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How do plants and trees grow?
Plant Secrets Unit | Lesson 2 of 3

How do plants and trees grow?

Plant Secrets Unit | Lesson 2 of 3
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep
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Why`would`you`need
a`plant`sitter`to
take`care`of`your
plants`while`you’re
gone?

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Can`you`think`of`a
way`to`figure`out
if`the`sunlight
helped`the`small
tree`grow?

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Stop

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# Extensions

Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity & exploration you just completed.

  • Lesson Assessment : Open-ended drawing/writing prompt
  • Readings: These books will get your students thinking about what plants need to live and grow.
  • Video: Get students observing and predicting with a time-lapse video of a growing seed!
  • Activities: Three options for an extended plant investigation
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# Readings

These online books are free for educators registered on Epic!:

Plants Are Alive by Molly Aloian explores how the parts of a plant, such as roots, stems, and flowers, help a plant survive.

Max Plants a Seed by Kerry Dinmont is a picture book that shows what happens when Max plants a sunflower seed.

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# Video and Discussion

This timelapse video of a seed germinating would make a great opportunity for discussion:

  • Before watching: Tell students they’re going to watch a sped-up video of a plant beginning to grow.
  • While watching: Pause the video several times to have students describe what they’re seeing and make predictions about what will happen next.
  • After watching: Ask students what they think would have happened if the plant didn’t get water or sunlight. How would the video have been different?

For more on how to lead great science discussions, see this list of talk moves from The Inquiry Project.

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# Activities

Note: These activities last three weeks or longer but are a great opportunity to extend this Mystery further.

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Lesson narration:

Grade K

Plant Needs

Plant Needs: Water & Light

K-LS1-1

Activity Prep

Print Prep

THIS LESSON WAS REVISED ON JULY 24, 2020. If you've prepped prior to that date, here is the link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students investigate what plants need to grow. In the two-part activity, Sprout a Seed, students plant radish seeds in paper cups. When the seeds sprout, students notice that the leaves of the young plants lean toward the light. A classroom root viewer made from a Ziploc bag and paper towels lets students observe root growth.

Preview activity

Exploration

20 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

Grade K

Plant Needs

Plant Needs: Water & Light

K-LS1-1

Extend this lesson

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