Lesson Summary Students will plant their Brassica seeds and learn about the special growing needs of the Brassica plant in this lesson.

Teacher Background Brassica plants have very specific needs to be able to grow.  These needs include constant, concentrated light and continuous water.  Learning about the Brassica plant’s specific needs and life cycle prepares the students for the Experiments with Plants unit when they are older.  The planting must be done according to instructions to ensure the best possible result for the remainder of this unit. Set-up/Management Tips Prior to planting day: Look at the calendar ahead of time, as planting should be done on a Monday (or Tuesday if necessary) to ensure that learners see the initial growth, and so thinning and transplanting can be done at the proper time. Plan to have extra hands in the room.  It is very helpful to have extra adults or older, reliable students who have done Brassica seed planting before in the room to assist on planting day. Set up the lighting system and watering system prior to planting day, so you can make sure the lights work and the watering system is established. Successful planting takes teacher preparation.  Count out seeds and fertilizer pellets ahead of time for students/groups.  Materials can either be set out “cafeteria style,” as described in the manual, or the teacher can put all or most of the materials in tubs for each group ahead of time. You can have the children go over the planting steps the day before planting day. Plan ahead for planting to last about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. On planting day: Have extra supplies and a vacuum on hand in case of spills. Plant 1 – 3 extra quads, in case of spills or plants that do not germinate and for modeling purposes. A flex cam and video data projector can be used to model planting. Literacy Support Books Available Through VAST Mediagraphies: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons (see Literacy Links) Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: Brassica plant fertilizer light (as a plant need) water (as a plant need) Wisconsin Fast Plant