2nd Grade Extended Lesson; Plant Life Cycles Goals/GLCE: At the end of this in-class, extended project students

will have authentic experience with the life cycle of a plant. This will satisfy the science GLCE for 2nd grade, L.OL.02.22 Describe the life cycle of familiar owering plants including the following stages: seed, plant, ower, and fruit. Students will also be able to have basic understandings of how to utilize the computer, spreadsheet programming, and the internet while working within small groups. This will satisfy; PK2.CI.1. use a variety of digital tools (e.g., word processors, drawing tools, simulations, presentation software, graphical organizers) to learn, create, and convey original ideas or illustrate concept; PK2.CC.1. work together when using digital tools (e.g., word processor, drawing, presentation software) to convey ideas or illustrate simple concepts relating to a specified project; and PK-2.RI.1. interact with Internet based resources Materials: Flowerpots (1 per team) Planting Dirt Plant Food Spreadsheet Programming (Excel)

Quick-Grow Plant Seeds (Chia) Computers with Internet Lesson:

This is a summative assessment activity, the specifics of the science GLCEs have been previously taught, the technology GLCEs are being introduced. My students will be put into small groups of 3-4 and will be given the components necessary to plant seeds in their team flowerpot. They will then care for these plants based on the information they know about living organisms (regular watering, planting in dirt, sunlight, etc). At least every other day for two weeks, groups will be given a chance to investigate their plant for changes and make

2nd Grade Extended Lesson; Plant Life Cycles observations that they will be able to add to their chart during computer time. When available, students will also be given a camera to take photos of the changes in their plants. Students will have prior experience with charting and will draw on this knowledge to create a prototype chart as a class; once in groups and at the computers, students will need to work together to re-create the chart in Excel. Once the chart is correctly formatted, students will discuss their observations and decide which annotated notes will make it into the chart; they will also upload any corresponding pictures. Students will be expected to chart the plants phase, how much water, how much sunlight, condition of the dirt, height, and add notes from their observations for each day they investigate their plant. Throughout the unit, the class will receive the following teacher-prompts that they will use to conduct internet searches as a small group; What does plant food do? Why did we put rocks in the bottom of our flowerpots? Name plants that produce; fruit, flowers, nuts (3 each). What happens when a plant dies?

In addition to teacher prompts, students will be encouraged to ask their own questions and investigate the answers. At the end of each session of observation, charting, and web investigation, we will come together as whole group and discuss our findings or interesting information. At the end of the unit, 2 weeks or when the plants have grown (3 weeks maximum) whichever comes first, students will need to collaborate in their small groups to discuss the changes they saw their plant go through. They can use their chart for reference as to how long their plant was a seed before it sprouted, how much it grew over the time frame, if it grew more after days of lots of sun or after watering, etc The groups will then summarize their findings for presentation to the class.

2nd Grade Extended Lesson; Plant Life Cycles The student observations and discussions on prompts will have been graded throughout the project as a formative assessment. Each groups completed chart will be printed or projected for the class to see during their presentations and will be collected after, as well as the reflection that will be written by each member of the group regarding what they learned, liked/disliked, or would have liked to learn more about. Extra Information: Students will work with measurements (cups [of water/dirt], centimeters/inches [of plant height]) that will prepare them for 3rd grade math GLCE; M.UN.03.01 Know and use common units of measurements in length, weight, and time. This will be explicitly taught during the introduction of the lesson and the initial planting/watering through the use of 1cup measuring cups for each group. After the initial planting students will know that 1 scoop of water = 1 cup, and that will be the number they chart under Water in the graph. At the end of the unit the class could also total their amounts to discover how much water was used throughout, how much height the plant gained throughout, or how many days it took for it to grow. I will provide the hours of sunlight since the last investigation for my students, as the project proceeds I may make it one of the teacher prompts they will need to investigate. Students will also meet the following CCSS/GLCE;
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners aboutgrade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

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