Plant Parts – Basic
Sorting and Classifying Leaves and Seeds - Advanced
GRADE: K-2
BACKGROUND
This lesson is to help students discover and use concrete examples in order to better understand the parts of a plant and
what they do. This lesson is best taught as a unit, spending adequate time on each plant part to enable the students to
have experiences with each. The teacher needs to read about the plant parts and what they do prior to the lesson in
order to help the children understand the importance of each. The lesson begins with a direct teaching segment in
which the teacher reads the book From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. The students will then identify the parts of a plant
and label them as a whole class. The students will construct their own model and discover real-life examples of plant
parts they see and eat every day. They will be able to break apart a real plant and discover what each plant part looks
like. Displaying many types of plants as well as pictures and model throughout the unit will help solidify the children’s
learning.
BASIC LESSON
Objective(s)
Students will be able to…
 identify the parts of a plant and label them as a whole class. The students will construct their own model and
discover real-life examples of plant parts they see and eat every day.
State Science Content Standard(s)
Standard 3: Students through the inquiry process, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, structures, and functions
of living things, the process and diversity of life, and how living organisms interact with each other and their
environment.
I.
Identify that plants and animals have structures and systems that serve different functions for growth, survival,
and reproduction
 Identify plant and animal structures, i.e., plants: root, stem, leaf. animal: bones, skin
II.
Describe and use models that trace the life cycles of different plants and animals and discuss how they are differ
from species to species
 Describe a plant life cycle (seed to plant to flower)
Materials
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From the Kit
Foam Plant Model
Foam Flower Plant
From Seed to Plant by Gail
Gibbons
Tops and Bottoms by Jane
Stevens
Plant Part labels – binder – one
per student
Plant Parts Book - binder
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Provided by Teacher
Tacky glue or hot glue gun (for teacher
use)
Construction paper (blue or brown)
Green pipe cleaner
Colored tissue paper
Green foam
Sunflower seed (or other flower seed)
Live plant (with many small flowers and
leaves and a root system)
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[List any safety precautions
here]
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Newspaper
Labels or small white paper
Markers
Carrots, celery, lettuce, broccoli, peas or
other edible plant parts
Paper plates to put the above items on
Key Vocabulary
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Stem
Root
Leaf
Petal
Seed
Flower
Mastery Questions
See Lesson
Detailed Plan
Picking Apart Plants
Parts of Plants Activity
Engage
Begin this lesson by showing the students the foam model of a bean plant (fully grown part) and the foam flower plant.
Discuss with them that just as your body has parts to help you live, grow and do certain things, a plant has parts to help
it live and grow. Point out the seed, root, stem, leaf for the bean plant model. Next, read From Seed to Plant aloud. Pass
the two models around so the students can look at them closely.
Exploration
1. After reading From Seed to Plant, draw on the whiteboard or chart paper a model of a plant adding a part one at
a time. As you add a part, discuss with the students each part and what it does for the plant. Use the picture
below as a model for your diagram.
2. Have the students help you one at a time place the part of the plant on the board. As you do, ask the students to
help you place the label near the plant part to show what each is called.
3. When all of the parts have been labeled and discussed, have the students move to their tables or desks and give
them supplies to make their own model.
4. Using the picture below as a guide, provide the materials for each child to create his/her own model. Other
materials can be used to construct the model. These are just suggestions.
5. Have them glue the labels found in the binder or have the students write their own words where they belong.
Explanation
1. Students will return to the carpet or seats where the teacher has a real plant.
2. The teacher leads the discussion as the students recall each plant part and what it does for the plant.
3. Discuss with the students why each plant part is important to the plant.
4. Quickly review that every plant contains these important parts, regardless of the leaf color, petal shape, or
length of the stem. Some children may have difficulty understanding that even though plants look differently,
most contain the same basic important structure. Having two different plants would be helpful.
Assessment
1. Place newspaper and a real plant, preferably one with many small flowers and leaves, at a table for each small
group of students.
2. Provide each group with one Plant Parts Book (see binder) or something similar.
3. Have the group carefully take apart the plant. As they do, they glue an example of each part in their Plant Parts
Book.
4. Groups can decorate their plant books.
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Eating the Parts of a Plant Activity
In this activity, the children will have already looked in detail at the parts of plants in a previous lesson. They will have
learned what each plant part does to help the plant live and grow. The teacher can use this lesson to connect parts of
the plant to food the children eat almost daily. The teacher will choose items for the children to eat that represent each
of the plant parts. Some ideas include the following:
Roots – carrots
Stems – celery
Leaf – lettuce
Flower – broccoli
Seed – peas
After giving the children a chance to eat the different plant parts, read the story Tops and Bottoms and do interactive
class writing about the parts of the plants in the story that are edible and non-edible. Discuss with the children whether
the edible parts are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or seeds.
Extensions:
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Advanced learners may be able to see and discuss how water and nutrients travel through the plant. They may
also do additional research to discover what enhances plant growth and what diminishes growth.
Formal assessment of non-typical learners could include verbal communication of plant parts and their function.
Writing integration: Students can write the plant part labels. They can also use their Plant Parts Books to glue in
each part and to write about what it does.
Assessment
See above
Resources
Adapted from Utah Lessons
Author:
Stephanie Wall
ADVANCED LESSON
Objective(s)
Students will be able to
 Use their observation skills to match leaves and seeds based on their physical characteristics.
 Become familiar with some of the physical characteristics of tree leaves and seeds.
State Science Content Standard(s)
Standard 3: Students through the inquiry process, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, structures, and functions
of living things, the process and diversity of life, and how living organisms interact with each other and their
environment.
a. Identify similarities and differences among a group of objects
b. Group objects using a simple classification system
Materials
Safety
Provided by Teacher
 Please be careful the seed
From the Kit
and leaf packets are not
 Leaf and Seed Game
 None
bent!!
 DO NOT take the
specimens out of the
plastic envelope.
Key Vocabulary
Mastery Questions
 Classify
 See Lesson
 Similar
 Different
 Compound leaf
 Vein Pattern
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Broadleaf
Pod
Needles
Detailed Plan
Note: The Scotch Pine cone envelope belongs to the seed group. Choose to play one or more of the games.
Leaf and Seed Games
A. Matching
1. In this game students are given a chance to match leaves to leaves and seeds to seeds while the cards lie face up
on the table. All 40 cards may be grouped or they may be divided into smaller groups for students to try – 2
groups of 20 like cards or 4 groups of 10 like cards. Discuss with the students what characteristics they used to
match the seeds and what characteristics did they use to match the leaves. Write the characteristics on a chart
or whiteboard for the class to share.
2. In this game, place all 40 cards (or again you can use smaller groupings) face down and mixed up on the table.
The first player turns over two cards in the hope they will match – matching leaves to leaves and seeds to seeds.
If there is a match then the player may pick up the two cards and place them to one side and go again. Those
cards not matched are turned back over in the SAME position. The games continues with the players
memorizing the physical features of the leaf or seed as they are turned over so the they may select matching
cards the nest time it is their turn. Player with most matches wins.
B. Seed Detective Game
Divide the class into two groups. One group will be the Leaf Detectives and the other group will be the Seed Detectives.
Give the Leaf Detectives the 20 leaf packets and the Seed Detectives the 20 seed packets – reminding them there are
two of each type in the 20 packets. The teacher will be the moderator and scorekeeper. Instruct the students they will
be working together as a group to answer the questions posed by the moderator. Different students in the group must
be selected to answer the questions but the group can agree on the answer to be provided. The teacher will keep score
on a chart and the team with the most tallies wins. A second round of the game can be played by switching the seed
group with the leaf group. Seeds can be fruit.
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Questions: Leaf Detective Group
Which leaf has a sword shape? (Black Willow)
Which leaf has a jagged edge? (American Elm, Hackberry, Basswood)
Which leaf has a smooth edge? ( Redbud, Black Locust, Green Ash)
Which leaf is a compound leaf (made of more than one leaflet)? (Green Ash, Black Locust)
Which compound leaf has the most leaflets? (Black Locust)
Which leaf is shaped like a heart? (Redbud)
Which leaf, if any show signs of a hungry insect (holes in leaf)? (Answers may vary – have students show you the
leaf to verify the hole)
Which leaf is shaped like a hand? (Silver Maple)
Which leaf is scale-like, hugging the twig so close that you can’t see the twig? (Red Cedar)
Which leaf has leaf veins (raised lines running across the leaf)? (All except for Scotch Pine and Red Cedar)
Which leaf is made up of needles in clusters of 2’s? (Scotch Pine)
Which leaf stays on the trees all winter? (Scotch Pine and Red Cedar – evergreens)
Questions: Seed Detective Group
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Which seed is found inside of a woody cone? (Scotch Pine)
Which fruit is round, small, and purplish? (Hackberry)
Which fruit is round, small, and blue? (Red Cedar)
Which fruit is the lightest weight and would travel the greatest distance in the wind? (American Elm, Black
Willow)
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Which fruit is the heaviest and most likely be found underneath the tree? (Scotch Pine)
Which fruit looks like a berry and would be a good source of food for birds? (Hackberry, Red Cedar)
Which seed is found inside of a brown or black pod? (Redbud, Black Locust)
Which seed is housed in a fruit that looks like a paper wing? (Silver Maple, Green Ash)
Which fruit contains more than one seed? (Scotch Pine, Black Locust, Redbud, Black Willow)
Which fruit contains only one seed? (Hackberry, Red Cedar, Silver maple, Green Ash, Basswood, American Elm)
Which seed is in a round ball hanging from a leaf-like appendage? (Basswood)
Which fruit looks like a paddle for a canoe? (Green Ash)
C. Classification Game
The process of noticing similarities and differences in materials leads to sorting or classifying groups based on common
characteristics. Color, texture, smell, size, weight, edging, vein pattern are characteristics students may use. Younger
students tend to group based on gross differences whereas older students use finer differences.
Divide the students into four groups. Group 1 will work with a set of leaves (10 different species of leaves) and Group 2
will work with the other set of leaves. Group 3 will work with one group of seeds (10 different species of seeds) and
Group 4 will work with the other set of seeds.
Have the students answer as many of the questions as you deem appropriate. They may write their answers or draw the
groupings.
Leaf Group Questions
1. Group leaves that are similar. How many different groups did you find? What are the similarities that were
found to make different groups?
2. Group the flat broadleaf leaves and the needle-like or scale-like leaves into two separate groups.
3. Of the 8 broadleaf leaves, make two groups – one with toothed margin leaves and the other with smooth
margined leaves.
4. From the 8 broadleaf leaves, group the simple leaves and the compound leaves into two separate groups.
Simple leaves have one leaflet, compound leaves have many leaflets per stem.
5. Using the 8 broadleaf leaves, group the leaves by shape.
6. Using the 8 broadleaf leaves, group the leaves with similar vein patterns.
7. Group leaves by those showing insect damage (holes in the leaf) and those without damage.
8. Pick out the ugliest leaf, the prettiest leaf, and the strangest leaf. Explain why you feel this way about the
selection.
9. Each student group member pick out a leaf and compare it to a familiar object. Complete this sentence. This
lead looks like a _____________ because_________.
Seed Group Questions
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7.
Group seeds that are similar. How many groups did you find? What characteristic made them similar?
Sort seeds by color into different groups.
Group seeds by bulk – flat versus raised up.
Sort seeds by shape. How many different shapes did you find?
Sort seeds by size – small, medium, and large.
Sort seeds by weight – light, medium weight, and heavy.
Sort seeds by means of dispersal (how far they would travel). Lightest – blown away by the wind, medium –
eaten by birds, heaviest – found at the base of a tree.
8. Complete this sentence. My favorite seed is ________ because ____________.
9. Each group member pick out a seed and compare it to a familiar object. Complete this sentence. This seed looks
like a _____________ because________________.
Assessment
Evaluate as students complete each game through discussion, pictures, or completion of the questions.
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Resources
Adapted from the instructions in the “Leaf and Seed Games” found in the kit.
EXPLORE MORE
More games are included in the Leaf and Seed Game