Plant Growth and Development

Lesson Summary Students will continue making observations of their plant’s structures and changes.  Students will also start to measure their plants’ heights.  The children will select one plant to measure and record on a graph daily.  New skills include measurement, as well as data collection and recording. Teacher Background The children will practice measuring in centimeters throughout the unit.  Beginning measurement now gives the students baseline growth data to compare to the time when the growth spurt occurs.  There are many ways to measure, depending on the students’ experiences and needs.  For more concrete learners, there are centimeter cubes that can be used.  Students can also use strips of cm paper and actually glue those to the graph, or they can measure the plant’s growth and then shade in the appropriate number of centimeters on the graph. Set-up/Management Tips The plants may become entangled at this point.  Demonstrate for students how to gently tease plants apart, and be sure to supervise plant “getting” until you feel comfortable with the children’s ability to get plants carefully. Taller, droopier plants can be propped up against toothpicks or bamboo sticks.  The bamboo sticks can cause slivers in fingers, if not handled carefully.  The plastic rings can be used if needed, but much care should be taken, so they do not cause damage to the plant. A flex cam is a good piece of technology to use with this lesson to show detail. Literacy Support Books Available Through VAST Mediagraphies (see Literacy Links) Our Living World: Green Plants by Jenny Tesar Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: