Title: Is it a plant?
Topic: Plant characteristics and parts
Grade Level: K-1
Academic Standards Addressed:
 K.IV.B.2. The student will know simple ways that living things can be grouped
 1.IV.F.1. The student will know that animals need air, water and food and that
plants require air, water, nutrients and light.
Outcomes: (Students will be able to…)
1) use a list of plant characteristics to determine if an organism is a plant or not.
2) label plant parts.
Materials:
 Printout of plant parts – or projected
 Pictures attached printed out – or projected
 Worksheets 1 & 2 for each student (can be front and back)
 Black/white board or chart tablet
 Color crayons
Safety Concerns: None
Procedures:
1) Tell students that plants are living things. Living things share several
common characteristics: composed of cells, grow, reproduce, and respond
to various kinds of stimuli (ex: temperature). Plants have some additional
characteristics that other living things do not. Plants are able to make their
own food (through photosynthesis-requires sunlight and water); have
unlimited growth; thick cell walls; and cannot move on their own. Most
plants are green.
Explain to students that most plants follow a similar structure (see
attachment).
Note: Students often mistake some invertebrates for plants with the
assumption that “If it looks like a plant, it must be a plant.” Show some
pictures of some of these and point out one of the characteristics that the
plant look-a-like does not hold (examples attached). Also, if they see a
part of a plant (bulb, root, seed) they may not think it is a plant because it
is not green. It may be a good idea to show students an example of each
of these.
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
2) With the students help, put together a list of things a plant needs in order
to survive. You should come up with the following:
▪ water
▪ air
▪ soil (nutrients)
▪ light
▪ constant temperatures
3) Show the picture of a Tree. Ask the students the following questions
(record questions and answers):
▪ Does it move? (no)
▪ Does it make its own food? (yes)
▪ Can it live in the dark? (no)
▪ Does it need soil to grow big? (yes)
▪ Is it green? (yes)
▪ Is it part of a plant? (yes or no)
Tell the students that if looking at an organism, you can ask yourself these
questions. If the answers are the same as above, than it is most likely a
plant. Explain that all of the answers have to match. For example, a lizard
may be green, but it cannot produce its own food, so it cannot be a plant.
Note: It is important to get your students to reason out their answers, don't
just give it to them.
4) Hand out the worksheet. Work through the first problem together. The
first few walk the students through the same questions as demonstrated
with the class, asking them to fill in yes or no for each question. As
students progress through the worksheet they will have to internalize the
questions before coming to a conclusion. On the other worksheet, student
identify the parts of a plant by filling in the name of the part using the
word bank. They may color the picture at completion. Check to make
sure they have followed the directions as to the color each part of the plant
should be.
Adaptations: Have students work in small groups where they can discuss the answers to
each of the questions used to help determine if an organism is a plant.
Extensions: While visiting Tweite's Pumpkin Patch, have students determine what is a
plant. Remember, even grasses and weeds are plants!
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
Have students try to identify some of the plant parts on some of the organisms identified
as plants (on front of worksheet).
Attached Handouts:
Plant Parts
Which are Plants
References: http://www.msnucleus.org
http://www.discoveryeducation.com
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
Name________________
Plant Parts
Label the plant using the terms at the bottom. Then color the root, leaves, and stem
green, the flower yellow, and the pumpkin orange.
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
Name_____________
Which are plants?
Use the questions provided to help determine which of the following pictures are plants.
Answer yes or no for each question. Circle the pictures which you believe are plants.
1.Grass
2. Cactus
 Does it move? _____
 Does it make its own
food? ____
 Can it live in the dark?
____
 Does it need soil to
grow big? ____
 Is it green? ____
 Is it part of a plant?
____
 Does it move? _____
 Does it make its own
food? ____
 Can it live in the dark?
____
 Does it need soil to
grow big? ____
 Is it green? ____
 Is it part of a plant?
____
3. Carrot
 Does it move? _____
 Does it make its own
food? ____
 Can it live in the dark?
____
 Does it need soil to
grow big? ____
 Is it green? ____
 Is it part of a plant?
____
4. Celery
5. Frog
6. Flower
7. Broccoli
8.Onion
9. Mushroom
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
Coral
Anemone
Mushroom
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum
Oak Tree
Tweite's Pumpkin Patch Curriculum