Planting Seeds for Our Community

Class: 3rd Grade Social Studies

Unit: Plants
TEKS: 113.14. Social Studies, Grade 3
(5) Geography. The student understands the concepts of location, distance,
and direction on maps and globes. The student is expected to:(D) create and
interpret maps of places and regions that contain map elements, including a
title, compass rose, legend, scale, and grid system.
(18) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and
visual forms. The student is expected to:A) express ideas orally based on
knowledge and experiences;(C) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence
structure, and punctuation.
19) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decisionmaking skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.
The student is expected to:(B) use a decision-making process to identify a
situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options,
predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
Objectives: Students are expected to understand the diversity that exists in
our community by planting flowers and delivering them to community places
in the area. Students learn what type of plants can benefit different places.
For example, the church would benefit from pretty big flowers and the
Hispanic restaurant would benefit from bell pepper, jalapeno, onion,
tomatoes, and cilantro plants.
Standards: Students will be able to relate the story to their community and
how to help out the community by planting vegetables that will make a
difference. They will also learn each step to planting seeds.
Materials: Book Biscuits Earth Day Celebration, computers, local
newspapers, different types of plants (as needed: determined by research of
the community) , and planting boxes or pots
Duration: 1 hour.
Anticipatory Set: Since we have been studying about plants, we are now
going to plant plants for others. Do you have anyone in mind that might
benefit from a plant? Why can a plant be helpful to someone?

Teaching Input: Students have already been introduced to the steps of

planting by this lesson. Students also need to be introduced to their
community before this lesson. Students need to know how to research
information on the computer and in newspapers as well.
Modeling: The teacher will show the students an example of how to go
through each step of planting seeds and helping them to grow. The teacher
will also show the students how to give to the community as they deliver the
plants to the businesses.
Checking for Understanding: The teacher will be able to detect
understanding by analyzing the suggestions of the type of plants that need
to be planted for each place in the community. Students who respond that
the church needs jalapenos might not understand the purpose of this lesson,
but students who understand that jalapenos can be planted for the Hispanic
restaurant do understand.
Questioning Strategies: The teacher might ask, how does planting the
seeds and taking them around the community help? If you could choose any
plant to grow and give to someone what would it be? Who would you give it
to?
Guided Practice: The teacher will guide students with decision making on
what plants need to be bought and planted. The teacher will also guide
students through the hands-on planting process.
Closure: The teacher will close the lesson by reviewing the steps of the
process that was taken to decide what plants should go where. The steps on
getting the plants, planting the plants, and the eventual steps that will be
taken to deliver the plants once they have begun to grow.
Independent Practice: Students will write a summary of their experience
with this lesson. It should have at least 3 paragraphs. It should be detailed. It
has to include why it was important for the class to plant seeds for their
community and how it was beneficial.