- crayons
- magnifying lenses
- markers
- photos from previous explorations
- planted seeds from last week
- “Plants All Around” chart
- science notebooks
- bulb
- grow
- plant
- root
- seed
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners during daily routines and play.
MA Draft Standards:
Life Sciences/From Molecules to Organisms: Inheritance and Variation of Traits/LS1/3.D: Recognize stages of the life cycle of plants and animals they have observed and discuss ideas about what happens at each stage. [Patterns, Change]
Life Sciences/From Molecules to Organisms: Inheritance and Variation of Traits/LS1/3.A: Describe/draw and compare the body parts of animals (including themselves) and plants they are investigating [System] and explain functions of some of the observable body parts. [Structure and Function]
Head Start Outcomes:
Science Knowledge/Conceptual Knowledge of Natural and Physical Worlds: Observes, describes, and discusses living things and natural processes.
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method: Collects, describes, and records information through discussions, drawings, maps, and charts.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 2: Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and ask and answer relevant questions.
Science and Technology/Life Sciences 10: Observe and identify the characteristics and needs of living things: humans, animals, and plants.
EEC Infant and Toddler Guidelines:
PW44.: The older toddler participates in physical care routines.
Explore Together (indoors): Record Plant Changes
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: Plants start in different ways; Some plants start from seeds; Some plants start from bulbs; Plants grow in many places; Plants need water, food, and sunlight to grow; Plants grow in places where they get their needs met; Plants often grow in some type of dirt
ELA Focus Skills: Compare and Contrast, Follow Directions, Listening and Speaking, Vocabulary
Safety Tips:
- Remind children to wash their hands before and after the activity.
- Remind children not to eat ANY plants or seeds without asking an adult.
Tell children they are going to explore the seeds they planted. Provide children with a magnifying lens and tell them they will use the magnifying glass to take a closer look at the bean’s roots.
- Once children are comfortable using the magnifying lenses, explain that you want them to use the magnifying lenses to observe each type of seed or bulb they planted. Tell children you want them to look for any changes that have occurred in their seeds and bulbs. Include the seeds that have been out of the sunlight for this exploration.
- Place the photos taken during the previous explorations next to the corresponding plants/seeds. Encourage children to use them to compare the seeds and notice any changes that have occurred. Emphasize how important it is to record their observations so they can go back and see what changes have occurred over time. You may want to have children record the growing plants in their science journals or as a group on the “Plants All Around” chart.
Let children explore freely and be available to help them record their findings. As children explore, listen and engage with them when something sparks their curiosity. Ask questions such as,
- What plants parts do you see on each of the plants?
- What do you notice about the sprouts from the bean seed you planted in the soil and the ones in the bottle?
- How have the grass seeds changed since last time you observed them?
Reflect and Share
Allow children to have access to their seeds and plants as they gather together to share their observations. Encourage children to use their drawings or the photos to show what changes have occurred. Ask questions such as,
- What did you notice that was similar in how the different seeds changed? What did you notice that was different?
- Did all of the seeds grow the same amount? Why do you think that is?
- What differences did you notice between the sprouts that were in the dark corner and the ones that were in the light?
- What did you notice about the roots of the bean seeds compared to the roots of the grass seeds? (tiny root hairs)
- Why do you think the roots grew before any of the other parts of the plants?
English Language Learners: Help children understand dark and light. Pull the window shades (or work in a corner of the room with a desk lamp). Have children notice what happens when you turn the lights off and then on. Flick the lights and ask children to tell you if it is dark or light in the room.