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If you have a grassy lawn near you, you can go on a dandelion hunt! Find four areas on the lawn that are about the same size. Ideally you want:
a sunny spot with plenty of water
a shady spot with plenty of water
a sunny spot with not much water
a shady spot with not much water
Assign a team to count the dandelion plants in each spot. Then analyze your results. Which area had the most dandelions? Which had the least? Discuss what might affect the success of dandelions in a particular area. For a math extension, make a bar graph displaying your data.
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“My students were using their Higher Order thinking skills. The students were using the information on the plant cards to justify why they were planting their plants in the area they chose.”
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Stephanie
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“The students retained the previous lessons.They enjoyed Plant Survivor so much, boys were leaping out of their seats to embrace their buddies when their plant survived. It was crazy fun like a sporting event.”
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Donna
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Hilarious goats and they LOVED plant survivor. Your lessons are fun, engaging and full of content. I just told three teachers they need to do this lesson.
thank you!!!!!”
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Akhri
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“This lesson provides a simple lesson that helps with understanding that different plants have different needs for water and light. My daughter especially loved the game with the lesson and went back to play it several times. ”
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Lynette
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Homeschooler
· over 5 years ago
“This was a wonderful lesson in terms of incorporating reading, writing, listening and speaking. The culminating activity of actually planting seeds is my students' favorite part. ”
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Daniel
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The kids loved playing Plant Survivor! The goats definitely added a little extra to the lesson too. I felt it required the students to remember all they had learned in earlier lessons. ”
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Kirsten
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The students loved it. I liked that there were 3 rounds so that they were able to adjust their choices based on the information they learned.”
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Yolanda
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“Great review for my third graders as we move into life cycles! They loved the game and it got them thinking about how environmental change can impact living things, which is an upcoming unit as well.”
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Lisa
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“My students loved the game plant survivor! They got a kick out of the goats. The activity was just the right amount of time. Every student could play the game and feel successful. ”
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Crystal
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“This lesson went really well. The visual elements, and printable materials were very helpful to my ELL students. The especially loves the pollinating activity. The students were completely engaged in the activities. ”
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Idella
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The game was the class' favorite activity so far!”
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Ann
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The kids loved the game so much that they wanted to play it again. :)”
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Diana
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Homeschooler
· over 7 years ago
“Excellent...they wanted to continue playing. Loved the story with the goats!”
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Joanne
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Wow!!! My students are begging me to keep playing this game! WOuld be great if you had more cards and another another map so you could play another round with different scenarios! Probably the best science game with inquiry and cooperative group work ever!!!”
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Marianne
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Learning about the needs of various plants through an interactive game was the best part of this mystery!”
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Heather
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The garden survivor game was fun, but the scenes/story needs to change up a bit for Round #2 and #3. They were disappointed that the 'situation' was very similar. I wasn't sure how the game would go, but they loved it.”
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Margaret
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The students were so engaged with the game. One students requested that it be made into a board game. :) What a fun way to end the unit. ”
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Marlena
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Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“My students loved the survivor themed plant activity. This activity was a true example of how plants survive from year to year. Excellent activity- we want to play again! ”
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Stephanie
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Teacher
· almost 8 years ago
“Even though I'd watched it before hand, I didn't stop the video in the right place so we got confused on the plant cards. And even though I thought the plant cards were clear, my students with auditory processing issues (I teach special ed) had a hard time following what to do. We did like the ideas, and the student who had been crying stopped when the goats came on screen.”
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Megan
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Teacher
· almost 8 years ago
“The game was a big hit. Lots of fun and it allowed for discussion and partner work.”
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Teacher
· almost 8 years ago
“The game was a FANTASTIC application for what they've been learning in the last few mysteries about the amount of sunlight and water needed for each plant. I loved that they got to work (hopefully) cooperatively amongst a table to figure out which plant would survive in each location. Thank you for yet another awesome mystery!”
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Jackie
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Teacher
· over 8 years ago
“We loved the game! We go through so quickly because the kids keep wanting to see more. We have a couple activities to go back to when we get some seeds. All the lessons so far have totally kept two little boys' attention! Great lessons!”
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Amy
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Homeschooler
· over 8 years ago
“My students are still asking to play Plant Survivor again!! Great hit, thank you!”
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Susan
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Teacher
· over 8 years ago
“The ease of use. The kids were really engaged, and it was so straightforward. ”
In this lesson, students will practice thinking like gardeners. In the activity, students play Plant Survivor, a game that encourages students to think about what plants need and how habitats change over time.
Each Plant Cards printout includes 16 plant cards (4 to a page). Cut the cards apart before class.
Print Plant Survivor Map (Optional)
In the activity, students will look at a map on screen to decide which area would be best for each plant. If you'd like to print these out for your students to have a map at their desks, here's a grayscale version .
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
Dandelion Hunt
If you have a grassy lawn near you, you can go on a dandelion hunt! Find four areas on the lawn that are about the same size. Ideally you want:
a sunny spot with plenty of water
a shady spot with plenty of water
a sunny spot with not much water
a shady spot with not much water
Assign a team to count the dandelion plants in each spot. Then analyze your results. Which area had the most dandelions? Which had the least? Discuss what might affect the success of dandelions in a particular area. For a math extension, make a bar graph displaying your data.