ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form

Teacher: Julia Lee Date: Subject/ Topic/ Theme: Science- Plants

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
To learn about how plants make their own food- the process of photosynthesis.
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
This is lesson is connected to the previous lesson and teaches students about the needs of plants.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to applicable national or state standards.
If an objective applies to only certain students write the name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.

MI.OL.2.14 Identify the needs of plants.

Students will be able to:

- Recall the five characteristics of living things
- Describe what plants eat and where plant food comes from
- Tell the ingredients of photosynthesis

II. Before you start

Prerequisite knowledge and skills. Students should be able to recall that one of the characteristics of living things is that they need
to eat.

Assessment
(formative and summative) Formative assessment: questioning strategy throughout the lesson.

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

RECOGNITION
Multiple Means of Representation
Options for Perception
Visual and auditory perception. Students
will see teacher doing demonstrations and
hear the instructions/descriptions of what
is going on.
STRATEGIC
Multiple Means of Expression (Action)
Options for action/interaction
Students get to work in groups to draw
diagram showing the process of
photosynthesis.
AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of Engagement
Options for recruiting interest
Transplanting the seedlings into pots
(cups) and teacher demonstration of
photosynthesis will help students get
engaged.

Options for Language/Symbols Options for Expression Options for Sustaining Effort &
Persistence

Options for Comprehension Options for Executive Function Options for Self-Regulation
 - Green cup
- Water
- Balloon
- Sugar (pour some sugar into the balloon)
- Spoon
- Picture of the Sun
- Whiteboard and markers
Materials-what materials (books,
- Video:
handouts, etc) do you need for this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pD68uxRLkM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
lesson and do you have them?
Transplanting materials:
- Each student needs their baggies with seedlings in it
- Styrofoam cups with two small holes at the bottom
- Soil (fill up the cup with soil beforehand)
- Water
- Big container where these cups will stay in

Do you need to set up your No special arrangement needed, students may stay seated in their groups.
classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

Time The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student
Parts
activities
Motivation
10 (Opening/
- The lesson will begin by having students record the progress of their plants on plant journal.
minutes Introduction/
Engagement) Give some time for them to complete, and those who are done before the time is up may color
the journal or do read to self.

15
- Then students will transplant their seedlings from baggies into cups with soil in it. It will speed
minutes
up the process if the teacher has prepared the Styrofoam cups with soil in it instead of having
students do all of this (the cup should also have two small holes at the bottom).
- Instruct students to make a 2 cm-deep hole into soil with their thumb. If they are planting more
than one seedlings, then make holes accordingly.
- “Carefully remove the seedlings out of the baggies and place them in the holes you made.
Cover the seedling with a little bit of soil.”
- Once they are done, tell students to bring it to the front where the container is.
- Tell students that they will take turns and water the plants each morning.

Development
10 - Review the 5 characteristics of living things: “What are the five characteristics of all living
minutes
things?”
- “Today we are going to learn about what plants eat and where their food comes from.”
- Take out the green cup, labeled as ‘leaf’.
- Review the job of roots. “What was the job of roots?” Let students discuss in their groups.
“Water from the soil moves up to the leaves of the plant.” Put some water in the green cup.
- Remind students that all living things need air (they breathe). “The leaves have little holes in
them that act like our mouth and breathe in air.” Take the balloon with sugar in it. Release
some (not all!) air into the green cup, making sure that sugar falls out too. Ask students if they
know the name of the gas that plants take it. If they don’t know, tell them the gas that plants
take in is called carbon dioxide.

- Let students know that leaves love the sun. Prepare a spoon with a picture of the Sun attached
to the top, and use it to stir the water inside the cup.

- Exclaim that we just made something. Ask if anyone would like to try what we just made, and
have them explain what it tastes it like. “It tastes sweet!”

- Explain that leaf’s job is to make food for the plant. Leaf has green chloroplast which act like
little machines. The sun’s energy makes the machine work. Chloroplast takes in water and air,
and makes the sugar called glucose.

- Explain that like the balloon, the leaf does not use up all the air. The leftover air is put back
into the sky for us to breathe. This gas is called oxygen.

- “This process of plants making their own food is called photosynthesis.”

10
minutes - On the whiteboard, draw a picture of a plant. Have students copy the drawing of the plant on
their whiteboards. In groups, have students label the diagram with what goes into the plant
and what comes out of the plant.

- Bring the class back together and check the answer by completing the diagram on the board for
students to see.

5
- End by showing the video:
minutes Closure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pD68uxRLkM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time: