Description
K-2nd Grade Next Generation in the Garden
You will recieve all 3 units and license for up to 30 users.
Kindergarten
Caring for Our Pet Plants: What Plants Need
Overview:
Students investigate the driving question, “What do plants need to grow and survive?” After creating garden agreements together, students begin the unit by investigating what objects in the garden are plants and what objects are not plants. Then they make observations of a healthy plant and a less healthy plant, and look for patterns in order to construct explanations based on evidence that plants need sun, minerals from soil, water and air in order to survive and grow. Students apply this knowledge to what seeds need in order to grow and prepare seed packets for future planting. During the spring, students sow their own seeds and care for their plants, while also making observations about how their plants change over time and protecting their plant from pests. Students deepen their understanding of what plants need to survive and grow by developing a model. They also celebrate by enjoying a garden vegetable they have grown. This unit is designed for students to make progress towards Performance Expectation K-LS1-1. Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
Download Sample Lesson
1st Grade
From Shoots to Roots: The Purpose of Plant Parts
Overview:
In this unit, students investigate the driving question, “How do the structures of plants help them grow and thrive?” After creating garden agreements together, students begin the unit by making observations and developing models in order to explain how different structures such as roots, stems, and leaves help the plant survive and grow. Then, students investigate different types of roots to deepen their understanding of how structures help the plant. This leads students to apply their knowledge about structures of roots in order to design a stand for a garden sign inspired by nature. Students further develop their understanding of the function of stems and leaves through investigations, and finish the unit by creating their own model that demonstrates how all of these structures work together in a system. This unit is designed for students to make progress towards Performance Expectation 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
Download Sample Lesson
2nd Grade
Mighty Migrations: How Seeds and Pollen Travel
Overview:
Students investigate the driving question, “How do seeds and pollen travel?” After creating garden agreements together, students begin the unit by examining dispersal structures on diverse seeds in order to construct explanations for how seeds travel. Students continue investigating seed structures that allow them to cling to fur , soar through the air, or travel away from their parent plants in other ways. Students apply this knowledge to design a solution that allows a bean seed to soar for as long as possible. Then students investigate pollinators and determine how pollinators help plants reproduce. At the end of the unit, students design a pollinator wand based on the structures of, and systems connecting, flowers and pollinators. This unit is designed for students to make progress towards Performance Expectation: 2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
Download Sample Lesson
*This is a digital file download, not physcial copy
