Michigan State University - Deaf Education - Unit Plan Format
 Unit Title: Plants Are Living Things
 Theme: plants
 Grade: 1st grade
 Overview/Rationale:
Main Idea: People use their five senses to group and compare living things. Plants
are living things that must meet their basic life needs in order to grow, change, and
produce new plants like themselves. Plants have the functional parts that help them
meet their needs. This is why the students learn each and every Lesson
 Duration: 8 days
 Concept Map:
Unit Organizer
Chapter 1 All About Living Things
Lesson 1 Your Senses
Main Idea: We use our senses to make
Observations.
Lesson 2 Living and Nonliving Things
Main Idea: We can use our senses to
compare how living things are different
from nonliving things
Chapter 2 A Look at plants
Lesson 3: Plants Are Living Things
Main Idea: Plants need air, food, and water.
Lesson 4: Plants have parts
Main Idea: Most Plants have roots, stems,
leaves, flowers, and seeds.
Lesson 5: Roots
Main Idea: Roots take in water and hold up
the plant in the soil
Lesson 6: Stems and Leaves
Main Idea: Stems support a plant and move
water and food to other parts of the plant.
Leaves take in air and water, and use light to
produce their own food.
Lesson 7: Seeds
Main Idea: Seeds grow into new plants just
like the ones they came from
Lesson 8: Plants Grow and Change
Main Idea: When a seed sprouts it becomes
a seedling that grows into an adult.
 Connection to State of Michigan Benchmarks and Standards:
 Unit Goals:
o For students to know that Plants are living Things
 Specific learning objectives:
o Students will learn their senses 100% of the time to make observations that help
them determine what is living and nonliving when prompted by the teacher.
o Students will learn that plants need air, food, and water, in order to survive ¾
times on their own when asked by the teachers
o Students will learn that plants are living things with functional parts that help
them meet their basic life needs in order to grow 100% of the time when
prompted by the teacher
o Students will learn that plants are living things 100% of the time when asked by
the teacher
 Schedule of lessons:
Your unit plan should include a schedule, organized in a grid format, showing the
overall sequence of lessons.
 Lesson plans:
Date: November 3, 2008
Subject: Science-senses
Grade Level: 1st grade
Intended of Duration Lesson: 25 minutes
State Benchmarks/Standards:
Science/Strand IV/Content Standard 1/Elementary
Benchmark 1
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties.
Lesson Goal:
o For students to learn their senses
Lesson Objective:
o Students will identify their five sense and communicate how they are used
3/5 times prompted by the teacher
o Given different objects students will explore using their senses to make
observations
Materials:
o Big Book (science)
o Science kit materials
Prior Knowledge:
The students must be aware of the 5 senses because they use them everyday. This is
however the first lesson for science of the school year so they do not need that much
prior knowledge for they will be able to make a connection with this information.
Procedure:
o I will have students take out their science books and turn to page A6.
o I will have a student read how do we see in here.
o I will explain the senses and what they are.
o I will give examples of when we use these senses.
o I will have the students turn to page A8.
o I will have a student read how do you taste, smell and touch.
o I will give examples of how we taste, smell and touch.
o I will show them a picture of students using their senses and ask them how
they are using their senses.
o We will do the Think and Write questions: What are the five senses? Which
senses do you use when you eat?
Assessment:
For a informal assessment I will pantomime the following: biting into a sour apple,
listening to music, taking out smelly garbage, slicing an onion, using a hand lens,
awakening to a very loud alarm, sniffing something delicious as it bakes. I will
challenge the students to identify the action and tell what senses I am using. I will
then have the students pantomime one thing and have each student guess.
Expansion:
The students are given a Scavenger Hunt sheet and they will have to find objects in
the room that describe the things on the paper
1. Find four things in the room that can be described by the words in the chart
2. Draw a picture of each thing on the chart
Yellow and pointed:
Blue, six-sided, hard:
Round, fuzzy, yellow:
Smooth, round, hard, red:
3. What senses do you use to describe things?
Date: November 4, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st grade
Intended of Duration Lesson: 50 minutes
State of Michigan Standards/Benchmarks:
L.OL.01.13 Identify the needs of animals
Lesson Goal:
For students to know the difference between living and non living things
Lesson Objectives:
o The students will explore living and non living things 100% of the time on
their own
o The students will recognize the characteristics of living and non living things.
Materials:
o photo of a real dog
o photo of a stuffed dog
o pencil
o worksheet
o Big Book (science)
Prior Knowledge:
Students probably have already heard a little about this in kindergarten but to
figure out their knowledge before the lesson I will randomly display pictures up of
living and nonliving things to see their responses.
Procedure:
o I will do the explore activity first. I will set up and display the toy dog and a
photo of a stuffed dog.
o I will then have the children observe and compare the stuffed dog to the
picture of the real dog using a Venn diagram
o The children will answer the question: How are living things different from
nonliving things?
o I will have the take out their science books and turn to page A12
o I will have a student read: what are living things?
o I will explain to them what living things are more in dept
o I will have a student read the section: What are nonliving things?
o I will explain more in dept of what are nonliving things
o We will do the Think and Write together and the questions are: What are
some living things and How can you tell if something is nonliving?
Assessment:
Have students write the words living and nonliving on a large index cards and place
them on their desk. As I hold up the picture or call out the name of the living or non
living things, I will ask the students hold up the correct card. Then I will call on
students to explain why it is living or non living.
Expansion:
The students will have the Living and Nonliving things worksheet
Living and Nonliving Things
Use your book to fill in the blanks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are living things?
Living things _______________________ and change.
Living things need air, food, and _________________.
They can make other ____________________ things like themselves.
Animals, __________________________, and other people are living things.
Circle the pictures that are living things and X the pictures that are nonliving things.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Date: November 5, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st grade
Intended of Duration Lesson: 50 minutes
State of Michigan Standards/Benchmarks:
L.OL.E.1 Life Requirements- Organisms have basic needs.
Lesson Goal:
o That plants are living things
o The things plants need to live
o The places you can find plants
Lesson Objectives:
o The students will explore through observation what happens when plants do
not get water 100% of the time on their when prompted by the teacher.
o The students will recognize that plants are able to grow in a variety of places
as long as their needs are met ¾ times on their own.
Materials:
o Big Book
o Bean seeds
o Tape
o Small sandwich bags
o Paper towels
o water
Prior Knowledge:
I will show the students a plant and have them name the parts that they know to see
where they are with their prior knowledge.
Procedure:
o I will have the students take out their science books and turn to page A22 at
their seats.
o I will have a student read what do plants need to live section
o I will explain to the students that all plants need water, air, space, and light to
grow
o I will explain to the students what oxygen is
o I will ask the students what will happen to a plant that does not get what it
needs.
o I will have the students read where you can find plants section
o I will ask the students what are some places where you can find plants
o We will do the Think and Write section and the questions are: What do plants
need to live? And Why can plants grow in different kinds of places?
o End the lesson
Assessment:
I will have the students look carefully at the inset photographs of the two plants and
the places where they are growing. I will ask the students to tell how they are alike
and different. Then we will draw a Venn diagram on the board to record.
Expansion:
Plants are living things
Use your book to fill in the blanks.
What do plants need to live?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Plants are _______________ things.
Plants need light, water, space and ___________________.
They can not _______________ without these things.
Plants must have ___________________ to make food.
They also need what is in the____________________ to grow.
Date: November 6, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st
Intended Duration of Lesson: 25 min.
State Benchmarks/Standards
L.OL.01.13 Identify the needs of plants
Lesson Goal:
o For students to learn that plants have many parts
Lesson Objective
o Students will explore comparing differences and similarities among seed
plants 100% with teacher’s guidance.
o Students will identify the common parts to most seed plants
Materials:
o Big book (science)
Prior Knowledge:
o To build on prior knowledge. Have the child draw the plant, put it on the
bulletin board and ask them to name the plant parts they know.
Procedure:
o Have students go to the carpet with science books and sit down.
o Open up the big science book to pg. A28, have students do the same
o Have a student read what parts do plants have from the book.
o I will go into deeper detail with the students about plant parts.
o I will have the students go to their seats and draw their own plant.
Assessment:
o Have students use construction paper to draw & label a picture of a plant that
shows all parts, including the roots.
Expansion:
o Plants have parts
Vocabulary:
seeds
roots
flower
leaves
stem
(pretending that these are pictures instead of words below)
ROOTS
LEAVES
SEEDS
FLOWER
Date: November 10, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st
Intended Duration of Lesson: 25 min.
State Benchmarks/Standards
L.OL.01.13 Identify the needs of plants
Lesson Goal:
o For students to learn what roots are and what they do
Lesson Objective
o Students will explore and communicate about the roots of a plant 100% with
the teacher
o Students will explain the structure & function of roots 3/5 of the time on
their own
Materials:
o Big book (science)
o Plant
o Hand lens
o Crayons
o Paper
Prior Knowledge:
o To build on prior knowledge, I will have the students pretend that they’re
trees and their legs and feet are roots. Tell the children to sway like a tree but
not to move legs. Once finished ask, “Why did I tell you not to move your
legs?”
Procedure:
o I will show the students a plant. I will then pull the plant from the pot.
o I will pass the plant around so the students can look at the roots with their
hand lens.
o Students will draw a picture of the roots.
o I will then ask the students why they think roots are important to a plant.
o Take out our science books and turn to page A32.
o Have students read aloud what roots do.
o Do the Think and Write questions: What do roots do? Do all roots look the
same?
Assessment:
o Give each student a large sheet of paper w/ horizontal line drawn about
three inches from the bottom to represent the ground. Then have children
add grass, some flowers, and a tree, showing how each looks above and
below the ground and write on their page why roots are so important.
Expansion:
o Roots worksheet: Roots – Circle the roots of each plant then write the word
roots.
roots
roots
roots
Date: November 11, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st
Intended Duration of Lesson: 25 min.
State Benchmarks/Standards
L.OL.01.13 Identify the needs of plants
Lesson Goal:
o For students to learn what stems and leaves do
Lesson Objective
o Students will explore the function of stems through inference 100% of the
time with teacher
o Students will explain the structure and function of stem and leaves
Materials:
o Big book (science)
o White flowers
o Jar of colored water
Prior Knowledge:
o Display a variety of flowers, leaves, stems & roots for the children to identify
and describe. As they examine roots, encourage them to recall what they
learned in lesson 5.
Procedure:
o I will put one flower in a jar of water.
o I will carefully bend the stem of the other flower, and put it in the jar.
o I will explain to the students that we will wait until the next day to see the
results of the experiment.
o Have the students take out their science books, turn to page A36.
o Have a student read what do stems do.
o I will explain what a stem is and what a trunk is.
o I will have a student read what do leaves do, pg. A38.
o I will show different leaves and explain to the students that different plants
have different leaves.
o I will explain to the students that leaves may come in different shapes, sizes
and colors.
o We will do the Think and Write questions: What do stems do? What do leaves
do?
Assessment:
o Distribute three index cards to children. Have them write the words roots,
stems, and leaves on the cards. Instruct students to hold up the correct card
as you display pictures or hold up plants and give clues such as the following:
We hold up plants, what are we?
Expansion:
o Stems and leaves: Use your book to fill in the blanks.
What do stems do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Water and __________ move through the stem to other plant parts.
Food moves from the leaves to the __________ and the rest of the plant.
A __________ holds up a plant.
The stem of a tree is called a _________.
Date: November 12, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st grade
Intended of Duration Lesson: 25 minutes
State Benchmarks/Standards:
Lesson Goal:
o For students to learn what a seed is.
Lesson Objective:
Students will explore the idea that there is a variety among seeds through
comparison 100% of the time with the teacher.
o Students will explain the structure and function of seeds and fruits 100% of
the time with the teachers help.
Materials:
o Big Book (science)
o Science kit materials
Prior Knowledge:
Cute several apples in half and distribute the seeds among the children. Ask children
to identify the seeds and describe their color, size, shape, and texture.
Procedure:
o I will explain to the students how you can classify seeds. I will explain what
classify means.
o We will observe the seeds with a hand lens, and sort the seeds into groups:
Color, shape, size and how it feels.
o We will observe each group, and glue each type of different seed to the chart.
o We will talk about the different groups.
o I will have students turn to pg. A42.
o Have a student read what is a seed.
o I will explain what a seed is, in more detail.
o We will do the Think and Write questions together: What is a seed? What will
grow from a pine seed?
o
Assessment:
Display several seed packet from which you have removed the seeds. Place the
seeds from the pack on separate plates. Have children compare the seeds and then
try to guess what kinds of seeds are on each plate and match them with the picture
of the mature plant on the packet.
Expansion: this is a worksheet that I will give…
Seeds
Use your book to fill in the blanks.
1. A seed is the part of a plant that can grow into a ____________ plant.
2. A pumpkin seed can grow into a ________________.
Date: November 14, 2008
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1st grade
Intended of Duration Lesson: 25 minutes
State Benchmarks/Standards:
L.OL.01.13 Identify the needs of plants
Lesson Goal:
For students to learn that plants grow and change.
Lesson Objective:
o Students will explain the growth process of seed plants ¾ times when
prompted by the teacher.
o Students will recognize that flowering plants and conifers make seeds
Materials:
o Big Book (science)
Prior Knowledge:
Ask students to share what they know about seeds.
Procedure:
o I will have he students take out books, turn to pg. A46.
o I will have them tell me what a seed is.
o I will have a student read how do seeds grow.
o I will show them a picture of how a seed grows.
o I will explain what a seedling.
o I will have a student read how do plants make seeds.
o I will ask a student how is a pine tree different from a bean plant.
o We will do the Think and Write questions together: What does a seed need to
grow? What do flowers do?
o
Assessment:
Have children draw answers to these questions about a bean plant:
o What does a seed need to grow?
o What grows first?
o What pushes up through the soil after a tiny root grows?
o What is a young plant called?
o What part makes a seeds?
o What grows around seeds?
Expansion: this is a worksheet that I will give…
Plants grow and change
Use your book to fill in the blanks.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A seed grows when it gets water and ____________________.
The seed grows a tiny _______________________.
Leaves grow from the __________________________.
The young plant is called a _______________________.
An adult plant will make its own____________________.
.
 Field Trip:
For this Unit we are going to take a field trip to the MSU Gardens so that the
students can use their senses and observe many different plants that they might
have never seen. We will also visit the Children’s garden. This is very appropriate
for my first graders. I’ve been there before and I think that they will love this garden.
 Assessment:
At the end of the Unit there will be a Chapter test filled with questions that covers
something from each lesson.
 Appendices:
 Materials:
o Science Tool Kit
o Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
o Big Book (science)
o Their little science books
 Bibliography:
Daniel, L, Hackett, J, Moyer, R, & Vasquez, J (2005). MacMillan McGraw-Hill Science. New
York: Publishing Group of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Main Idea: We use our five senses to make observations that help us determine what is
living and non living. Plants are living things with functional parts that help them meet
their basic life needs in order to grow, change, and make other living things like
themselves.
I used this book to help me teach my students about Plants and living things. I believe that
this book is a very useful tool that has the right information so that students can grasp the
concepts. It is also easy for them to read.
It also comes with many different worksheets that can help further retain the information
taught.
 References:
Daniel, L, Hackett, J, Moyer, R, & Vasquez, J (2005). MacMillan McGraw-Hill Science. New
York: Publishing Group of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.