Michelle Terry

Title/Subject: Plant a Tree/Social Studies & Science Grade Level: 4th Arkansas Frameworks Addressed: G.3.4.6 Research ways in which the school and community can improve the physical environment by practicing conservation. G.3.4.4 Explain how people are influenced by, adapt to, and alter the environment. AR.4.DAP.14.1 (DAP.14.4.1) Collect, Organize and display data: Create a data collection plan after being given a topic and collect, organize, display, describe and interpret simple data using frequency tables or line plots, pictographs and bar graphs NS.1.4.7 Collect and interpret measurable empirical evidence in teams and as individuals NS.1.4.8 Develop a hypothesis based on prior knowledge and observations Common Core Standards Addressed: CC.4.MD.4 Represent and interpret data. Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions by using information presented in line plots. For example, from a line plot find and interpret the difference in length between the longest and shortest specimens in an insect collection.

Michelle Terry

Learning Goals: KNOW: The students will know how to plant a seed and help it germinate. UNDERSTAND: The students will understand that one person can make a difference. BE ABLE TO DO: The students will be able to document their findings in a science notebook; they will be hypothesizing the plant growth and recording the height of their plant over a 3 week period. Materials: Emptied student milk cartons (from cafeteria) Water Tree plant seeds Painters tape Marker Small science notebooks Procedures: *Review of relevancy of new learning to prior & future learning: The students will continue to develop the understanding of how important trees are to the environment and see that they can make a difference by

Michelle Terry

planting a tree. This will help them with the next lesson in the unit and they will be able to see the consequences of cutting down a forest and ways we can be kind to the earth. *Schema Activation: Do you remember how we read in The Lorax about the Once-ler cutting down all the truffula trees? At the end of the book we wrote about what we would do with the last seed. Raise your hand if you said you would plant more truffula trees? (Almost all of the class will raise their hand) Well today we will be planting seeds and watching them over time to help them grown in to trees. *Next Steps: Set up an area in the classroom with paper on the floor so that spills will be easy to clean up. Give each student a milk carton. Have the students go to the back of the room where the soil is set up for them. Tell them to fill up their milk cartons 2/3 of the way with the soil. After the students have filled their cartons with soil tell them to poke a hole in the soil and only go to their first knuckle (Show them what you mean).

Michelle Terry

Go around to each student and give him or her 2-3 seeds to place in the hole.

After they have placed their seeds in the hole have them cover the seeds up.

Have the students sprinkle the soil until it is damp (Show them by example).

Write the students name on the tape and place on container. Have the students sit their plants in the windowsill.

Explain to the students after they have placed their plant in the windowsill that they will be keeping a science notebook. Today they will make a hypothesis about what the seed will look like in 2 days. Then after two days they will measure the plant and record the data. They will make another hypothesis and continue to do this every 2 days for the next three weeks.

Students should also know that it is their responsibility to water their plant as often as needed (the teacher may need to help them see when it should be watered).

*Closure: After the 3-week period have the students share what they have recorded. Who has the biggest tree so far? If the trees are big enough to repot have the students help transfer them outside to the school grounds

Michelle Terry

and replant them. If they are not mature enough continue to take care of them in the classroom until they are ready. Evaluation: I will know the students understood the objectives if they are able to plant the seed and help it germinate. I will know the students understood the objectives if they are able to keep a science notebook and record in it every 2 days with a hypothesis and an actual measurement of the plant.