Plants Lesson Plan

Courtesy of Tami L. Maldonado-Mancebo
Early Childhood Curriculum Consultant, Omaha Public Schools

This themed unit allows students to develop a variety of academic skills as they learn about plants. Individual student goals will vary according to the ability and ages of the children and can be easily adapted for children with special needs.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives include communication skills, spatial concepts, problem solving, grouping, sequencing, identification, labeling, fine and gross motor development.

Arts & Crafts

Grow Your Name

What You Need: Small Box (roughly half the size of a shoe box), Grass Seed, Potting Soil

What You Do: Get small boxes, line them with plastic, and fill them with potting soil. Have your students scratch out their name in the soil. Then have them sprinkle grass seeds into the name. Gently cover the seeds with soil and soon their name will be growing in the garden.

Paper Gardens

What You Need: Easter Grass, Pipe Cleaners, Paper, Markers/Crayons/Paint, Glue, Muffin Cup Liners

What You Do: Have your students glue grass on the paper and design their own gardens. They can choose to paint their own flowers, or use pipe cleaners and torn pieces of construction paper to form them. Additionally, you can provide muffin liners for them to use as flower blossoms.

Lima Bean

What You Need: Beans, Paper, Markers/Crayons/Paint, Glue, Whatever other art supplies that you choose

What You Do: At the bottom of a piece of paper, glue a bean. Now ask your students to draw and decorate the page based on what they think will grow from the bean.

Crew Cut Garden Choir

What You Need: Paper cup for each student, Tag board pre-cut in the shape of a head with ears to go around each paper cup, markers, Soil, Grass Seed

What You Do: Have each student make a face on the precut tag board, then glue it to their paper cup. Fill the paper cup with soil and then top with a grass seed. Add a little water and place in sunlight on the window sill. Watch as the grass grows - it will look like a character growing hair. Eventually, students can take scissors and cut the grassy hair.

Foot Flower

What You Need: Paint, Paper

What You Do: Paint the bottom of the student's foot and let them put it on paper. They can then add a stem and other decorations they choose to add to the picture.

Paper Plate Sunflower

What You Need: Paper Plates, Yellow Paper, Paint, Glue, Sunflower seeds or oatmeal

What You Do: Give your students paper plates. Have them cut out pedals from the yellow paper and then attach them around the paper plate. They can then add sunflower seeds or oatmeal to the center of the flower.

Leaf Tie Dye

What You Need: Leaves (various colors preferred) and Flowers, Cloth (Light Color), Sticking Instrument (Mallet or Hammer)

What You Do: Put the leaves and flowers out on the floor or counter. Put the cloth on top of the leaves and flowers, then hit the cloth with the mallet until the leaves and flowers are ground up. This will create a neat pattern on the cloth. If you’re feeling brave, you can let the students try it.

(Warning: This project can be very messy. Also, supervise students with mallets closely.)

Dramatic Play

• Provide clothing for a farm family - overalls, work boots, hats, bandanas, etc. Model how to do farm chores (collect eggs, feed animals, clean up, cook, etc.) while wearing the farm clothes. Have some kids act as farm animals and show how the farmer can take care of them.
• An indoor "greenhouse" (big enough for the students to play inside) can be made out of PVC pipe and clear plastic sheets. First build the PVC square frame (5 ft square) and then hot glue on the clear plastic sides. Fill it with garden tools, hats, seeds, twine, garden photos, plastic flower pots, plant markers and other safe gardening related items.
• Have the students turn dramatic play into a flower shop. Place a variety of dried & silk flowers, along with pots, vases, ribbons, greeting cards, etc.
 

Games

• Keep kids engaged using a memory game. First, create laminated plant cards. Next, show/model how the plants have matches. Then, show/model how to play the memory game with a peer and let the students take turns.
• Modify the game "Duck, Duck, Goose". Instead, say: “Seed, seed, sprout, sprout, flower.” On "flower" the chase begins.
 

Math

• Have students plant a sunflower seed in a clear plastic cup. As the seed grows you can demonstrate how the roots grow in the soil and the plant grows above the soil. Keep a chart of daily growth.
• You can also incorporate math by making a prediction graph that shows how many students think their seed will grow and how many think it will not grow. Create a result graph based on the outcome.
• Take your class to the park to collect twigs, pebbles, weeds and reeds in plastic bags. Back in the classroom, dump items onto a paper plate for each student. Encourage students to sort their findings in a variety of ways: length, width, color, texture, smell, etc.
• Sorting: Sort different seeds based on color, type, size, etc. and place them in an egg carton.
• Counting: Count a variety of seeds. You can also introduce subtraction and addition.

Music & Movement

(Sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine)

Yellow flowers, blue flowers, red flowers I can see.
Pink flowers, orange flowers in the garden I can see.

Fingerplay

All words should be pantomimed by the teacher and kids:

"First you take the seed and you plant it in the ground." (Mime taking a seed and planting it in your other hand, balled up in a fist.)
"Next a rain cloud comes and waters all around." (Keep fist with seed the same; use other hand to simulate a rain cloud raining down on the seed.)
"Next the sun shines brightly, without a sound." (Keep fist with seed same, use other hand to shine down by moving fingers over seed.)
"And in just a few days... a flower is found!" (Move fist with seed up through other hand and open like a flower. This is actually the sign for "new" or "flower.")

Once kids are familiar with this poem, have the students be the seeds that the teacher plants and waters and shines on. When the teacher taps them on the heads the first time through the first line, the students drop to the floor as if they have been planted. When the teacher taps them on the head again as the last line is recited, they grow into beautiful flowers.

"Two Pumpkin Seeds"

One day I found two pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a long green vine.
A pumpkin grew. I called it mine.
My pumpkin was quite round and fat.
I really am quite proud of that.
But there is something I'll admit
That has me worried just a bit.
I ate the other seed, you see.
Now will it grow inside of me?

"Planting Flowers"

(Sung to the tune of Are you Sleeping?)

Planting flowers, planting flowers
In the ground, in the ground,
Water them and they grow,
Water them and they grow,
All around, all around.

"Plant a Little Seed"

I plant a little seed in the cold, cold ground (Squat down and pretend to plant)
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round (Put arms above your head like the sun)
Down come the raindrops soft and slowly (Wiggle your fingers)
Up comes the flower grow, grow, grow (Jump as the flower emerges)

"A Seedlings Song"

I am only now a seedling planted with hands so very young.
I have but just one wish, to reach and touch the sun.
My little leaves are fragile, my stem is very new.
My roots can barely hold me up, but you can help me through.

I need only a few things, to keep me alive and well.
Some water, love and sunshine, Then time will surely tell.
If my leaves look kind of droopy, something to drink will do the trick
And feed me a little fertilizer, to prevent me from getting sick.

This pot I live in now is a temporary hold;
I'll need to be replanted, as I will soon grow old.
The hardest thing to do my friend is to sit and watch and wait
For the wonderful surprise I'll bring, please be patient and have faith.

For your effort, love and support will all be over soon;
Visit me in a month or two and I'll reward you with a bloom.
But please don't cut me down I can surprise you once again,
Let me finish my flower and seed and next year, I'll be back my friend.

"The Flower Song"

The flower has some petals, the flower has some petals.
The petals call the birds and bees, the flower has some petals.
The flower has some leaves, the flower has some leaves.
The leaves will catch the rain and sun, the flower has some leaves.
The flower has a stem, the flower has a stem.
The stem will make it stand up tall, the flower has a stem.
The flower has some roots, the flower has some roots.
The roots will carry food and drink, the flower has some roots.

"The Rain and Sun Song"

(Sung to the tune of Wheels on the Bus)

The rain and the sun helps our seeds grow, our seeds grow, our seeds grow.
The rain and the sun helps our seeds grow. Grow roots down in the ground.

Nutrition

Have kids try eating edible seeds in foods such as poppy seed muffins, bread, or sesame seed rolls!

"Dirt" Snack

What You Need: 2 Boxes Chocolate Pudding, 4 Cups Milk, Whipped Topping, Oreo® Cookies, Plastic Baggies, Clear Plastic Cups, Gummy Worms

What You Do: Place two cookies in a bag for each student. Have them crush the cookies while you make pudding. Fold cool whip into the pudding mixture. Add half of the cookie mixture and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Place some cookie crumbs on top. Top with a gummy worm.

Cherry Blossom Tree

What You Need: Popped Popcorn, Dry Cherry Gelatin, Pretzel Sticks, White Icing

What You Do: Place the popped popcorn in a bag and shake cherry flavored dry gelatin in with popcorn. Give each student some flavored popcorn, white icing and pretzel sticks. They can dip the pretzel stick in the icing and then the popcorn to eat their cherry blossom tree. If the gelatin won't stick, lightly spray popcorn with water and give it to students when dry.

Sunshine Biscuits

What You Need: 1 or 2 Packages of Refrigerator Biscuits (the kind you place/bake), Apple Jelly, Scissors/or a Plastic Knife.

What You Do: Separate the biscuits onto a cookie sheet. Snip the edges 1/2 way to the center to form the "rays" of the sun. Push down the center with your thumb to create an indent. Fill the indent with a small spoonful of the apple jelly. Bake as directed on biscuit container. Serve warm and enjoy the sweet sunshine!

Outdoor Activities

Garden Stone
What You Need: 1 Cup of Sand, 1/2 Cup of Cornstarch, 1 Teaspoon Powdered Alum, 3/4 Cup Hot Water, Food Coloring of Student's Choice, Assortment of items student would like to decorate with, Plastic Pastel Butterflies, Colored Stones

What You Do: (This recipe only makes one stone, adjust to the size of your class.)
1. Mix sand, cornstarch and alum in bowl.
2. Add hot water, stirring vigorously until well blended.
3. Add food coloring and blend.
4. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
5. When cooled, Encourage students to flatten the dough out and make it the shape they prefer. Encourage them to decorate their stone. We had the letters M and O cookie cutters on the table and some of the students put the word "mom" on their stone by pushing the cutters in the dough.
6. Dry pieces in the sunshine for several days.
7. Lay out tissue paper, tape and ribbon, encourage students to wrap their gift for mom and make a card to go with their gift.

Science

• Have available several sandwich size zip-lock bags. Fold paper towels so they fit inside the baggie and then put water on them. Place several sunflower seeds in each bag. Zip up the bags and use a stick pin to post on the wall in the science area. After several days the seeds will start growing and the students will be able to observe the growth of the root and also the stems. After they have grown a bit, they can be planted in soil. Chart the progress and send home the plants to be transplanted.
• Have students plant a sunflower seed in a clear plastic cup. As the seed grows, you can show them how the roots grow in the soil and the plant grows above the soil.
• You can also apply math by making a prediction graph. How many students think their seed will grow and how many think that it will not grow? Create a result graph.
• Give each student a paper plate. Have students soak cotton balls in water and lay them on the plate. Let them sprinkle sprout seeds on the cotton balls. In a few days the seeds will sprout and you can teach students about vegetables and nature. They can also eat them!
• To explain and demonstrate how flowers need water, place a white carnation in a vase with colored water (use a good amount of food coloring) after a day the flower will take on some of the color of the water!
• Take a large sponge, get it wet and squeeze out any excess water. Cover with grass seed and then add water. The kids will have fun doing this. (I take photos of the students preparing and keep a camera on hand to capture the progress with students looking on.) Put the sponge on a plate in case of water leakage. Water as you would your lawn at home.
 

Sensory Table

• Put dirt in a sensory table. Add water to make mud.
• Put live worms in the dirt in the sensory table. Add a box of plastic gloves for students who don’t want to touch the worms directly.
• Place potting soil in a sensory table along with fake flowers, shovels, hand rakes, flower pots and a watering can. Keep a towel nearby to wipe messy hands! When you are ready for a new center, use the soil to plant something with the students.
• Place flax seed in the water table. Use some light brown and some dark brown. In one side, keep just seeds and on the other side combine the flax seed with water. It is a great texture and becomes very slimy overnight. Add some funnels along with various different shovels and spoons for the kids to use.
• Place a variety of seeds in the sensory table (corn, soybeans, cotton, etc.) Hide plastic farm animals and allow the students to search for them.
• Plant a classroom vegetable garden.

Now that your students have learned about plants, look for more fun lesson plan ideas.