Topic:

PlantsThinning/Transplanting

Standard:
7.)Describethelifecycleofplants,includingseed,seedgermination,growth,and
reproduction.

Describingtheroleofplantsinafoodchain
Identifyingplantandanimalcells
Describinghowplantsoccupyspaceanduselight,nutrients,water,andair
Classifyingplantsaccordingtotheirfeatures
Examples:evergreenordeciduous,floweringornonflowering
Identifyinghelpfulandharmfuleffectsofplants
Examples:
helpfulprovidefood,controlerosion
harmfulcauseallergicreactions,producepoisons
Identifyinghowbeespollinateflowers
Identifyingphotosynthesisasthemethodusedbyplantstoproducefood

10.)Determinehabitatconditionsthatsupportplantgrowthandsurvival.
Examples:desertssupportcacti,wetlandssupportfernsandmosses

Objectives:
Studentswillunderstandthepurposeofthinningandtransplanting.
Studentswillbeabletodifferentiatebetweenthinningandtransplanting.

Materials:
ScienceNotebook
Toothpick
Scissors
Handlens
Forceps
PottingMix

KeyIdeas:
Thinningisimportantandnecessary.
TheBrassicaplantsneedamplespace,food,water,andair.
Thiswillgivetheplanttheabilitytothriveandproducethehighest
possibleseedyieldatharvesttime.

 Transplantingiswhenyoumoveaplantfromoneplacetoanother.

Procedures:
Teacherwillbeginbyintroducingthetermsthinningandtransplanting.
Teacherwillaskstudentsiftheyhaveeverhadanyexperiencewiththese
termsoriftheyhaveanyideawhattheythinktheymightmean.
Whatisatransplant?(Possibleconnection:Someonegetsalung
transplant,etc)
Teacherwillexplainwhattheymeanintermsofplants(seeKeyIdeas).
Teacherwillgivedirectionsforstudentstothinandtransplanttheirownplants.
Teacherwillreleasegroups,tablebytable,togettheirplants.
First,studentswillobservetheirplantsandmakeobservationsontheir
growth.
Teacherwillaskquestionstoguideobservationsandthinking,such
as,Areallyourseedlingsthesamesize?Samecolor?Howare
theydifferent?Dideveryseedsprout?
Teacherwillhavestudentsdetermineoneplantfromeverycellthatthey
willkeepandwhichonetheywillthinout.Studentsshouldendupwith
oneplantpercell.
Beforethinning,studentswillgentlyloosenthesoilwithatoothpick.
Studentswillthintheirplantsbycuttingthemofforuprootingthemand
transplantingthemtoanothercell.
Teacherwillinstructstudentstokeeponeoftheiruprootedplantsto
illustrateintheirsciencenotebooks.
Studentscaneithertransplanttoanothercelloftheirsordonatetheir
seedlingtoaclassmate
Afterthinning/transplanting,studentswilldrawandlabeltheiruprootedseedling
andwritetheirobservationsintheirnotebooks.
Stem,leaves,roots

Differentiation:
TeacherwillfollowallaccommodationsasstatedinachildsIEP.Studentsworkin
heterogeneouspairingstodiscusstheirobservationsandrecordingstogether.Teacher
willmodelandassiststudentswhoneedmorehelpwiththinning.Teacherrepeat
directionsseveraltimesandbreakthemupforstudentswhohaveprocessing
difficulties.
Questions
Whyisthinningnecessary?
Whatwilltheeffectofthinningourplantsbe?

 Doyouthinkthinningandtransplantinghappensinnature/reallife?Whyorwhy
not?
Whatisthepointofthinningandtransplanting?Soifnoonedoesthisin
nature,whathappenstotheplants?
Whyareourplantsatdifferentheightsiftheyreallthesameage?
ConnectiontoMostofyouare8/9andyourevaryingheights
Whatfactorscouldaffectthis?Sunlightexposure,chance,accessto
resources(water),minerals/foodinsoil

Assessment:
Toassessstudentunderstanding,teacherwillobservestudentsbodylanguage
(confusedfaces,etc).Teacherwillwalkaroundandinformallyassessunderstanding,
basedonquestioningandstudentsrecording.

Teacherwilluseshowmehowmanyminutestoassesshowmuchtimestudentsneed
tofinishandthumbsupifyourewithmetogaugestudentunderstanding.