All About Plants

Integrated Third
Grade Science Unit

Peyton Reed
Spring 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction and Rationale...3
Overview of Unit.3
Rationale..3
Prior Knowledge..3
Integration of Science, Math, & Literacy4
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills4
Collaborative & Leadership Skills...4
Instructional Methods..5
Class and Learner Profile.6
Reading Comprehension Lesson: Guess Yes or No9
Math Lesson: Measurements..14
Science Lesson: Stems......16
Science Lesson: Leaves20
Science Lesson: Flowers..23
Math Lesson: Perimeter and Area.26
Writing and Revision Lesson..29
Bibliography of Additional Resources...32

Introduction and Rationale

Overview of Unit:
This unit plan is an integrated third grade curriculum that focuses on plants, emphasizing
especially their structure and function. This unit plan includes seven lessons: three science
lessons, two math lessons, one reading lesson, and one writing lesson. These lesson plans will
help students learn about how a plants specific structures help it function. Students will perform
investigation-based activities in order to explore the content.
Rationale:
This topic should be addressed in elementary schools because it provides students with
the knowledge of how plants function and how they react to their environments, as laid out in
North Carolina Essential Science Standard 3.L.2. The content addresses how the parts of the
plant work together in order for the plant to survive. This topic also has wider implications
beyond the structure and function of plants. It builds upon the concepts of adaptations among
organisms and the life cycles of organisms as well.
Prior Knowledge:
Prior knowledge is necessary for students to understand the content within this unit plan.
According to the North Carolina Essential Science Standards, the students should be able to
recognize that plants have different parts, even if they cannot identify those parts. Additionally,
they should know that plants have specific needs, such as air, nutrients, water, and light, that
contribute to their growth. Students should also be able to explain the different uses for plants,
such as food and shelter for other organisms. Finally, students will have previously looked at life
cycles and variation of traits within animals.

Integration of Science, Math, & Literacy:

The scientific topic of plants is woven into each lesson so as to make the separate content
areas more cohesive and related. Each lesson has an investigative aspect, which especially
strengthens science skills. The math lessons involve scientific components, especially
emphasizing the determination of measurements. The reading lesson exposes the students to the
different scientific concepts of the unit, and the writing lesson allows the students to review what
they have learned. The math and science lessons have some degree of interpreting word
problems which strengthens literacy skills.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills:
Critical thinking and problem solving skills strongly influence each lesson. There is very
little lecture involved with the lessons, and they are more focused on students making
explanations through investigations. I will present the students with different tasks in each
lesson that require different skills, but the tasks and activities will all have problem-solving
aspects to them. As the teacher, I will not present the students with straightforward information
about the content, but rather I will guide them to achieve certain conclusions about the content so
that they are not totally reliant upon me for their own understanding of a concept.
Collaborative & Leadership Skills:
Throughout the unit, students will be working in different arrangements, including trios,
pairs, whole class, and individuals. The group work is the most prevalent arrangement and
allows the students to work through problems together. Each student has different strengths, and
those strengths emerge at different times and in different content areas, thus providing students
with opportunities to lead and listen in group work. The group arrangements have already been
made according to the Learner Profile. I avoided grouping friends together and made sure to

group students of different abilities together so as to provide the most diversification and the
highest amount of opportunities for the students to become comfortable working with other
students with whom they would not necessarily choose to work.
Instructional Methods:
For this unit, different instructional methods are used to facilitate each lesson. I use a
variety of student groupings and arrangements, such as groups, individuals, and whole class, that
work best with teaching and understanding the content. Additionally, I ask the students many
questions throughout the unit to keep with the investigation-based method in which the students
discover the content as opposed to me lecturing them through it. I rely primarily on the
document camera in the unit, but most of the activities and investigations are totally hands-on.

Class and Learner Profile

I am observing a 3rd grade classroom at Kernersville Elementary School in Kernersville,
North Carolina. Kernersville Elementary is a Title 1 school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County School District. The school emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and
good character, which permeates the classroom.
The class has 22 students, 6 of whom are English Language Learners. Most of the
students only read on a first or second grade level. JA is an English Language Learner and gets
pulled out for special instruction once a day for forty-five minutes to an hour. GC sits next to JA
in the back row on the left side of the classroom, and he is also an English Language Learner and
is pulled out for instruction with JA. GC is very quiet and only talks when prompted or in a
group of people he is comfortable with. KC sits on the other side of GC. JR sits beside KC and
has difficulty keeping up with his assignments. He rarely participates and acts up quite a bit. He
should not be put in a group with friends. JJ sits in the middle row on the left side of the room.
She sometimes has issues with keeping up with assignments, but she always participates and is
rarely apathetic. CB sits next to JJ and is an English Language Learner. He is pulled out for
instruction once a day for forty-five minutes to an hour. ER sits on the other side of CB, and the
two get along very well. ER is also an English Language Learner and is pulled for instruction as
well. ERs achievement is advanced in all content areas. EV sits next to ER and mostly keeps to
herself. Her achievement is also more advanced. JN sits in the front row on the left side of the
room. He has a photographic memory and has a lot of trouble focusing during class. JN
performs well when completely engaged in the activity. MT sits next to JN and does well in
class. LS sits beside MT, and they talk to each other quite a bit. LS has severe vision issues and
has to sit near the board. LS is also an English Language Learner and is pulled for separate

instruction once a day for forty-five minutes to an hour. JV sits in the back row on the right side
of the room and is very quiet. NJ sits beside JV and talks quite a bit. She dominates many group
activities, and her achievement is advanced. She works with others to understand content. KQ
sits next to NJ and is also very quiet. She is not considered an English Language Learner, but
she is pulled out for about an hour everyday for individual instruction. JC sits in the middle row
on the right side of the room and is considered an English Language Learner. He is the only
student in the classroom with an IEP and has two hours of individual instruction with a special
education teacher everyday. Even when prompted, he almost never speaks, but if the activity is
particularly engaging, he will talk. BN sits next to JC and has trouble seeing the board. WT sits
beside BN and turns around to talk to NJ quite a bit. She is very quiet otherwise. DM sits next
to WT and usually keeps to himself. His achievement is relatively advanced. BW sits in the
front row and suffers from Tourette Syndrome. She talks constantly and has truancy issues. GO
sits next to BW and has a particularly high level of achievement. KP sits next to GO and is also
an advanced student. BR sits next to KP and talks to GO a lot, otherwise he is quiet.
Groupings
All groups will be trios, plus one group of four. Since GC is more comfortable around
people he knows, he will be in a group with KC. EV will help keep them on task. JA and JC
will be in a group with DM. Since DMs achievement is relatively advanced, he will help them
understand tasks without dominating the group work. BW needs interaction to stay on task, so
she will be in a group with ER and CG since they interact well together. JR and BR will be in a
group with JJ so that JJ can help the other two understand content and BR can help the group
stay on task. JN will be in a group with WT and JV so that JN can lead the group work but not
dominate it. The group of four will include MT, BN, KQ, and NJ so that MT does not let NJ

dominate and so that BN and KQ can have more help from MT and NJ. Finally, GO will be in a
group with LS and KP so that GO does not provide all the input.
Group 1: GC, KC, EV
Group 2: JA, JC, DM
Group 3: BW, ER, CG
Group 4: BR, JR, JJ
Group 5: WT, JN, JV
Group 6: MT, BN, KQ, NJ
Group 7: LS, KP, GO

Reading Comprehension Lesson: Guess Yes or No

Before
1. _______ All plants make seeds. (page 1)
2. _______ All seeds grow to be the same type of plant that made them. (page 3)
3. _______ The sticky part at the top of the pistil is the sepal. (page 5)
4. _______ Pollination has to happen for a seed to grow. (page 6)
5. _______ Insects and wind help pollination happen. (page 7-8)
6. _______ The fruit or pod that grows around seeds is for decoration. (page 11)
7. _______ The seeds are ready to become new plants before the fruit or pod ripens. (page
12)
8. _______ Animals help scatter seeds because the seeds can stick to their clothes. (page 17)
9. _______ Food is stored on the inside of a seed. (page 20)
10. _______ When the seed coat breaks open and the seed begins to grow, it is called
germination. (page 22)
11. _______ The stems make food for the plant. (page 24)
After
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

_______ All Some plants make seeds. (page 1)

_______ All seeds grow to be the same type of plant that made them. (page 3)
_______ The sticky part at the top of the pistil is the sepal stigma. (page 5)
_______ Pollination has to happen for a seed to grow. (page 6)
_______ Insects and wind help pollination happen. (page 7-8)
_______ The fruit or pod that grows around seeds is for decoration protection. (page 11)
_______ The seeds are ready to become new plants before when the fruit or pod ripens.
(page 12)
8. _______ Animals help scatter seeds because the seeds can stick to their clothes fur. (page
17)
9. _______ Food is stored on the inside of a seed. (page 20)
10. _______ When the seed coat breaks open and the seed begins to grow, it is called
germination. (page 22)
11. _______ The stems leaves make food for the plant. (page 24)

Lesson Summary and Context: Students will read pages 1-24 of From Seed to Plant by Gail
Gibbons to learn about the plant life cycle and how plants grow. This book will be read as part
of a unit plan on plants. It will be read at the beginning of the unit as an introduction to plants.
This book incorporates many science standards, and it will be revisited throughout the unit in
other content areas as well.
Standards:
Common Core:
CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical
inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the text.

RI.3.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
CCRA.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word
and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting
general and specialized referenced materials, as appropriate.

NCES:
3.L.2.1: Remember the function of the following structures as it relates to the survival of
plants in their environments:
o Roots absorb nutrients
o Stems provide support
o Leaves synthesize food
o Flowers attract pollinators and produce seeds for reproduction
3.L.2.2: Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and
grow.
3.L.2.3: Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.
Student Outcomes:
SWBAT identify and name the life cycles of plants.
SWBAT read an informational text and provide evidence for different statements.
Materials:
Each trio will need 1 copy of pages 1-24 of From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons.
Each student, including the teacher, will need a Guess Yes or No worksheet.
Groupings: Each group will be a trio, with one group of four. The groups are as follows:
1. GC, KC, EV
2. JA, JC, DM
3. BW, ER, CG
4. BR, JR, JJ
5. WT, JN, JV
6. MT, BN, KQ, NJ
7. LS, KP, GO
Engage & Explain (10 minutes)
Before students read:
Set Purpose: I will say, Okay guys, today we are going to be learning about
plants! I have written eleven statements here about plants, but some of them are not true. Before
you read the book, you are going to guess whether or not you think the statement is true or false
and write yes or no in the space beside the statement. You will write your guesses in pencil
so that you can change them based on what you read. It doesnt matter how much you get right

10

or wrong before since you can change them. I want you to use your detective skills to figure out
what the true facts are and change your guesses. Before we read the book, we are going to read
the statements together and make sure we know how to pronounce the words and understand
what they mean. Everyone read the first one with me. We will read the statements together and
I will answer any questions about the words and make sure that everyone understands their
meanings. The students will write their guesses as we go through each question.
Explore (20 minutes)
I Do and You Watch: After letting the students mark their guesses, I will group them into
trios with readers of differing abilities and give the middle person a copy of the reading. I will
tell them to turn to page 1 and say, I will read these first page and see if I can find the answer to
the first statement. The first sentence says that Most plants make seeds. My first statement
says that All plants make seeds. I think that the first statement is false, so I need to change it. I
will change the word all to some. Lets move onto the next statement. It says, All seeds
grow to be the same type of plant that made them. Ill read the next page and see if I can find
the answer. I will read the next page and note that it doesnt say anything about seeds growing
to be plants. I will say, I couldnt find the answer on this page. Perhaps its on this page. It
says, All seeds grow into the same kind of plant that made them. I dont need to change the
second statement because it is true.
I Do and You Help: After modeling the first two statements, I will invite the students to
help me with the next two. I will say, Lets read the next statement together. We will read the
next statement together, and we will read the next two pages. I will say, I see the word sepal
on this page, but it doesnt say anything about it being the sticky part at the top of the pistil. Do
we see those words anywhere else on this page? We do! It says, The sticky part at the top of
the pistil is the stigma. Do you think we should change our statement? I think so, too. What
word can we use to replace sepal? We will move onto the next statement and see that page 6
says pollination has to happen before a seed can grow, so we leave the statement as it is. We will
also move onto the next one, finding that insects and wind do help pollination occur, so we leave
the statement. Finally, we will do the next one and find that the fruit or pod is actually for
protection, so we change it.
You Do It Together and I Help: After having them help me, they will be doing it together
in their trios. I will say, Now that you know how to do the activity, work together in your trios
to read the pages, look at the pictures, and decide if the statements are true. If they are false,
change them into true statements. I will monitor the groups to see that they are understanding
how to change any false statements. I will tell them not to use the word not just to make a
statement true.
Elaborate and Closure (7 minutes)
After reading: After the class finishes reading and verifying or changing statements, we
will come back together to talk about the last seven statements. If the students believe the
statements were already true, I will have them find the point in the text that makes them true. If
they believe they were false, they will find evidence from the text to prove it. To conclude, I will
have the students draw and label two stages of the plant life cycle.
Evaluate and Assess Student Outcomes: I will monitor the students work throughout the
activity by listening to their discussions in their trios. I will also look at the statements they
create after the activity to see what they came up with.

11

Adaptations and Enrichment: I will group the students into trios based off of differing ability.
I will also let the student who has more trouble reading hold the copy of the text for the trio to
look at.

12

Guess Yes or No

Name:

1. _______ All plants make seeds. (page 1)

2. _______ All seeds grow to be the same type of plant that made them. (page
3)
3. _______ The sticky part at the top of the pistil is the sepal. (page 5)
4. _______ Pollination has to happen for a seed to grow. (page 6)
5. _______ Insects and wind help pollination happen. (page 7-8)
6. _______ The fruit or pod that grows around seeds is for decoration. (page
11)
7. _______ The seeds are ready to become new plants before the fruit or pod
ripens. (page 12)
8. _______ Animals help scatter seeds because the seeds can stick to their
clothes. (page 17)
9. _______ Food is stored on the inside of a seed. (page 20)
10. _______ When the seed coat breaks open and the seed begins to grow, it is
called germination. (page 22)
11. _______ The stems make food for the plant. (page 24)

13

Math Lesson: Measurements

Peyton Reed

Title:
Grade Level:
Length of Lesson:

Plants and Measurement

3rd grade
minutes

Essential
Question(s)/(aim):

What are some different ways that we can measure our plants?

Lesson summary and

context:

This lesson will focus on the concept of measurement and how it

relates to plants. This lesson will accompany a science lesson on
parts of plants.

Standards:

3.MD.B.4: Generate measurement data by measuring lengths

using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the
data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked
off in appropriate units whole numbers, halves, or quarters.
3.NF.A.1: Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1
part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a
fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

Objective/student
outcomes:

SWBAT:
1. Obtain measurements in different systems.
2. Represent measurement data in different ways.
3. Convert measurements.

Materials:

One plant for each group at different life stages, pencil, paper,
rulers.

Engage: (3 minutes)

(whole class) I will begin the class by asking what the tallest trees
theyve ever seen have been. I will ask them how tall they think
they were, both in standard and nonstandard measurements. We
will review the attribute of length.

Explore: (15 minutes)

(whole class/trios) I will start by saying, I have several different

plants for you all to look at today. The plants will be at different
stages of their life cycles, so they will all be different lengths. I
want each of your groups to first measure the lengths of the plants
with nonstandard measurements, like the lengths of your fingers.
After, you will measure the lengths with rulers, using fractions or
decimals if you have to. Think about all of the different ways you
can measure your plants, and record any measurement you find.
The students then divide up into trios and I pass out the plants.

Explain: (7 minutes)

(whole class) At the end of the activity, I will ask the students to
discuss how they came up with each of their measurements.
Then, we will graph the different measurements (in inches) as a

14

class. We will compare them and talk about why they are
different.

Elaborate: (5 minutes)

(individual) I will ask the students to convert their measurements

from inches into centimeters.

Enrich:

I have included different methods of measurement in the activity,

and I can give the more advanced students other problems in
terms of measuring and converting measurements. I will also
group the students by differing ability.

Closure: (2 minutes)

I will have the students write down a nonstandard way of

measuring length and how it can be used to measure length.

Evaluate/assess:

I will monitor the students work the whole time, and I will check
their work throughout as well.

15

Science Lesson: Stems

Teachers Name:
Lesson Title:
Investigation
Question:
General Overview
of the Lesson:

Peyton Reed
Grade (s):
Third
Celery and Structure
What are the functions of stems in plants?

50 minutes

Students will look at celery in different ways to understand the function and structure
of stems.

Expected Prior Content (Disciplinary Core

Idea & Crosscutting Concepts) Knowledge
Natural Resources: Students should have an
understanding of what plants need to survive.
Students should have basic knowledge about
what a plant is and different basic classifications
about plants.

Standards Addressed
(NGSS & NC):

Length of Lesson:

Expected Prior Practice-Based Knowledge &

Experience Important for this Lesson:
Systems and System Models: Students should know that
systems exist in the world and enable structures to work
together.
Students will have interacted with different types of plants
and probably will have grown them.

NGSS: 1-LS1-1
NC: 3.L.2.1

DESIRED RESULTS
Learning Goal (should be specific and measurable)
Learning
Students should be able to explain how stems help a plant survive.
Goal:
Write an example scientific explanation that students should be able to construct based on your lesson:
Investigation What are the functions of stems in plants?
Question:
Scientific
Claim:
Stems transport water to the plant and help support it.
Explanation: Evidence: The celerys stem and leaves turned red, and the celery that received no water
was floppy.
Reasoning: Water was transported to the leaves through the stems of the celery and the stem
supported the plant.

LEARNING PLAN
Engage:

Teaching Plan

Anticipated Student Responses

Begin by showing the students a picture of

a plant.
Ask the students, Based off of this picture
and what you already know, what are some
parts of a plant? They could say stems,
flowers, leaves, and/or roots.

Students should know that plants need water

to survive.
They might wonder why plants need water
to survive or how water gets to all of the parts
of the plant.

16

Experience:

Ask the students why they think plants

need stems, but tell them to keep it to
themselves. Tell them that they are going to
be scientists and figure out why plants have
stems.
Tell the students that you want them to
write down or draw their predictions about
the purpose of a stem.
After they write/draw the predictions, show
them the materials they can use for the
experiment (food coloring, several stalks of
celery, cups, and water).
Tell the students that since we want to see
how plants transport water, then we should
definitely put some celery in water.
Ask the students if they want to leave any
of the celery out of the water just so that we
can see what happens to the celery. Tell them
that it his helpful to make comparisons in
experiments so that we can more easily look
at the results.
Ask the students what they might think the
food coloring is used for. If they do not
know, say that since we want to see how
water travels in plants, that red food coloring
would turn the water red and help us see
where it goes.
Say, Now that we have chosen what we
want our experiment to have, we know that
we want to look at three different stalks of
celery. One stalk will have no water, one
stalk will be in clear water, and one stalk will
have red food coloring.
Tell the students, Since I do not get to
spend all of my time in the classroom with
you all, I went ahead and set up this
experiment back at my school so that you
guys could look at the results. Normally, we
would have to wait for a few days to see
these results.
Divide the students up into groups of about
four each, and tell them all to be recorders,
which means they will need pencil and
paper.
On the board, draw a chart that separates
each stalk with the labels no water, clear

Students could be confused about how

plants get water.
Students may not understand that all parts of
the plant receive water.
Students may try to eat the celery or drink
the water, so I will definitely have to remind
them of classroom behavior and experimental
safety.
It might be hard for the students to observe
certain things, like the state of the stem or the
color of the leaves if the stalks didnt show
the results as well.
The students may also not know what
exactly to look for in the plants, so I may have
to prompt them.

17

water, and red water. Tell the students to

copy the table onto their papers.
Bring out the celery from the experiment
that was already completed and pass out a
stalk of each kind to the groups.
Tell the students to look at the different
stalks, and in the chart, they will write down
what they see and feel with each plant. Tell
them to specifically look at the stem and the
leaves. Tell them that they can also cut part
of the stem open too.
Explain:

After they have recorded the data, have the

class come together for a full class
explanation. Ask the students to share what
they wrote down, Write some of the
observations in the table on the board.
If they do not discuss this, ask the students
why they think the leaves turned red.
Also ask the students what they noticed
about the insides of the stems as well if they
do not bring it up.
Ask them why they think the stalk without
water was floppy.
Ask the students if what happened in the
experiment is consistent with their
predictions.
Ask the students to write a claim for the
experiment together. Guide them to make the
claim: stems transport nutrients to the plant.
If the students have difficulty providing
evidence, ask them what evidence from the
experiment lets them make that claim. Guide
them to say: the celerys stem and leaves
turned red.
If the students have trouble reasoning, ask
them how the evidence supports the claim.
Guide them to say: water was transported to
the leaves through the stems of the celery.
Ask the students what they think would
happen if they put white flower stems in
colored water. Have them tell the person
beside them what they think.

I think that the students will be able to make

concrete observations if I guide them and will
be able to make conclusions as well.
They might have some issues with the
Claim-Evidence-Reasoning part if they have
never been introduced to the concept before,
so I may have to explain that to an extent.

18

CONSIDERATIONS
I could see that some students may not have relevant knowledge about plants, but I think my Engage will be
helpful for remediation if needed. I also think that some students may have trouble making observations or
conclusions. I will organize the groups so that students of different abilities are in one group. I will also pick
the students who are more on the quiet side or take a back seat to group work to be the recorders so that they
are engaged the whole time. I will monitor to make sure the students are working together and discussing their
findings. For students who are not engaged, I will be sure to ask them questions directly so that they have to
think about the experiment. If students are visibly struggling, I will ask them guiding questions that help them
get to the answer, but I will not directly tell them anything.

19

Science Lesson: Leaves

Teachers Name:

Peyton Reed

Grade (s):

Third

Lesson Title:
Investigation
Question:
General Overview
of the Lesson:

An Introduction to Photosynthesis
How do plants make food?

Length of Lesson:

Split 20 minutes
and 20 minutes

Students will examine leaves in order to be introduced to photosynthesis.

Expected Prior Content (Disciplinary Core

Idea & Crosscutting Concepts) Knowledge
Natural Resources: Students should have an
understanding of what plants need to survive.

Expected Prior Practice-Based Knowledge &

Experience Important for this Lesson:
Students should have basic knowledge about what a plant
is and different basic classifications about plants.

Standards Addressed NGSS: 4-LS1-1

(NGSS & NC):
NC: 3.L.2.1

DESIRED RESULTS
Learning Goal (should be specific and measurable)
Learning
Students will be able to verbally explain that plants use sunlight to produce energy.
Goal:
Write an example scientific explanation that students should be able to construct based on your lesson:
Investigation What happens when plants make food?
Question:
Scientific
Claim:
Oxygen is given off during photosynthesis.
Explanation: Evidence: There were bubbles on the leaves.
Reasoning: Sunlight and carbon dioxide makes food and oxygen for plants, which is called
photosynthesis.

LEARNING PLAN
Engage:

Teaching Plan

Anticipated Student Responses

Begin by asking the students what plants

need to live. If sunlight comes up, ask them
if they know why plants need sunlight to
live.

Students may have misconceptions about

how plants obtain food. They may think they
have mouths or obtain it through another way.
They may not have heard of photosynthesis.

20

Experience:

Explain:

What the students do need to know is that

plants make their own food.
Tell them that we will be scientists and
look at evidence for how this process occurs.
Group the students into trios.
Tell them that our experiment today will
involve leaves, water, and the sun.
Tell them that since making food only
happens in the leaves that we will only be
looking at the leaves in the experiment.
Also tell them that since we know plants
need water and sunlight to survive that we
will have water and sunlight in this
experiment as well.
Give each trio a petri dish with water in it.
Say, Since we know plants need water,
where should we put the leaf? Have the
students put the whole leaves that have
already been removed from the plants in the
water after passing out a leaf to each trio.
Then ask, Since we know that plants need
light, where is a good place to put our cups?
Put the cups on the windowsill or other place
where they can get sunlight.
Tell the students that comparisons are
helpful for experiments, so that leaving a leaf
with water out of the sun could be helpful to
see results.
Ask the students to return to their seats to
write their predictions about what might
happen to the leaves in an hour.
After an hour has gone by, return to the
leaves and have the students record what
they see on their leaves and discuss their
observations in their trios.
Have the whole class come back together.
Discuss some of the findings that the
students noticed. Have students volunteer
some observations and/or call on students to
tell the class what they found.
Many students will probably note that there
were bubbles on the leaves, so make sure the
students recognize it as a pattern.
Ask the students where they think the
bubbles are coming from. Look at the
comparison group and ask the students why

The students may have a hard time

understanding that plants make their own
food.
They may not see how leaves contribute to
photosynthesis (they probably will not know
that leaves synthesize food).
The students may think that nothing will
happen to the leaves or they may think the
opposite.

The students may not have noticed that there

were bubbles.
They may not understand that oxygen is
what made the bubbles.
They may not make the connection that
bubbles as the presence of oxygen represents
that photosynthesis is happening.

21

bubbles formed on one and not the other.

When they make the connection that the
plant needs sunlight, tell them that sunlight +
carbon dioxide makes food + oxygen for
plants.
Ask them what they think they were
observing from the bubbles. The bubbles are
from the oxygen that the plants produce.
Say, With these things in mind, what can
we write as our claim? Guide them to say:
Oxygen is given off during photosynthesis.
Say, How do we know this? What is our
evidence? Guide them to say: There were
bubbles on the leaves.
Say, We know that this claim is true
because sunlight and carbon dioxide makes
food and oxygen for plants, which is called
photosynthesis.
Say, Good job guys! Next time, we are
going to learn even more about
photosynthesis. Today was just an
introduction, so if you have any questions,
write them down now so that we can answer
them next time.

CONSIDERATIONS
I think this lesson could be very confusing for some students. It is a difficult concept to grasp, especially since
they cannot actively observe the entire process of photosynthesis. I think, however, that this is a good
introductory lesson for other lessons on photosynthesis. To mitigate potential confusion, I will have the
students grouped in trios with students of different ability. If students are having more difficulty than
anticipated, I will have to be more intentional with the questions I ask. I will monitor what the students record
and their group discussions.

22

Science Lesson: Flowers

Teachers Name:
Lesson Title:
Investigation
Question:
General Overview
of the Lesson:

Peyton Reed
Grade (s): Third
Length of Lesson:
Plants and their Flowers
What are the functions of flowers in plants?

50 minutes

Students will examine flowers to understand their structures and functions.

Expected Prior Content (Disciplinary Core

Idea & Crosscutting Concepts) Knowledge
Natural Resources: Students should have an
understanding of what plants need to survive.
Students should have basic knowledge about
what a plant is and different basic classifications
about plants.

Expected Prior Practice-Based Knowledge &

Experience Important for this Lesson:
Systems and System Models: Students should know that
systems exist in the world and enable structures to work
together.

Standards Addressed NGSS: 4-LS1-1

(NGSS & NC):
NC: 3.L.2.1

DESIRED RESULTS
Learning Goal (should be specific and measurable)
Learning
Students will be able to verbally explain what how some parts of the flower help the plant
Goal:
survive.
Write an example scientific explanation that students should be able to construct based on your lesson:
Investigation How does the flowers structure help a plant survive?
Question:
Scientific
Claim:
Flowers attract pollinators and help the plant reproduce.
Explanation: Evidence: We saw the sepals and where the plant grows seeds, and we saw the petals.

LEARNING PLAN
Engage:

Teaching Plan

Anticipated Student Responses

Ask the students why they think plants

have flowers.
Tell the students that they are going to look
at the parts of a flower.
Ask the students how they think would be
the easiest way to see the inside of a flower.
If they dont know why, say that taking apart
the flower is a helpful way to see what it
looks like inside. Tell them that this is what
the word dissect means. Then tell them

The students may be confused about the

parts of a flower.
They may also be confused about the
concept of dissecting.

23

that they will do just that, but that you will

demonstrate first.
Experience:

Explain:

First, ask the students to look at the

document camera as it is very important that
they remember what you are doing so that
they can do the experiment as well.
Put the plant under the document camera
and cut down the middle of the stem. Tell
the students that cutting it open very
carefully is helpful to see the inside of the
flower.
Point out the different parts on the inside of
the flower, petals and sepal. Point out where
the seeds would form and grow inside a
flower.
Then tell the students that it is their turn to
dissect the flower.
Group the students into trios. For each
group, pass out a paper towel, a flower
(Gladiolas), and a plastic knife.
Tell them that they need to be very careful
with the flower as not to damage it and to be
patient throughout the experiment until they
are prompted to move on.
Have them cut open the plant as you did.
Call out different parts of the flower and
have them place the parts on a corresponding
flower on. Walk around to ensure that they
have pointed out the different parts correctly.
Encourage discussion throughout the
experiment.
After the experiment, discuss the different
parts of the flower and how they interact
with one another.
Explain to the students how the flower
produces a seed and what is necessary for
pollination. Revisit From Seed to Plant if
necessary.
Ask the students how they think the
flowers structure helps the plant survive.
Guide them to make the claim: Flowers
attract pollinators and help the plant
reproduce.
Ask the students how we know that flowers
help the plant reproduce and attract
pollinators. Guide them to say: We saw the

The students may be overwhelmed with all

of the flower parts.
They may not be able to identify all the parts
of the flower correctly.
They could also get carried away with the
experiment and not stop to identify different
parts.

The students may be confused as to how the

parts help the plant reproduce.
They may still have questions about the
flower after the experiment and the Explain.

24

parts of the flower that help them reproduce

and the petals and nectar attract pollinators.

CONSIDERATIONS
I thought that some of this content would be difficult for students, so I purposefully did not go as in depth as I
would in a later grade. I think spiraling to the concept in a later grade would be very beneficial to them as
well. However, I think that I will have to break this down to make sure they understand the different terms.
While I did not want this lesson to be a lecture, I have included a bit of lecture for the Explain part because I
think it will be difficult to actually see what the parts of the flower do. I also think I may have to design some
sort of word and vocabulary bank for the end of the lesson to give to the students as a reference because many
of the words are difficult to say and they will probably be unfamiliar with most of them. I will group the
students in trios of differing ability so that one of the stronger students can assist the others with understanding
and identifying parts.

25

Math Lesson: Perimeter and Area

Peyton Reed

Title:
Grade Level:
Length of Lesson:

Making a Garden
3rd grade
35 minutes

Essential
Question(s)/(aim):

What do we need to know to design a garden?

Lesson summary and

context:

This lesson will focus on the ideas of perimeter and area with a
realistic situational context.

Standards:

3.MD.C.5: Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and

understand concepts of area measurement.
3.MD.C.5.A: A square with side length 1 unit, called "a
unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and
can be used to measure area.
3.MD.C.5.B: A plane figure which can be covered without
gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area
of n square units.
3.MD.C.7: Relate area to the operations of multiplication and
addition.
3.MD.C.7.A: Find the area of a rectangle with wholenumber side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is
the same as would be found by multiplying the side
lengths.
3.MD.C.7.B: Multiply side lengths to find areas of
rectangles with whole-number side lengths in the context
of solving real world and mathematical problems, and
represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in
mathematical reasoning.
3.MD.C.7.D: Recognize area as additive. Find areas of
rectilinear figures by decomposing them into nonoverlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the nonoverlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real
world problems.
3.MD.D.8: Solve real world and mathematical problems
involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter
given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and
exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas
or with the same area and different perimeters.

Objective/student
outcomes:

SWBAT:
4. Calculate perimeter.

26

5. Calculate area.
6. Calculate area using the distributive property.

Materials:

Teacher will need a white board, students will need a pencil and
paper.

Engage: (3 minutes)

(whole class) I will begin the lesson by asking the students if they
have ever gardened. I will then ask what types of things you can
plant in a garden. Then I will tell them that I want them to design
a garden for me. I will then ask them what types of things they
think they will need to know to be able to plant the garden,
focusing on certain things such as the size of the plot, how much
fencing we need, how much soil and water we might need, and
the like.

Explore: (15 minutes)

(whole class/individual/partners) I will start by saying, Can

someone come to the board and write our equation for area? I
want the area of the garden to be 20 square feet so that I could put
20 plants in it. What are the dimensions that I could use? Think
about those dimensions. I will then tell them to turn and talk to
their partner about a dimension they used. Then, I will have them
come to the board and draw out their dimensions, with one being
10 feet by 2 feet and the other being 4 feet by 5 feet. I would then
ask, Can someone come to the board and write our equation for
perimeter? How much fencing would we need for the garden?
Do this on your paper. Once you have finished, turn to your
partner and tell them what you got for each shape. Notice how
our fencing changed for each dimension. What if I decided that I
wanted the area to be 24 square feet? How could we adjust our
garden? How would our fencing change? Work on your own,
and turn to your partner and discuss what you did. I would then
have some students come to the board and draw out the different
ways they made the shape and how they calculated the perimeter.
Then I will say, What if I knew I wanted the fencing to be 26
feet, and I knew I wanted one of the sides of the garden to be 7
feet? Can you all find what my other side of the garden should
be? Work on your own, then turn to a partner and discuss what
you found. I would then have a student come to the board and
write the equation for what he/she did.

Explain: (10 minutes)

(whole class) At the end of the activity, I will ask the students to
discuss how they calculated the area and perimeters of each
scenario and what their processes were like. We will also
compare the different plot sizes and discuss the differences
between them.

Elaborate: (5 minutes)

(whole class) I will ask the students to calculate the area of a plot
that is 6 feet by 7 feet plus an additional 6 feet by 2 feet.
27

Enrich:

Since I have included different scenarios in the activity, there will

be several levels of difficulty present throughout. I will also
group the students of differing ability.

Closure: (2 minutes)

(whole class) The students will summarize the results and

strategies of the lesson.

Evaluate/assess:

I will assess the students by monitoring their work/discussion

throughout the lesson and by having them share strategies.

28

Writing and Revision Lesson

Lesson Summary and Context: In this lesson, the students will write informational pieces
based off of a prompt on plants. The students will then revise these lessons This lesson will
occur toward the end of the unit as a way to assess what the students have learned throughout the
unit.
Standards:
CCSS:
CCRA.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas
and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
CCRA.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCRA.W.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCRA.W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
NCES:
3.L.2.1: Remember the function of the following structures as it relates to the survival of
plants in their environments:
o Roots absorb nutrients
o Stems provide support
o Leaves synthesize food
o Flowers attract pollinators and produce seeds for reproduction
3.L.2.2: Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and
grow.
3.L.2.3: Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.
Student Outcomes:
SWBAT write informational pieces.
SWBAT revise informational pieces.
Materials: Each student will need a piece of paper and a pencil, and the teacher will need an
informational piece that is different from the plant prompt.
Groupings: The students will be grouped into pairs based on similar reading and writing ability.
1. ER, CG
2. GO, NJ
3. JN, EV
4. KC, GC
5. DM, BN
6. JC, LS
7. MT, JR
8. JV, KQ
9. BR, BW

29

10. JJ, WT
11. KP, JA
Engage and Explain (5 minutes)
Before students write:
Introduction and Set Purpose: I will say, We have been learning so much about
plants lately. I would love it if you all could tell me some of the things you have learned so far
in writing. Do you remember learning about all of the different parts and how they help the plant
live? Do you remember the flowers we looked at? I will then display the prompt: Pretend you
have a younger sibling in first grade. Write a paper for him or her to describe what you have
learned about plants. I will then say, This piece will be informative. What are some of the
characteristics of an informational piece? Thats right, we dont know how the author feels
about the topic. He or she only gives facts. I want you to take out a piece of scratch paper and
write down three things you have learned this week about plants. You have two minutes, and Ill
walk around and help you if I need to. After giving them about ten to fifteen minutes to write
their informational pieces on plants, we will move onto revising our pieces. I will say, Who can
tell me what we do when we revise? Thats right, we make our good writing even better! I will
have the class read the first two guidelines, introduce the topic and give facts and details
about the topic. I will go over the differences between facts and opinions.
Explore (25 minutes)
I Do and You Watch: I will display a first draft from a prompt that is different than the
one the students wrote about. I will also display the first two guidelines for informational pieces.
Cats are members of the Felidae family. Did you know that there are over 70 different
kinds of cats? Cats land on all four legs.
I will ask the students to read the piece chorally while I listen. Then they will read the first
guideline out loud. I will say, Does it look like I have clearly introduced my topic? My topic is
cats. If the students say yes, then I will move on to the next guideline and read it aloud. I will
say, Does it look like I have included details and facts about cats? If the students say yes, then
I will move on.
I Do and You Help: I will say, I have introduced my topic clearly and my paper is based
on facts, but I bet that I can make it even better by adding more facts. Could you all help me
revise my informational piece by adding more facts? I will have the students make suggestions
and ask them where to place their suggestions. I will use a caret to point to where the new facts
should go in the sentence and write the words in the margin of the page. After adding several
facts, I will say, Thank you for helping me revise my informational piece by adding facts. I
think its even better now!
Cats are members of the Felidae family. Did you know that there are over 70 different
kinds of cats? Cats land on all four legs. A cat can also jump 30 times its height. Some
cultures, like the ancient Egyptians, even worship cats. Cats usually live 12 to 15 years.
You Do It Together and I Help: I will have the students revise their writing about plants.
I will put the students together in revising partners based off of similar ability. I will say, I want

30

you to work together with your partner to revise your papers based off of the two guidelines I
gave you. Ill walk around and take any questions you have. Every paper can be revised to meet
the guidelines. If yours already meets the guidelines, make it even better. The students should
be familiar with editing marks as well.
Elaborate and Closure (5 minutes)
After revising: I will ask the students how they feel about their revisions. I will ask them
to think about what they have learned about introducing topics and providing details for
informational pieces.
Evaluate and Assess Student Outcomes: I will monitor the students work throughout the
lesson by listening to their corrections and by walking around during the revising time.
Adaptations and Enrichment: I will group the revising partners based off of ability. I will
group students of similar ability so that the levels of revising will not be one sided. The more
advanced writers will probably have more advanced writing to revise that would be too difficult
for writers of lower ability to even read.

31

Bibliography of Additional Resources

Gibbons, G. (1991). From seed to plant. New York: Holiday House.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School
Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Authors.
NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2011). North Carolina Essential Standards.
Raleigh: Authors.

32