Maddie O’Connell

First Grade Science Lesson: Parts of a Plant

Standards
A. Content
P. Life Sciences
● P-LS1-1. Observe familiar plants and animals (including humans) and describe
what they need to survive.
● P-LS1-2. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine how familiar plants
and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive in the environment.
B. Tech
Empowered Learner
● 1c Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their
practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
Global Collaborator
● 7b Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers,
experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple
viewpoints.
Lesson Objectives
A. Content
● Students will be able to name the parts of a plant and label a plant diagram.
● Students will be able to describe how each part of a plant helps it to survive.
B. Tech
● Students will be able to use a variety of computer games to demonstrate their
understanding of the parts of a plant and each part’s function.
● Students will be able to contribute to questions asked in the classroom through
computer polling software and observe responses submitted by their peers.

Introduce The Learning Activity

A. Content
● Today we will be learning about the parts of a plant, and how each part helps the
plant survive. Tell the students they will learn the parts and functions of the plant,
and by the end of the lesson they will have created their own plant book. Next
lesson, they will be able to go outside and find the parts on real plants. The whole
lesson should take about forty minutes.
B. Tech
● Today we will be learning about parts of a plant and how each part helps the plant
survive. Tell the students that by the end of class they will be able to use what
they learned to play games. The whole lesson should take about forty minutes.
Provide Information

● Begin the lesson by displaying the google slide containing the class agenda.
● Proceed to the next google slide which has pictures of various plants. Ask students to
raise their hands to answer what they see in the images. Explain that all plants have the
same basic parts that act as their “body” parts - use vocabulary words ​roots​, ​stem​, ​leaves​,
and ​flowers​. Tell the class that in the same way the parts of our bodies help us to live, the
different parts of a plant help plants survive and grow. This introduction should take
about five minutes.
● Go to the classroom website located at ​www.moconeducation.wordpress.com​, and click
on the resources tab. Scroll down to the link given for the site titled Epic!
https://www.getepic.com/​ and login. Read the e-book in the class favorites list titled
Plants are Alive!​ By Molly Aloian. Point out the diagram on page 6, and write the names
of each part labeled on the board (roots, stem, leaves, flower) as you encounter them in
the book. Stop reading at page 15 of the book. This should take about five minutes.
● Students next will work at their seats to complete the practice activities indicated below
in the section titled ​Practice.​ Students first will work on the worksheet ​What do the Parts
of a Plant do? ​ ​and will then engage in various computer activities. Provide students with
assistance during this time as needed, and keep vocabulary words written on the board for
reference and spelling help. Independent work time should take about twenty five
minutes.
● Direct students to the classroom website located at ​www.moconeducation.wordpress.com
and ask them to select the resources tab. Students should click on the link titled ​Quiz​, and
enter the class code. Walk around the room to make sure students have successfully
located the web page.
● Read the first question aloud for all students to hear, and tell them to select their answer
by clicking choice A, B, or C. When all students have submitted a response, go over the
results as a group and ensure that all students have been successful in doing so. Proceed
the same way for the next two questions. This should take the remaining five minutes.
● To end the lesson, ask the class if there are any questions.

Practice

A. Content
a. Distribute the worksheet ​What do the Parts of a Plant do? ​The booklets will be
already prepped and attached into booklets for students, so give students the
following directions: ​1. Go through each page and read the sentence. Write
the name of the part being described on the blank line. ​(Refer to the board for
 spelling help) ​2. Color the pictures. ​If students do not finish in the allotted time,
they may take the activity home.
B. Tech
a. Direct the students to the classroom website located at
www.moconeducation.wordpress.com​, and have them select the resources tab. At
the top of the page under the heading: Miss O’Connell’s Kiddos, direct the
students to click on either the Parts of a Plant, Memory Game, or Paint a Plant
link - this is their choice. Students may switch between games as they wish.
Remind students who choose the paint a plant game that they need to include the
parts we learned about: ​roots, stem, flower, leaf, ​and they should be using the
correct colors they would see on a real plant​. ​Walk around the room while
students play, and engage with students about what they are doing - assist as
needed. Students will interact with these games for about fifteen minutes.

Knowledge of Results

A. Content
● Walk around the room to each student’s work space while they are completing the
worksheet activity. If students are having difficulty, display the plant diagrams in
the front of the room for reference. If many students seem to be struggling, have
students work in pairs. If the class as a group appears to be struggling, review the
book as a group and complete the activity together to allow students to be more
successful, or allow students to look back in the book to seek answers to questions
they do not know.
B. Tech
● Walk around the room as students are working at their computers. If students are
struggling to label the plant correctly, or to draw their own plant, put the plant
diagram back on display in the front of the room to prompt those students.
Gradually remove the prompts until students are successful on their own with
minimal assistance.
Review
Today we spent forty minutes working on this science lesson as an introduction to parts and
functions of a plant. Students learned the basic parts of a plant: roots, leaves, stem, and flower.
Students also learned about the basic function that each part serves for the plant to help it grow
and survive. Next, students worked independently on a worksheet to demonstrate their
understanding of plant parts and functions by correctly matching plant parts with corresponding
functions. Students also worked independently on computer applications to reinforce these skills
by labeling a plant diagram, matching plant part images with function descriptions, and virtually
drawing a plant with the necessary components. Last, students reviewed lesson content and
demonstrated their knowledge of the subject by answering three review questions through an
online quiz.

Methods of Assessment

A. Content
● The worksheet activity will allow students to show their understanding of the
material. Worksheets will be reviewed by the teacher while walking around the
room to check for understanding in individual students.
B. Tech
● While students are working independently, walk around the room and visit each
student individually to check for understanding of technology use. Students’
answers to Quiz questions at the end of class will also help gauge general
understanding.