Cultivating Community



Theme: Spring in the GardenGrade Level: K- 5th Time Required: 45 minutesNumber of Students: 15-25PhotosynthesisPhoto from 3rd grade four week photosynthesis experiment (not covered in this lesson plan)DescriptionStudents learn about photosynthesis and plant growth Guiding QuestionHow to plants get energy to grow?Big IdeaAll plants get their energy from the sun. Learning Objectives: Through photosynthesis, plant leaves take in sunlight and convert it into food that gives the plant energy to grow Photosynthesis is the basis for sustaining the life processes of all plants. Since animals and humans obtain their food supply by eating plants, photosynthesis can be said to be the source of our life also.At night, plants rest their above-ground parts, and use their energy in their roots to bring nutrients and water up from the soil.Materials: Weeds, or plants with both roots and leaves to observeMagnifying glassesBlankets to sit onPhotosynthesis visualK-2nd Sunlight, moonlight game pieces Appendix A3rd-5thSkit: script and visuals Vocabulary: Photosynthesis – (photo = light, synthesis = putting together) the process by which plants use the energy from sunlight to produce sugarChlorophyll - the molecule that absorbs sunlight and uses its energy to create carbohydrates from CO2?and waterLeaves – the plant part that absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis to occur Roots – the plant part that sucks up water and nutrients from the soilWeed – A plant that we do not want growing in a specific placeCircadian Rhythm – a daily pattern of resting and using energyEngage (10-15 mins)Greet students in the circle. Begin class by reviewing the six plant parts and motions (from fall lesson plan). Remind class that each plant part has a function. Explain that today we will be learning more about the roots, stem, and leaf function, as these are the two parts that help the rest of the plant (flower, fruit, seeds) grow. Break up into three groups and have each student or group pick a plant to observe. Note: Plantain is a good plant for this lesson as you can clearly see all the plant parts, it grows abundantly in many areas and gardens, and many people consider it a weed. Sit in groups and play the “look close game”. Have students identify different patterns, structures, and characteristics about the plant and make guesses about what the purpose is. The goal here is to have the students practice the scientific process of observation and hypothesis and to make educated guesses. However, below is some information to help you guide them in the process. K-2nd: Present the activity to students by asking them to describe one thing they see. Go around the circle. If a student says “I see green leaves” you can explain that this is an important color for plants because it is how they “eat” – or absorb the sun’s rays to make food. With younger students you will need to help and ask a lot of questions, such as “I notice there are a lot of roots, and tinier root hairs growing off of those roots – why do you think there are so many roots?” to help lead the students to answers such as “to get more water and nutrients from the soil”. Have students observe small holes on bottom of leaf and have them breath in and out to demonstrate how humans and plants help each other live. Focus on concepts more than scientific words.3rd-5th: Have students take turns saying one thing they notice about the plant structure. Encourage the students or group to hypothesize a reason for each observation made. It is OK if they are not correct, the point is to get students observing and critically thinking about plant structure. After they each student has a turn, explain the important parts of the structure. Have students observe small holes on bottom of leaf and have them breath in and out to demonstrate CO2/O2 exchange.Root Structure:Root network – anchor, reach more surfaceRoot hairs – does most work sucking up water and mineralsLength – gets lower in the soil = more water Other uses: prevent erosion Leaf structure:Large surface area – to be able to absorb the most amount of sunlight, compare to solar panelsGreen color - chlorophyll, absorbs sunlight to transfer energy into foodNetwork of veins - to support leaf and transport water and sugar (glucose) Waxy feeling – to protect leaf, called cuticleSmall holes on the bottom of the leaf – Carbon Dioxide enters hereStem Structure:Tall and skinny - transfers water and nutrients to the rest of the plantStiff – holds plant uprightExplain (10 mins)Plants are working all the time! During the day, through photosynthesis, plant leaves take in sunlight and carbon dioxide and convert it into food (a sugar called glucose), that gives them the energy to help them grow from a seed to a mature plant. Another byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen, which the plant does not need so it released back into the air, and humans breathe in the oxygen. This growth happens mostly during the day. At night, plant energy is generally spent in the root systems, bringing nutrients and water up from the soil, and the plant will take a rest from growing above ground. The evening or afternoon is the best time to water a plant, because the air is cooler – the water won’t evaporate before the plant roots can drink it up! This cycle of growing and resting is called a “circadian rhythm.” People have circadian rhythms too, which is how our bodies know to sleep at night and be awake during the day.Extension (15 mins) K-2nd: Sunlight, Moonlight (simple version)This game is a modification of Red Light, Green Light. Instead of cars, each kid is a plant, except for one student who is “the Sky” (instead of the stoplight) When the Sky calls out “Sunlight”, all the plants start “growing” (running or walking) toward her. When she calls “Moonlight”, they have to stop growing and wait for the next “day” to begin (when the Sky calls out sunlight again). The first kid to reach the Sky gets to be it next time, and the game starts over again.Then, have at it. This game can be played forever, and the more times the kids do it the more thoroughly the concepts sink in.Sunlight, Moonlight (extended version)In addition to the basic script, talk about different phases of plant growth, and the fact that the shortest day of the year is the winter solstice, then as things start warming up in the spring the days get longer and plants start growing up faster up to the longest day of the year on the summer solstice, then mature. Starting out with a lot of “moonlight” and just a little “sunlight”, gradually increase the latter as the plants “grow” to show what happens as they move through the seasons. For the first round, I also had 4 kids model each of the different stages of growth after “seed” and mark where that stage transitioned from the previous one, and when the other kids reached them they had to get into that same position to show they’d reached that stage of the plant’s life. The stages and positions were, in order,:Seed: in a ball on the ground. Crawl until you become a sprout.Sprout: walk on your knees, your arms (leaves) reaching up toward the sun.Mature plant: get up on your feet, your arm-leaves still reaching up.Flowering plant: circle your arms over your head to show you’re blooming.Fruiting plant: circle your arms out in front of you. Like you’re carrying a watermelon or a pumpkin in your arms.3rd – 5th: SkitDirections: Split into groups where each student gets assigned a character. The narrator reads the italics and the students read the bold for their character. Practice, then present to the group.Photosynthesis Skit:Italics=Narrator Bold=Student Line/ActionPhotosynthesisThis is a skit about… PhotosynthesisPlantsPhotosynthesis is a process by which plants…Thank you very much…make energySunTo undergo photosynthesis plants need sunlight…I’m walking on sunshine, whoa….WaterWater…Don’t go chasing waterfallsChlorophyllChlorophyll…It’s not easy being greenCarbon DioxideCarbon Dioxide…Breathe inMineralAnd Minerals…Like a rockOxygenAs a result of photosynthesis plants produce oxygen…Breathe outGlucoseand glucose…We’re so sweetPlantsThis whole process benefits the plants…Thank you very muchVideoThis video is good to show students before or after class. 5-10 minutes before the end of the lesson, come together as a group. Ask:Why is photosynthesis so important for plants? Why is photosynthesis so important for humans?What is a circadian rhythm? (Make the connection with the word “circle” to reiterate that it’s a daily cycle that’s part of the plant’s natural growth pattern)Is there a connection between circadian rhythm and the seasons? (Introduce the idea that days get longer in the spring and summer, shorter in the fall and winter, solstices/equinoxes, etc.)What were the different phases you went through?What season did you grow the fastest in? What season was the slowest going? Do you know what season it was when you started/sprouted/flowered/fruited?Extensions/ Other lessonsStem Function Experiment: Bring a celery stalk or carnation into class with a jar of water and some food dye. Review the function of stem and roots (to suck up water and nutrients and deliver it to the rest of the plant). Add food dye to water and place plant in. Have students observe the stem functioning when the colored water transfers through the plantPhotosynthesis Experiment: To reinforce and observe photosynthesis, create a controlled environment where two seed trays can sit, and remove light from one of them. Have students observe over a 4 week period the difference in how the plants grow. Common Core StandardsScience K.LS1.1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to surviveScience 1.ESS1.2 Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of yearScience 2.LS2.1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need water and sunlight to growScience 3.LS1.1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and deathELA K/1/2/3/4/5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners about grade level topics and textsELA K.W.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happenedELA 1.W.3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closureAppendix A ................
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