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Notes for Teachers

This lesson will allow you to incorporate writing, reading, science and mathematics. It also allows students to use their creativity to include art in this lesson. There will be times when students are observing and recording.

The lesson will take several days for students to see progress and give them a chance to see a plant’s life cycle in real time.

The math is calendaring, counting days, and geometric shapes. The art lesson also incorporates math using geometric shapes.

The hardest part may be getting students to record what they actually see instead of what they imagine. Sometimes students like to draw more than what they see or give the sun some sunglasses.

This lesson you are going to germinate/sprout the pumpkin seeds. An extension of this would be to plant the sprouts and see if you could get them to grow, or plant seeds at the same time to see if they sprout when your demo seeds do. There are so many things you can do. It should take 7-14 days for the seeds to sprout.

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Standards

Constant Standard (math):

K.CC.C.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than. Or equal to the number of objects in another group. (include groups with up to ten objects.)

1.MD.C Represent and interpret data. (Ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.)

Science:

1.1LU1.6 Observe, describe, and predict life cycles of animals and plants.

Math:

K.MD.A.1 Describe measurable attributes of a single object (e.g., length and weight).

1.MD.A.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. (Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.)

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Math Standards

1.G.A.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (triangles are closed and 3 sided) versus non-defining attributes (color, orientation, overall size)

for two-dimensional shapes; build and draw shapes that possess

defining attributes.

1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes to create a composite shape.

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Objective(s):

Today students will learn about seeds and how they grow. Then they will create a habitat to sprout a pumpkin seed. Students will record the process, and observe (over time) how the seed react to their environment. Students will write, draw, and record information through the process.

They will also discuss the life cycle of a pumpkin. Additionally, they will create a representation of a pumpkin through art using geometric shapes cut from tissue paper.

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Things You’ll Need

Here are some things you'll need:

Pumpkin seeds.

Blank Calendar and pencils to recording events/milestones.

Ziploc sandwich bags, tape and paper towels, spray bottle and water.

Containers to plant seeds. (optional)

Chart Paper for KWL

List of Materials cont.

Pictures from internet of pumpkin (enlarged) with center of pumpkins cut out leaving only the lines. (see examples in lesson) pumpkin shapes.docx (Print copies to use on tagboard.)

Different colored tissue papers cut into geometric shapes.

Glue sticks

Journal pages to record observations.

Practice page of life cycle of pumpkins. Life cycle of a pumpkin.docx

Mini observation journal Observation Journal.docx

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Agenda

25 minutes: Ask the students what they know about the life cycle of pumpkins. Have students brainstorm and have students work in partners to discuss what they know about pumpkins and what they need to grow. Record responses on the KWL (What I Know – What I Want to Know . What I’ve Learned) under the K section of the chart.

Next, have the students work using the page on the lifecycle of a pumpkin finding the correct word to finish the sentence. As you read, discuss what things the pumpkins needs and how they grow. Update your chart when you are finished.

15 Minutes: Explain that today we are going to plant some pumpkin seeds in soil, and we are going to try to germinate seeds using the elements seeds need and just water and sunlight. Make predictions about which method will work best.

20-30 minutes: After the students made their prediction (cup vs Ziploc bag), have students plant seeds in a couple of cups to keep by a window. Each child can then “plant” a pumpkin seed using a Ziploc bag. The students using the Ziploc bag will also need a folded paper towel and a seed. They will put the seed on the folded towel (so that it fits inside the Ziploc bag) and they will put the towel and seed inside the bag. With the spray bottle on mist, spray the paper towel and seed inside the bag 4-5 times. Seal the bag getting as much air out as possible. Tape a corner of the bag so that it hangs in the window (seed side out) from one of the top corners of the bag.

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Agenda (lesson time cont.)

ART/Math section

During the time that the students are observing the seeds, they can use geometry to describe a pumpkin’s appearance and create a picture using geometric shapes.

The center of the pumpkins need to be cut out so that only the dark shaded parts of the picture is left. This is best done in a small group setting.

Using strips of tissue papers that have been cut into geometric shapes, glue the tissue papers on the back of the paper using a glue stick.

See examples:

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Agenda (lesson time cont.)

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

What skills do I use in reading or science or any other subject, that I can use over and over? For example, in English, when I first pick up a book where do I go to start the story? (the beginning of the book) I go to the beginning of the book. It has a set beginning. So do things in science like lifecycles. There is a set beginning – middle and end.

Ask: How do I know as a learner, when I have completed an assignment or task? Do I see any similarities in what I do in one subject that I also do in other subjects? (wait for replies) What are some things you know have set beginnings and how are they sequenced? (i.e. beginning, middle, end)

(This could include stories, sentence, recipes, coding, books, movies, lifecycles, systems etc.)

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Ask the students what they know about the life cycle of pumpkins. Have students brainstorm and have students work in partners to discuss what they know about pumpkins and what they need to grow. Record responses on the KWL (What I Know – What I Want to Know . What I’ve Learned) under the K section of the chart.

Next, have the students work using the page on the life cycle of a pumpkin finding the correct word to finish the sentence. As you read, discuss what things the pumpkins needs and how they grow. Update your chart when you are finished.

Explain that today we are going to plant some pumpkin seeds in soil, and we are going to try to germinate seeds using the elements seeds need and just water and sunlight. Make predictions about which method will work best.

After the students made their prediction (cup vs ziplock bag), have students plant seeds in a couple of cups to keep by a window. Each child can then “plant” a pumpkin seed using a ziplock bag. The students using the ziplock bag will also need a folded paper towel and a seed. They will put the seed on the folded towel (so that it fits inside the ziplock bag) and they will put the towel and seed inside the bag. With the spray bottle on mist, spray the towel and seed inside the bag 4-5 times. Seal the bag getting as much air out as possible. Tape a corner of the bag so that it hangs in the window (seed side out) from one of the top corners of the bag.

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Assessment

Students answer the following questions:

What did you do to help your group?

Did you cooperate with others? How would you rate your team members?

What did you learn from this exploration?

What questions do you still have about what you learned today?

If you were to do this again tomorrow, what would you do differently than today?

—--- Work with different people? who?

_____ Work by myself. Why?

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Differentiation

Students can dictate their responses to what they observe.

Students can draw a picture to show what they have observed.

Students can provide oral answers to specific questions to show comprehension.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students can provide support on their predictions about the seeds that were planted in soil vs the ones that are in Ziploc bags in the window.

Students can do a report on other life cycles or on whether all seeds take 7- 14 days to produce a sprout.

They can also start looking for sequencing experiences in other content areas and making note of how our learning can increase when we work together and follow a plan.