Lewiston Summer 2014 Unit Plan
Grade Level: K
Theme: Plants and Animals
Use a daily science journal to keep kids writing and processing their observations!
Week 1 Topic: Plant Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.5 Recognize common types of text
K.RL.6 Name Author and Illustrator
K.RI.5 Identify parts of a book
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live and grow.
Vocabulary:
(Science) plant, animal, garden, seed, sprout, stem, leaves, flower, vegetable, sun, sunlight, water, soil
(ELA) fiction, nonfiction, title, author, illustrator, character, beginning, middle, end
Student product/assessment:
Students will tell a fictional story using a plant or animal from the garden as a character. They will use real details about what the plant or animal needs to grow to inform their telling.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Identify the book as a fictional (made up) story. Have students explore the title page and guess what the book will be about. Have them find the author and illustrator names. Explain the jobs that the author and illustrator do. Picture walk through the text and discuss student predictions. Read the book and discuss with students:
-What is a garden?
-What lives in a garden?
-What do the plants and animals in a garden need to live?
2. Reveal Mr. McGregor's Letter to students. The letter asks questions that students will answer in their unit this summer. They will write back to Mr. McGregor as their final assessment.
3. In literacy, introduce to students that a story has a beginning, middle, and end. Post the words "beginning," "middle," and "end" on the whiteboard. Using photocopies of pictures from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, give each student one picture and have students arrange themselves in order in front of the whiteboard using the words "beginning," "middle," and "end" to guide them. As a class, retell the story and identify the beginning, middle, and end.
(Day Two)
3. Read The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. Review with students that this is also a fictional story. Identify the author and illustrator. Complete the lesson found here including the extension activity, in which students will plant a carrot seed. Also have them plant a bean seed, a sunflower seed, and a pea seed so that each student has 4 baggies with 4 different seeds. Plant your own of each seed. You will transfer them to the LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab when students transfer theirs to paper cups.
4. In literacy, make a two-column list based on The Tale of Peter Rabbit. In one column, list the details the real details about plants and animals that inform the story. In the other column, list the fictional details that Beatrix Potter based on her imagination.
(Day Three)
3. Visit the school garden and have students observe and draw pictures in their science journals:
-What plants do you see?
-What animals do you see?
-What do you see them doing?
4. Do Plant Yoga to help students understand how a plant grows. You can use the following poses:
-Seed = Child's Pose
(Ask students to feel the heat of the sun/ imagine rain coming down on them)
-Sprout = Downward Dog
(Ask students to imagine the sun and water continuing to help them grow and nutrients from the soil nourishing them)
-Mountain Pose = Plant/ Stem
-Tree Pose = Plant/ Flower
5. During literacy, read The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck by Beatrix Potter. Discuss how Potter uses real aspects of the garden to write a fictional story. Refer to the list you made yesterday for The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Ask students to add to this list using details from Jemima Puddle Duck. Identify elements of the story that are true (ducks might be found in a garden) and those that are made up (ducks wear clothes).
6. During litearcy, have students select a plant or animal they observed in the garden and tell a classmate a fictional story using this animal or plant as a character. They should incorporate real details about the plant or animal to inform their telling as well as imaginative details. For example, their plant needs sunlight, soil, and water to grow, but it also talks to the other plants.
(Day Four)
7. Read From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. Identify this text as a nonfiction book. Have them explore the cover page and identify the title and author. Discuss with students:
-What does a plant need to grow?
-What stages does a plant go through as it grows?
8. Have students draw a picture of the plant life cycle in their science journals.
9. Transfer seeds from bags to paper cups. Transfer your seeds to the LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab.
10. In literacy, review the texts you have read and the unit vocabulary by working as a class to create a poster or bulletin board. The teacher should prepare before-hand:
-Images of the book covers for the 4 texts
-Cards with the key vocabulary words
-Pictures of the stages of a plants growth
-Pictures of the things a plant needs to grow (ie, water, sunlight, soil)
Display the poster or bulletin board you create so that students can refer to it throughout the summer.
11. In literacy, have students practice telling their stories in small groups and/or to the whole class. Have students in the audience ask questions to help the teller add details. The objective here is to get kids to tell a story, not to write it down! Can the audience identify real and imaginative details in each story? Can they find the beginning, middle, and end?
Literature Connections:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck by Beatrix Potter.
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Additional Literacy Resources:
How a Seed Grows Printable Book
How Does a Plant Grow? Printable Book
From Seed to Plant Worksheet (have students do the activity and label each stage using given vocabulary words)
Plant Words Mini Book
Bean Printable Book
Alphabet Coloring Pages
Field Trip: Wolfe's Neck Farm
Materials We Need:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab LL896
Seeds = carrot, bean, pea, sunflower
Sandwich size Ziploc Bags
Paper towels
Potting soil
Paper cups
Science journals
Week 2 Topic: Animal Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.5 Recognize common types of text
K.RL.6 Name Author and Illustrator
K.RI.5 Identify parts of a book
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live and grow.
Vocabulary:
(Science) plant, animal, garden, habitat, life cycle, survival, ladybug, frog, habitat
(ELA) fiction, nonfiction, title, author, illustrator, character, beginning, middle, end
Student product/assessment:
Students will tell a fictional story using a plant or animal from the garden as a character. They will use real details about what the plant or animal needs to grow to inform their telling.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Reread Mr. MacGregor's Letter and ask students to identify which of Mr. MacGregor's questions they learned the answers to last week. What do they still need to find out?
2. Introduce this week's animal theme. What animals did we see in the garden last week? What other animals might live there?
3. Read Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh and In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George. Have students make a list of animals to look for in the garden.
4. Visit the school garden and conduct an animal observation. Have students draw pictures of the animals they see in their science journals. Return to the classroom and have them label their pictures with the animals' names using the list you created as a class.
5. In literacy, have students discuss the difference between the animals in our garden and the animals in Mr. MacGregor's garden. Review the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Have students use iPads to record a classmate telling their story from last week.
(Day Two)
6. Read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle and A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann. Discuss with students:
-What does a ladybug need to survive?
-Why do ladybugs live in gardens?
-How do ladybugs help the plants and other animals that live in the garden?
7. Use the Ladybug Amazing Bugs Kit to set up a ladybug lab in your classroom.
8. In literacy, have students view the iPad recording of their own story and evaluate with a partner:
-beginning, middle, and end
-real and imaginative details
-is it interesting and understandable?
Have them do a second recording adding any details they left out.
(Day Three)
9. In literacy, read The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter and Frogs by Nic Bishop. Compare and contrast the two texts. Which is fiction? Which is nonfiction? How do you know?
10. Use the printable here and the LakeShore Frog Life Cycle Kit to teach about frogs. Discuss with students:
-What does a frog need to survive?
-Why is a garden a good habitat for a frog?
(Day Four)
11. In literacy, have students conduct a final telling of their story for the class. Consider having a healthy animal-themed treat at your storytelling celebration!
12. If time allows, complete Coloring with Nature Art Project.
Literature Connections:
Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh
In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
Frogs by Nic Bishop
Additional Literacy Resources:
Scholastic Mini Book about Frogs
Frog Printable Book
Garden Printable Book
Animal Alphabet Book
Field Trip:
Jillson's Farm
Materials We Need:
Ladybug Amazing Bugs Kit
Lakeshore Frog Life Cycle Kit GR700
Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh
In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
Frogs by Nic Bishop
Week 3 Topic: Relationship of Plants and Animals (Food Chain)
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS3-1
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need. Humans use natural resources for everything they do.
Vocabulary:
(Science) food chain, predator, prey, producer, consumer, decomposer
(ELA) illustration, character, setting, events, fiction, nonfiction, details
Student product/assessment:
Students will create and perform a skit about the garden ecosystem and the animals and plants that live there. They will show how these life forms depend on each other to survive.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Review Mr. MacGregor's letter. What questions did we answer last week? What do we still need to learn?
2. Read Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith. Complete the Food Chain Lesson. Students will do a craft project that models the food chain in the book.
(Day Two)
3. Read Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber. Give students pictures of various links within the food chain (ie, plant/aphid/ladybug/bird, plant/groundhog/fox, etc) and have them find their food chain within the group. Ask assembled groups to explain their food chain to the class.
4. In literacy, have students draw and write about the food chain they presented in their science journals.
5. Identify plants and animals in the garden that are part of the food chain and make a class list. Introduce to students that they will take on the part of one of these plants or animals in a class skit about the food chain. Have students choose the animal or plant they want to play in the class skit.
(Day Three)
6. Read What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins. Discuss with students:
-How do animals protect themselves from predators?
-How does this affect the food chain?
7. Play the Predator and Prey Hide and Seek Game found here.
8. Read The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter. Discuss with students:
-What part of the food chain does Squirrel Nutkin represent?
-How does he defend himself against the owl?
-What might happen in real life?
9. Divide students into groups based on the roles they want to play in the class skit. Students will work in groups to create a story about the food chain their group represents.
(Day Four)
10. Read The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole.
11. Conduct a Rotten Log Investigation (in the classroom or outside).
12. Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the Food Chain Card Sort Activity found here.
Literature Connections:
Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole
Field Trip:
Longfellow's Greenhouse
Materials We Need:
Paper plates
White construction paper
Crayons, glue, scissors
Magnifying glasses
Plastic gloves
Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole
Week 4 Topic: Relationship of Plants and Animals (Habitats)
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS3-1
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need. Humans use natural resources for everything they do. (K-ESS3-1)
Vocabulary:
(Science) habitat, resources, relationship, interdependent, balance, ecosystem
(ELA) illustration, character, setting, events, fiction, nonfiction, details
Student product/assessment:
Students will create and perform a skit about the garden ecosystem and the animals and plants that live there. They will show how these life forms depend on each other to survive.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Review Mr. MacGregor's letter. What questions did we answer last week? What do we still need to learn?
2. Read I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Complete the Animals Around Us lesson to expose students to animals that live in different habitats.
3. Use the online game found here. Students will learn about different animals and their habitats. After students play the game, use pictures and chart paper labeled with different habitats (ie, forest, lake, desert) to categorize animals according to their habitats.
(Day Two)
4. Introduce the five senses. Read Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan. Ask students to identify descriptions of smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound in the book.
5. Visit the school garden and have students complete a sensory investigation. Focusing on one sense at a time, have them conduct 2-3 minute observations. After each observation, poll the class and write down words to describe the sense that observation focused on. For example, have students touch and describe plants, the air, the soil, etc. or close their eyes and listen for sounds. Have each child draw a picture in their science journal and label with words from the list you create as a class.
6. Have students meet in their skit groups and add a sensory description of the garden habitat to their skit. Explain to students that this is the "setting" of their story. They will describe to the audience the setting where their story takes place before they tell the story of their food chain.
(Day Three)
7. Read Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman. Discuss with students:
-the sensory words they hear that describe the setting of the pond habitat
-the interdependence/relationship of the animals and plants that live in the pond
-examples of food chains, predator/prey, etc.
8. Have students meet in their skit groups to practice.
(Day Four)
9. Have students use large butcher block paper and markers to create the setting of their story, ie they will draw big versions of the plants and animals that live in the garden setting where their skit takes place.
10. Give students time to practice their skits.
11. Have students present their skits to the class.
Literature Connections:
I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Field Trip:
Coastal Maine Botancial Gardens
Materials We Need:
I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Crayons, white construction paper, magazines with pictures of animals
Large butcher block paper, markers, scissors
Week 5 Topic: Changing the Environment to Meet Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS2-2
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs. Plants and animals can change their environment.
Vocabulary:
(Science) environment, change, scientist, sustainable, community
(ELA) letter, greeting, closing, brainstorm, outline, draft, revise, edit
Student product/assessment:
Students will identify places in their community where they could change the environment by planting flowers and vegetables. They will plant in one of the identified locations. They will reflect on how their project meets the needs of people in their community.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Reread Mr. MacGregor's Letter and ask students to identify which of Mr. MacGregor's questions they learned the answers to last week. What do they still need to find out? Create a web/brainstorm as a class with the items we want to include in our letter back to Mr. MacGregor.
2. Read the book City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan. Discuss with students:
-What problem does Marcy find in her city?
-What does she do to fix the problem?
-Can you think of any ways you could change the environment in Lewiston?
3. Take students on a walk around the general area of the school. Are there places other than the school garden that we might plant flowers and vegetables? How would this help people in our community? How would this help the environment?
(Day Two)
4. Read the book Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World. Discuss with students:
-What problem did Wangari find in her community?
-What did she do to change it?
-How did she help the environment?
5. Ask students to draw a picture of the place where they live. What plants and animals do they see? Are there places they could plant flowers or vegetables? Are there things they could do to provide a habitat for small animals? Share with the class.
6. Could you have someone from the city visit to talk to students about where flowers and trees are planted? What are rules in Lewiston about this? How are decisions made about where to plant? Why are flowers and trees important in our community? How do they change the environment for the people that live here?
7. In literacy, work as a class to create an outline of the letter to Mr. MacGregor.
(Day Three)
8. Read The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase and On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole.
Discuss with students:
-What do you love about the environment in your neighborhood?
-How would you change the environment in your neighborhood if you could?
9. Have the students plant flowers at a previously identified location in the neighborhood surrounding Longley School.
10. In literacy, draft the letter to Mr. MacGregor. To best model the process of drafting, allow time to create a first copy and allow students to ask questions to guide revision. Make choices about information you will include in the final draft.
(Day Four)
11. Read The Watcher by Jeanette Winter. Discuss with students:
-How did Jane Goodall start her career as a scientist?
-How did she first become interested in animals?
-If you were a scientist, what problem would you want to solve?
12. Continue planting project at a previously identified location in the neighborhood surrounding Longley School.
13. In literacy, have students create the final copy of their letter to Mr. MacGregor. (Could you have a visitor play the role of Mr. MacGregor and come in to visit the students and thank them for their help?)
Literature Connections:
City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan
Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World
The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase
On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole
The Watcher by Jeanette Winter
Field Trip:
Hannaford/ Good Shepherd/ Cooking Project
Materials We Need:
City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan
Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World
The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase
On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole
The Watcher by Jeanette Winter
Flowers for planting project
Grade Level: K
Theme: Plants and Animals
Use a daily science journal to keep kids writing and processing their observations!
Week 1 Topic: Plant Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.5 Recognize common types of text
K.RL.6 Name Author and Illustrator
K.RI.5 Identify parts of a book
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live and grow.
Vocabulary:
(Science) plant, animal, garden, seed, sprout, stem, leaves, flower, vegetable, sun, sunlight, water, soil
(ELA) fiction, nonfiction, title, author, illustrator, character, beginning, middle, end
Student product/assessment:
Students will tell a fictional story using a plant or animal from the garden as a character. They will use real details about what the plant or animal needs to grow to inform their telling.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Identify the book as a fictional (made up) story. Have students explore the title page and guess what the book will be about. Have them find the author and illustrator names. Explain the jobs that the author and illustrator do. Picture walk through the text and discuss student predictions. Read the book and discuss with students:
-What is a garden?
-What lives in a garden?
-What do the plants and animals in a garden need to live?
2. Reveal Mr. McGregor's Letter to students. The letter asks questions that students will answer in their unit this summer. They will write back to Mr. McGregor as their final assessment.
3. In literacy, introduce to students that a story has a beginning, middle, and end. Post the words "beginning," "middle," and "end" on the whiteboard. Using photocopies of pictures from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, give each student one picture and have students arrange themselves in order in front of the whiteboard using the words "beginning," "middle," and "end" to guide them. As a class, retell the story and identify the beginning, middle, and end.
(Day Two)
3. Read The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. Review with students that this is also a fictional story. Identify the author and illustrator. Complete the lesson found here including the extension activity, in which students will plant a carrot seed. Also have them plant a bean seed, a sunflower seed, and a pea seed so that each student has 4 baggies with 4 different seeds. Plant your own of each seed. You will transfer them to the LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab when students transfer theirs to paper cups.
4. In literacy, make a two-column list based on The Tale of Peter Rabbit. In one column, list the details the real details about plants and animals that inform the story. In the other column, list the fictional details that Beatrix Potter based on her imagination.
(Day Three)
3. Visit the school garden and have students observe and draw pictures in their science journals:
-What plants do you see?
-What animals do you see?
-What do you see them doing?
4. Do Plant Yoga to help students understand how a plant grows. You can use the following poses:
-Seed = Child's Pose
(Ask students to feel the heat of the sun/ imagine rain coming down on them)
-Sprout = Downward Dog
(Ask students to imagine the sun and water continuing to help them grow and nutrients from the soil nourishing them)
-Mountain Pose = Plant/ Stem
-Tree Pose = Plant/ Flower
5. During literacy, read The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck by Beatrix Potter. Discuss how Potter uses real aspects of the garden to write a fictional story. Refer to the list you made yesterday for The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Ask students to add to this list using details from Jemima Puddle Duck. Identify elements of the story that are true (ducks might be found in a garden) and those that are made up (ducks wear clothes).
6. During litearcy, have students select a plant or animal they observed in the garden and tell a classmate a fictional story using this animal or plant as a character. They should incorporate real details about the plant or animal to inform their telling as well as imaginative details. For example, their plant needs sunlight, soil, and water to grow, but it also talks to the other plants.
(Day Four)
7. Read From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. Identify this text as a nonfiction book. Have them explore the cover page and identify the title and author. Discuss with students:
-What does a plant need to grow?
-What stages does a plant go through as it grows?
8. Have students draw a picture of the plant life cycle in their science journals.
9. Transfer seeds from bags to paper cups. Transfer your seeds to the LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab.
10. In literacy, review the texts you have read and the unit vocabulary by working as a class to create a poster or bulletin board. The teacher should prepare before-hand:
-Images of the book covers for the 4 texts
-Cards with the key vocabulary words
-Pictures of the stages of a plants growth
-Pictures of the things a plant needs to grow (ie, water, sunlight, soil)
Display the poster or bulletin board you create so that students can refer to it throughout the summer.
11. In literacy, have students practice telling their stories in small groups and/or to the whole class. Have students in the audience ask questions to help the teller add details. The objective here is to get kids to tell a story, not to write it down! Can the audience identify real and imaginative details in each story? Can they find the beginning, middle, and end?
Literature Connections:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck by Beatrix Potter.
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Additional Literacy Resources:
How a Seed Grows Printable Book
How Does a Plant Grow? Printable Book
From Seed to Plant Worksheet (have students do the activity and label each stage using given vocabulary words)
Plant Words Mini Book
Bean Printable Book
Alphabet Coloring Pages
Field Trip: Wolfe's Neck Farm
Materials We Need:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
LakeShore Watch and Record Plant Lab LL896
Seeds = carrot, bean, pea, sunflower
Sandwich size Ziploc Bags
Paper towels
Potting soil
Paper cups
Science journals
Week 2 Topic: Animal Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.5 Recognize common types of text
K.RL.6 Name Author and Illustrator
K.RI.5 Identify parts of a book
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live and grow.
Vocabulary:
(Science) plant, animal, garden, habitat, life cycle, survival, ladybug, frog, habitat
(ELA) fiction, nonfiction, title, author, illustrator, character, beginning, middle, end
Student product/assessment:
Students will tell a fictional story using a plant or animal from the garden as a character. They will use real details about what the plant or animal needs to grow to inform their telling.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Reread Mr. MacGregor's Letter and ask students to identify which of Mr. MacGregor's questions they learned the answers to last week. What do they still need to find out?
2. Introduce this week's animal theme. What animals did we see in the garden last week? What other animals might live there?
3. Read Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh and In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George. Have students make a list of animals to look for in the garden.
4. Visit the school garden and conduct an animal observation. Have students draw pictures of the animals they see in their science journals. Return to the classroom and have them label their pictures with the animals' names using the list you created as a class.
5. In literacy, have students discuss the difference between the animals in our garden and the animals in Mr. MacGregor's garden. Review the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Have students use iPads to record a classmate telling their story from last week.
(Day Two)
6. Read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle and A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann. Discuss with students:
-What does a ladybug need to survive?
-Why do ladybugs live in gardens?
-How do ladybugs help the plants and other animals that live in the garden?
7. Use the Ladybug Amazing Bugs Kit to set up a ladybug lab in your classroom.
8. In literacy, have students view the iPad recording of their own story and evaluate with a partner:
-beginning, middle, and end
-real and imaginative details
-is it interesting and understandable?
Have them do a second recording adding any details they left out.
(Day Three)
9. In literacy, read The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter and Frogs by Nic Bishop. Compare and contrast the two texts. Which is fiction? Which is nonfiction? How do you know?
10. Use the printable here and the LakeShore Frog Life Cycle Kit to teach about frogs. Discuss with students:
-What does a frog need to survive?
-Why is a garden a good habitat for a frog?
(Day Four)
11. In literacy, have students conduct a final telling of their story for the class. Consider having a healthy animal-themed treat at your storytelling celebration!
12. If time allows, complete Coloring with Nature Art Project.
Literature Connections:
Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh
In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
Frogs by Nic Bishop
Additional Literacy Resources:
Scholastic Mini Book about Frogs
Frog Printable Book
Garden Printable Book
Animal Alphabet Book
Field Trip:
Jillson's Farm
Materials We Need:
Ladybug Amazing Bugs Kit
Lakeshore Frog Life Cycle Kit GR700
Animals in the Garden by Mari Schuh
In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelmann
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
Frogs by Nic Bishop
Week 3 Topic: Relationship of Plants and Animals (Food Chain)
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS3-1
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need. Humans use natural resources for everything they do.
Vocabulary:
(Science) food chain, predator, prey, producer, consumer, decomposer
(ELA) illustration, character, setting, events, fiction, nonfiction, details
Student product/assessment:
Students will create and perform a skit about the garden ecosystem and the animals and plants that live there. They will show how these life forms depend on each other to survive.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Review Mr. MacGregor's letter. What questions did we answer last week? What do we still need to learn?
2. Read Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith. Complete the Food Chain Lesson. Students will do a craft project that models the food chain in the book.
(Day Two)
3. Read Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber. Give students pictures of various links within the food chain (ie, plant/aphid/ladybug/bird, plant/groundhog/fox, etc) and have them find their food chain within the group. Ask assembled groups to explain their food chain to the class.
4. In literacy, have students draw and write about the food chain they presented in their science journals.
5. Identify plants and animals in the garden that are part of the food chain and make a class list. Introduce to students that they will take on the part of one of these plants or animals in a class skit about the food chain. Have students choose the animal or plant they want to play in the class skit.
(Day Three)
6. Read What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins. Discuss with students:
-How do animals protect themselves from predators?
-How does this affect the food chain?
7. Play the Predator and Prey Hide and Seek Game found here.
8. Read The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter. Discuss with students:
-What part of the food chain does Squirrel Nutkin represent?
-How does he defend himself against the owl?
-What might happen in real life?
9. Divide students into groups based on the roles they want to play in the class skit. Students will work in groups to create a story about the food chain their group represents.
(Day Four)
10. Read The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole.
11. Conduct a Rotten Log Investigation (in the classroom or outside).
12. Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the Food Chain Card Sort Activity found here.
Literature Connections:
Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole
Field Trip:
Longfellow's Greenhouse
Materials We Need:
Paper plates
White construction paper
Crayons, glue, scissors
Magnifying glasses
Plastic gloves
Life in a Pond by Craig Hammersmith
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What Do you Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole
Week 4 Topic: Relationship of Plants and Animals (Habitats)
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS3-1
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need. Humans use natural resources for everything they do. (K-ESS3-1)
Vocabulary:
(Science) habitat, resources, relationship, interdependent, balance, ecosystem
(ELA) illustration, character, setting, events, fiction, nonfiction, details
Student product/assessment:
Students will create and perform a skit about the garden ecosystem and the animals and plants that live there. They will show how these life forms depend on each other to survive.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Review Mr. MacGregor's letter. What questions did we answer last week? What do we still need to learn?
2. Read I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Complete the Animals Around Us lesson to expose students to animals that live in different habitats.
3. Use the online game found here. Students will learn about different animals and their habitats. After students play the game, use pictures and chart paper labeled with different habitats (ie, forest, lake, desert) to categorize animals according to their habitats.
(Day Two)
4. Introduce the five senses. Read Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan. Ask students to identify descriptions of smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound in the book.
5. Visit the school garden and have students complete a sensory investigation. Focusing on one sense at a time, have them conduct 2-3 minute observations. After each observation, poll the class and write down words to describe the sense that observation focused on. For example, have students touch and describe plants, the air, the soil, etc. or close their eyes and listen for sounds. Have each child draw a picture in their science journal and label with words from the list you create as a class.
6. Have students meet in their skit groups and add a sensory description of the garden habitat to their skit. Explain to students that this is the "setting" of their story. They will describe to the audience the setting where their story takes place before they tell the story of their food chain.
(Day Three)
7. Read Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman. Discuss with students:
-the sensory words they hear that describe the setting of the pond habitat
-the interdependence/relationship of the animals and plants that live in the pond
-examples of food chains, predator/prey, etc.
8. Have students meet in their skit groups to practice.
(Day Four)
9. Have students use large butcher block paper and markers to create the setting of their story, ie they will draw big versions of the plants and animals that live in the garden setting where their skit takes place.
10. Give students time to practice their skits.
11. Have students present their skits to the class.
Literature Connections:
I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Field Trip:
Coastal Maine Botancial Gardens
Materials We Need:
I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Crayons, white construction paper, magazines with pictures of animals
Large butcher block paper, markers, scissors
Week 5 Topic: Changing the Environment to Meet Needs
ELA Priority Standards (no more than 2):
K.RL.7 Describe relationship between illustrations & story
K.RL.3 Identify character, setting, & major events
K.RI.9 Compare & contrast 2 texts on same topic
Math Connections (no more than 2):
Science Connections (no more than 1):
K-ESS2-2
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs. Plants and animals can change their environment.
Vocabulary:
(Science) environment, change, scientist, sustainable, community
(ELA) letter, greeting, closing, brainstorm, outline, draft, revise, edit
Student product/assessment:
Students will identify places in their community where they could change the environment by planting flowers and vegetables. They will plant in one of the identified locations. They will reflect on how their project meets the needs of people in their community.
Daily Activities to Support Learning:
(Day One)
1. Reread Mr. MacGregor's Letter and ask students to identify which of Mr. MacGregor's questions they learned the answers to last week. What do they still need to find out? Create a web/brainstorm as a class with the items we want to include in our letter back to Mr. MacGregor.
2. Read the book City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan. Discuss with students:
-What problem does Marcy find in her city?
-What does she do to fix the problem?
-Can you think of any ways you could change the environment in Lewiston?
3. Take students on a walk around the general area of the school. Are there places other than the school garden that we might plant flowers and vegetables? How would this help people in our community? How would this help the environment?
(Day Two)
4. Read the book Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World. Discuss with students:
-What problem did Wangari find in her community?
-What did she do to change it?
-How did she help the environment?
5. Ask students to draw a picture of the place where they live. What plants and animals do they see? Are there places they could plant flowers or vegetables? Are there things they could do to provide a habitat for small animals? Share with the class.
6. Could you have someone from the city visit to talk to students about where flowers and trees are planted? What are rules in Lewiston about this? How are decisions made about where to plant? Why are flowers and trees important in our community? How do they change the environment for the people that live here?
7. In literacy, work as a class to create an outline of the letter to Mr. MacGregor.
(Day Three)
8. Read The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase and On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole.
Discuss with students:
-What do you love about the environment in your neighborhood?
-How would you change the environment in your neighborhood if you could?
9. Have the students plant flowers at a previously identified location in the neighborhood surrounding Longley School.
10. In literacy, draft the letter to Mr. MacGregor. To best model the process of drafting, allow time to create a first copy and allow students to ask questions to guide revision. Make choices about information you will include in the final draft.
(Day Four)
11. Read The Watcher by Jeanette Winter. Discuss with students:
-How did Jane Goodall start her career as a scientist?
-How did she first become interested in animals?
-If you were a scientist, what problem would you want to solve?
12. Continue planting project at a previously identified location in the neighborhood surrounding Longley School.
13. In literacy, have students create the final copy of their letter to Mr. MacGregor. (Could you have a visitor play the role of Mr. MacGregor and come in to visit the students and thank them for their help?)
Literature Connections:
City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan
Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World
The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase
On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole
The Watcher by Jeanette Winter
Field Trip:
Hannaford/ Good Shepherd/ Cooking Project
Materials We Need:
City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan
Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World
The Garden of Happiness by Barbara Lambase
On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole
The Watcher by Jeanette Winter
Flowers for planting project