The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds

Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension

3rd Grade
Teacher: Ashley Brake/Brandi Norton
Subject Area: Literature Content-Reading
Grade Level: 3rd
Unit Title: Plants
Lesson Title: The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds-Vocabulary Development
and Reading Comprehension
TEKS:
110.14. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3
(2) Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts
drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to: (A) use ideas
(e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing clues) to
make and confirm predictions; (B) ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and
locate facts and details about stories and other texts and support answers with
evidence from text; and (C) establish purpose for reading selected texts and
monitor comprehension, making corrections and adjustments when that
understanding breaks down (e.g., identifying clues, using background knowledge,
generating questions, re-reading a portion aloud).
(4) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use
it when reading and writing. Students are expected to: (B) use context to determine
the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or distinguish among multiple meaning
words and homographs;
(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students
understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents.
Students are expected to: (B) locate and use specific information in graphic features
of text.
(29) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen
attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply
earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to: (A) listen
attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments; and
(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related
sequences of action.
Reading and Comprehension SkillsThird Grade Figure: 19 TAC 110.10(b)

Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive

reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an authors
message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in
increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The
student is expected to: (C) monitor and adjust comprehension (e.g., using
background knowledge, creating sensory images, re-reading a portion aloud,
generating questions); (D) make inferences about text and use textual evidence to
support understanding;

Objective: To increase students vocabulary on plants, specifically flowers.

As well as, increasing students knowledge of plant life. Students are
expected to analyze context clues to draw up definitions on new vocabulary.
They are also expected to think critically and draw conclusions from the text.
Materials/Resources Needed: Book: The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
copy for each student, Vocabulary Organizer Worksheet (included) , Flower
Labeling Worksheet (included) , each student will need pencil and highlighter
or light colored crayon
Anticipatory Set: What do you know about plants? What do you know about
gardens? What about flowers? As you listen to the story, I want you to relate your
planting experiences to Mrs. Frizzles class.
Purpose: Students will be able to identify parts of a flower, relate actions of a bee
to flowers, and be able to explain part of the life cycle of plants from the story.
Students should also be able to relate the readings of the text to everyday events.
Input: Students need to know what a bee and ladybug is. This should be introduced
during lessons before 3rd grade. Familiarity of The Magic School Bus series would be
beneficial. Previous exposure during lessons would take care of this as well.
Check for Understanding: The labeling worksheet and oral discussions will help
the teacher assess the students understanding.
Guided Practice: Students will participate in guided reading of the book. They will
also be guided when doing the vocabulary building exercise. From start to finish this
should take a minimum of 35-40 minutes.
Closure: The teacher will close the lesson with allowing students to ask any more
questions about their new vocabulary words and then handing them their labeling
worksheet which will be used for independent practice.
Independent Practice: Students will complete the labeling worksheet (included
below) with their new vocabulary organizer worksheet as a guideline. The next day,
they will review their labeling worksheet and then put it away. They will then begin
to build a flower with craft material on their own and label the flower on their own.

SPECIFIC
Step-by-Step Details
Vocabulary: plants, gardens, seed, petal, nectar, anther, pollen, grain of pollen,
stigma, pollen tube, egg cells, flowers,
Reading: The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds

Introduction: What do you know about plants? What do you know about gardens?
What about flowers? Today, we are going to read a Magic School Bus book covering
How Living Things Grow as part of our weekly unit on plants. How many of you
have ever planted a plant before? . Awesome. Well as you listen to the story, I
want you to relate your planting experiences to Mrs. Frizzles class. But, before we
get to read the book, I am going to handout to you a vocabulary organizer. Ill
explain what we are going to do with this worksheet after everyone has theirs.
(handout vocabulary organizer w/s)

----------------Procedures---------------Step 1: What I want you to do, is quickly scan over your handout of the book, pick
5 vocabulary words out that you dont know the meaning about. Try to pick words
that you think pertain to the planting, gardening, or flowers. You only need to jot
down the word, not the definition. Students should be allowed 5-7 minutes to
complete this part.
Step 2: Now, with a highlighter or light color highlight all the words you picked out.
You might see some words repeated, if so, highlight each time you see the word.
Allow an additional 2 minutes for this.
Step 3: Okay everyone, now it is time to read the story. I will read aloud and you
must follow along. If I feel like youre not following along I will call on you to read.
So, make sure you have your pointer finger, pencil, or ruler out and are keeping up
with where we are at. We will have questions to answer at the end so you need to
listen carefully.
Step 4: Teacher reads the book. Then reviews the book. She asks the students
critical thinking questions such ask: What does Carlos say his tomato plants came
from? Why do you think Mrs. Frizzle turned the school bus into a lady bug? Why
would Mrs. Frizzle take her class inside of a flower? Why do you think the bees
came to the flowers that Mrs. Frizzles class was in? Who took the lady bug (magic
school bus) to the other plant and away from Phoebes old teacher? What
happened when the pollen of one plant was dropped onto another? Hint (Arnold
and Phoebe slid down it). What was inside that tube? Explain how the class got
back to their garden.
Step 5: Now, I want you to get your vocabulary worksheet back out and fill in the
definition portion for each word you wrote down. A good strategy to remember is to
use your context clues in the story if you arent sure about the definition still. You
will have 10 minutes and then we will go over the words together as a group.
Students have 10 minutes to research their definitions.
Step 6: Okay ladies and gents time is up. Now, we are going to review everyones
definitions together. Each student calls out one vocabulary word and the definition.
The teacher should type as the student calls out the definition and it should be
shown on the overhead at the same time. After the student is done defining the
word, the class makes a decision as a whole whether they agree with the definition
or more needs to added to it. After each person in the class has gave at least one

definition, the teacher should ask does anyone have a vocabulary word written
down that we havent covered yet? If there is one you should write down the word
and definition, if not move on.
Step 7: Now that we have all of our definitions on the board, we need to decide
which words pertain strictly to, plants, gardens, or flowers. Allow students time to
decide which words to keep and which to take away. Only spend about 2 minutes
doing so. Whichever words are decided to be taken away, cut and paste them to a
different word document.
Step 8: Now, print off the words and definitions. Cut them into strips (1 word and
definition on same strip) and tape them spatially around the room. Students can
take bathroom/water breaks during this time.
Step 9: Now, explain to class that they will be in put in pairs and will move around
the room clockwise to copy down any definitions they dont already have on the
back part of their w/s. You might mention students can use their library books,
science books, or clipboards and a utensil to write on. Let students circulate the
room for another 10 minutes.
Step 10: Now, have students complete the labeling worksheet that pertains to some
of the vocabulary they just learned. Let them know that they will be using this
worksheet to create a plant tomorrow so it is essential for them to label correctly.
Variations: Students can come up to the computer and type their definitions
themselves to practice computer and typing skills. If a computer and overhead
system isnt available students can write on the board. The word bank can be cut up
and glued onto the right labeling area instead of written.

seed

petal

anther

stigma pollen tube

egg cells