Parts of a Seed

I LOVE studying plants this time of year! It is one of my favorite science concepts to teach. Mainly because, I  personally love to garden, and watching the kids plant their own seeds and flowers always puts a smile on my face! 

When talking about plants I usually start by discussing living vs. nonliving.

Next, we talk about the needs of a plant. I usually play this corny, but catchy, video for the kids to watch on the projector.  We watch it a few times and sing along. Sometimes we come up with dance moves and hand gestures to help us remember the words.

Needs of a Plant Video! <----- CLicK HeRe!

Ater that, I create an anchor chart and have the kids make a new cover page in their notebooks. I usually have the class copy down the anchor chart into their journal either while I'm teaching as notes or after during centers or extension work. The kids like to recreate the anchor chart in their journal because I let them color and make it their own. They will jot down connections they have and sometimes add pictures that help them remember what we talked about during whole group.

For vocabulary, I show the class our mini vocab posters either by printing them and laminating, or pulling up my PDF and displaying it on the board. On days when I have extra time,  I will have the kids use the vocab cards as a write the room activity and complete the foldable. I have students draw their own pictures and copy down the definition in their notebooks.

The next day is much more exciting. I have the kids get their hands dirty by dissecting a seed. I pass out a lima bean and show students how to break it open. We talk about the different parts and I make an anchor chart to display around the room.

Next I have students label their copy of the diagram and glue into their notebook.

After students have labeled their diagram, I pass out the "Parts of a Seed" foldable and talk about the purpose of each part. The class draws pictures and writes what they have learned. 

Once everyone is finished, we plant our own seeds to observe and watch grow throughout the weeks to come. I like to pick a hardy plant that grows quick and requires low maintenance. Beans are always a good choice. I have herd marigolds are too. If you time this lesson right, you could plant a pretty flower and at the end use the flower as a mother's day gift! I have the kids create a seed journal and write their observations down every other day. 

If you would like a copy of the fodables, resources, and my lesson plan it is in my TPT shop. This is only two days worth of the lesson plans and resources included in the packet. I will write another post about flowers and what we do for that!

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