Lesson Plan: Plant Introduction

Teachers Name:

Date:

Subject/Topic:
Plants
Grade Level: K5
Central Focus (description of the important understandings and core concepts that you want
students to develop throughout the entire unit; may include Essential Questions): How are
plants essential to the planet?
Student Learning Objective(s)/Outcome(s) (what will the students actually do to
demonstrate their understanding; use Blooms verbs; make objectives measurable.): What
are the parts of a plant? What do plants need to survive? How do plants help
people and animals?
Assessment/Evaluation (is the assessment informal or
formal? what evidence of student learning related to the
learning objectives and central focus does the assessment
provide? what evaluation criteria did you use? how will
you assess their work rubric, grades, etc.?): Informal
Assessment- Background anchor chart
Informal assessment- writing questions on chart
(spaces, capital letters, punctuation)
Informal assessment- Inquiry Journal (content)

Differentiation/Planned
Support (what adjustments will
you make based on individual and
group needs? how will you support
students with gaps in prior
knowledge) Students will have
the ability to confer with the
teacher as needed. Students
will have the opportunity to
write questions they have
about plants or copy
questions from the whole
group.
Content Standard: (what standard(s) are most relevant to learning goals? [e.g. Common
Core State Standards [CCSS]; Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards [WMELS], or subjectspecific standards])
B.4.1. Use encyclopedias, source books, texts, computers, teachers, parents, other adults, journals, popular press,
and various other sources, to help answer science-related questions and plan investigations.
F.4.4. Organisms and Their Environment: Using the science themes, develop explanations for the connections
among living and non-living things in various environments.
F.4.2. The Characteristics of Organisms: Investigate how organisms, especially plants, respond to both internal cues
(the need for water) and external cues (changes in the environment).

Prior Academic Learning & Prerequisite Skills (what background knowledge do the
students have or need to have concerning the content to be covered; how will you activate
that background knowledge; anticipate concerns): What are plants? What is nature and
where are plants found? This will be the first lesson of the unit on plants. Students
will use this lesson to write questions that they want to learn about plants. We will
use these questions to drive their research.
Academic Language (instructional
terms/language function [e.g. describe,
compare, analyze]): Activate, Journal,
Observation, Observe

Academic Language (content-specific terms

[vocabulary]):
Plants, different parts of a plant,
question starters

Instructional Resources/Materials/Equipment (to be used by the teacher and/or the

students):
Chart Paper
Inquiry Journal
Nature

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
Launch [Anticipatory set] (how will you start the lesson to engage and motivate students in
the learning?):
We will write an anchor chart on knowledge we already have about plants.
Instruction: Suchman Inquiry Template (Chapter 7)
An investigation in which students pose yes and no questions to gather information about a
problem or situation.
Includes the structure of the strategy you are demonstrating such as .
1. What problem has been selected? What information has been gathered?
2. How has the process been introduced and the problem presented?
3. How has the data been gathered? (yes/no questioning)
4. What theories have emerged and been tested? What questions have emerged
from student caucuses?
5. How has the theory been explained? What rules are associated with the theory?
6. How has the process been analyzed/evaluated?
7. How has the students understanding been assessed?
1. Anchor Chart
2. Nature Walk- Journal observations about plants in natural setting
3. Share observations and add to our anchor chart
4. Write questions that we have about plants
5. Fill in questions that we want to learn about plants
6. Share questions to a small group
Instructional Tasks (describe the steps in the lesson;
Differentiation/Planned
include allotted times; what will YOU as the teacher do?).
Supports (for each step) [ELL,
Refer to the outline above.
Students with IEPs or 504 plans,
Learning Tasks (what STUDENTS will be doing)? Refer
Gifted]:
to the outline above.
Students will have the
1. Anchor Chart (Whole Group) 5 minutes
opportunity to confer with a
2. Nature Walk- Journal observations about teacher as needed.
plants in natural setting (Independent
Students will have question
or Small Group) 10 minutes
starters already printed in
3. Share observations and add to our
their Inquiry Journal.
anchor chart (Whole Group) 5 minutes
Students can work
4. Write questions that we have about
independently or with a small
plants (Whole group) 5 minutes
group to observe nature and
5. Fill in questions that we want to learn
write down observations.
about plants (Independent or with
Student who has behavior IEP
teacher) 10 minutes
will be moving around outside
6. 6. Share questions to a small group
with a teacher.
(Whole group) 5 minutes
Closure (recap the lesson with the students):
I will start the lesson with a whole group conversation to track students
background knowledge on plants. I will use this information as a pre-assessment to
gain knowledge on what needs to be taught throughout the unit. Then the students
will go on a nature walk throughout the playground. They will take notes on what
they notice about plants. We will add any additional information on the background
knowledge anchor chart. They will then write questions that they want to explore
about plants. Students will use these questions to drive their research over the
next week. They will fill their questions out on a chart that will be filled in with their
research. Students will share questions and those will be written on a chart paper.

These can be used as a sample for students. On a KWL chart this is the wonder
stage of it. They will write their questions on their own chart, this will be used as
an exit ticket for the teacher to analyze what sort of information wants to be
learned.
Teacher Reflection (after the lesson, reflect on the lessons strengths and weaknesses; how
would you improve it for the next time you teach this lesson? Did results of the assessment
meet your intended objectives/outcomes? Did students achieve the Learning Objectives?): How
does student performance in this lesson affect the next lesson you will teach?
This lesson went well. This was the second time we did a lesson in a more
traditional inquiry form. The previous one was about ducks and chicks. Students
observed ducks and chicks over the day and then wrote questions that they wanted
to learn. They did this with the nature walk and their Inquiry Journal. Students
enjoyed deciding what they wanted to learn and research. The assessments were
useful helping me find out the baseline of information that students had about
plants. Also, I read their Inquiry Journal to analyze what needed to be taught. I
enjoyed doing this type of lesson because it gave students more responsibility into
their learning. I think students will grow in their ability of critical thinking skills as
they get more chances to make decisions about their learning.