By Natalie Birchett
Introduction
| Task | Sources
| Process | Guidance
| Conclusion
Do you love eating vegetables? Do you
love flowers? Where do those items come from? They come from a garden. We are going
to explore the process of growing a garden and then grow our own. Are you
ready?
Let’s Get Digging!
Standards for Task
1st
Grade
Life
Science
S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics
and basic needs of plants and animals.
a. Identify the basic needs of a plant.
1. Air
2. Water
3. Light
4. Nutrients
c. Identify the parts of a plant—root, stem, leaf,
and flower.
Characteristic
Of Science
Habit Of Mind
S1CS3. Students will use tools and instruments for
observing, measuring, and manipulating objects in scientific activities.
a. Use ordinary hand tools and instruments to
construct, measure, and look at objects.
b. Make something that can actually be used to
perform a task, using paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, metal, or existing
objects.
c. Identify and practice accepted safety procedures
in manipulating science materials and equipment.
Description Of
Task
The
students will be divided into groups to investigate the process of growing
plants. Each group will have a specific
task to explore. They will search the
internet for gardening information. The
groups will then report their information to the class. The class will then plant a class garden.
BBC gardening. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module1/assessing_your_plot.shtml
Bowen, C. (2008).
Extension agents. (2007). Flower tips for all year. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://horttips.ifas.ufl.edu/flowers/flowers/flowers.htm
Roche, T. (2008). Weather underground. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.wunderground.com/
Stack, G. (2008). Urban programs resource network Retrieved March 21, 2008, from.http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts3a.html
Starr, R. (2004). NASA’S KSNN. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/k2/s_whatPlants_v.html
The Weather Channel Interactive. (2008). The Weather Channel. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.weather.com/
Thomas, P., & Wade, G. (2004). Flowering bulbs for Georgia gardens. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B918.htm
The
students will be broken up into four groups. Each group will have an adult
leader that will assist them in their exploration. Each group will be given the
following questions to answer about gardening. They will divide into groups and
report to the computer lab to begin their activity. The groups will record or
print out their information for reporting.
Soil Samplers
This team
will go to the websites below and research: What type of soil do
flowers/vegetables need in order to grow? How do you need to prepare the soil in
order for flowers/vegetables to grow?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module1/assessing_your_plot.shtml
http://aginfo.psu.edu/psp/01psp/images/pdf/color/01146b_c.pdf
Flower Finders
This
team will go to the websites below and research: What flowers will grow in our
area? Do we need to plant annuals or perennials? How long does it take the
flowers to grow?
http://horttips.ifas.ufl.edu/flowers/flowers/flowers.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/plantstotry_easy1.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module1/assessing_your_plot.shtml
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B918.htm
Survivors
This
team will go to the websites below and research: What do we need in order for
the flowers to survive? Do the flowers need to grow in sunlight, shade, or
both?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module1/assessing_your_plot.shtml
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts3a.html
http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/k2/s_whatPlants_v.html
Meteorologists
This
team will go to the website below and research: What type of weather do
we have in our area? You will also make a chart of the weather for the
past two weeks. Predict the weather for the following week. This
information will help the students determine what type of flower will grow best
considering the weather.
After
the research has been completed, the students will report back to the
classroom. They will report their findings to the class about gardening. The
teacher will be recording the data and information that is being presented. The
teams will be assisted by their adult leader during the presentations. When the
presentations are completed, the class will go to work on their class garden.
The class will then vote on what plants they would like to plant in their
garden. The choices will be determined using the information gathered by the
flower finders. The class will also choose a location for the garden using the
survivors’ information. After the garden has been planted, the class will take
turns caring for it. They will work together and document its growth and
progress. A bulletin board will be developed by the teacher for recording the
data. The bulletin board will have the information found by the research
groups, garden care data, plants planted in the garden, and data on garden
growth.
The
bulletin board will include the following categories:
Group
Discoveries
Watering
Data
Growth
Data
Pictures
of Garden Process/Progress
Reflection
The
teacher and paraprofessionals will be in charge of the investigative teams in
the class. The first grade class is a resource special education class. The
students will be in need of assistance from adults at all times. The teacher
and paraprofessional will assist the students in collecting information from
the internet about gardening. They will be responsible for reading the
information found on the internet. They will also assist the students in
recording the data that is found.
The students will learn about the basic
needs of the plant from this activity. They will use hands on experiences to
conduct research about plants and their growth.
They will then use the research to plant a class garden.
This activity
could be expanded into a home activity. The students could take the information
that was collected and plant a home garden. The students could then bring in
their home grown products to share with their classmates.
The
teacher introduced the activity by asking students about plants and gardening.
The students took part in a class discussion concerning their knowledge of gardening.
The students were then broken into groups for research using the WebQuest. The
teacher and paraprofessionals took the assigned groups to the computer lab for
research. The students then used the WebQuest to conduct research about
gardening and how plants grow. The students then reported their findings to the
class. The class then grew a class garden using the information that was
gathered. The information that was discovered was posted on a class bulletin
board for everyone to enjoy.