respond as teacher reads the story, What is a Scientist? The book covers all aspects of the scientific method. Students will interact with peers and teacher throughout the reading of the book by providing answers and forming hypothesis about each step in the scientific method
• Step 2: Students will view a streaming video of child performing a science experiment utilizing the scientific method
• Step 3: Students will review the 5 main steps of the scientific method and give examples of each
• Step 4: Students will fill out an information sheet journaling about what they believe a scientist is and does, also naming the 5 main parts of the scientific method

Center 5: Bean Dissection Center

• Step 1: Go over rubric and pass out all materials Have students observe a hard lima bean (one that has not been soaked). Students need to fill out the DRY side of the observation sheet
• Step 2: Now show the group the soaked batch of butter beans and students should notice how different these beans look from the ones not soaked. Students need to fill out the WET side of the observation sheet
• Step 3: ASK: How can we find out what is in the inside of the bean? Students should say that we need to pen up the bean
• Step 4: Pass out a paper towel and magnifying glass to each student. Have students complete diagram of seed as they carefully pull apart the two halves of the seed. Examine each piece carefully with a hand lens and make a quick sketch of the seed parts you observed
• Step 5: Show kids a diagram of the labeled parts of the bean in science book

Center 6: Music Center

• Step 1: Students will listen to a song about the scientific method to help give them ideas
• Step 2: Students will select an instrument and play it for one minute this will help the students to be able to focus on the writing of the song instead of the desire to play the instrument
• Step 3: Students will practice singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
• Step 4: Students will create a piggy-back song together in a small group about the main parts of the scientific method, with the music, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
• Step 5: Students will play instrument while singing their newly created song

Website Interactive:

• http://www.sln.org.uk/science/lifecycle/
• Make sure that students beging at the same time
• Emphasize the importance of not rushing through the website
• Invite students to study both the human and plant life cycles, plant their cyber-bean and then measure and label their cyber-bean's daily growth
• If two students are sharing, make sure students are taking turns controlling the computer, unless they are "really" working together to label the different parts
  
• Labeling worksheet/talk about plant lifecycle
• Allow students to have any other papers used in previous lessons as a reference
• Review bean life cycle on Elmo
• Review additional resource books on plant life cycles
• Get student familiar with the cycle in the books, books will be handy in the art lesson
• Allow time for students to log off computers and place them back into the cow (computers on wheels) if applicable

Differentiated Instruction

ESL:

• Allow partner work so that ESL students can receive additional support
• Translate websites
• Use pictures to help with instructions

Challenge/Extend:

• To challenge students, extend the experiment by making more variables and having them keep track of those as well

Special Needs:

• Work with partners for additional support
• Make screen larger for visual impairments
• Have computer screen read to students with visual impairments or reading disabilities
• Enable the feature on the computer where the words on the screen are read aloud through the speakers
• Allow extra work time