Fruit Dissection for Seeds For Mrs.

Walls 3rd Grade class 24 students 1 IEP student 1 504 Plan student 1 ELL student Science: Plant Unit Lesson Length: 65 minutes Standards: MA: Science and Technology/Engineering, MA: Grades 3 - 5 , Life Science (Biology)
Plant Structures and Functions 2. Identify the structures in plants (leaves, roots, flowers, stem, bark, wood) that are responsible for food production, support, water transport, reproduction, growth, and protection.

Objectives: 1. Dissect fruits and find their seeds 2. Understand that seeds will become plants 3. Observe that each seed is unique so it will produce its own unique plant 4. Realize that fruit is the flower part of a plant and it has seeds in it and that a plant produces many seeds Understandings: 1. Students will be able to dissect fruit and identify the seeds in each fruit. 2. Students will be able to note the difference in each fruits seeds 3. Students will be able to draw what the seeds look like and describe what they look like 4. Students will be able to articulate that the fruit is the flower portion of the plant, the fruit contains seeds, and the seeds from the fruits can produce a plant Assessment: Draw each seed observed and write about what is seen in plant observation journal Answer the question in their journals: Please explain how seeds, fruits, and plants relate to each other. Instructional Approach: Steps 1-2 should take 10 minutes 1. Gather students on the rug and say, Today, friends, we will be learning about seeds. To start our discussion about seeds, I am going to read a book. After the book, we will talk a bit about seeds and where they come from. Then we will begin our activity. 2. Read students the book, A Seed is Sleepy, stopping to emphasize the characteristics of seeds, the great adjectives used to describe seeds, and the life cycle of seeds. 3. Ask students, Where can we find seeds in our everyday lives? Discuss this question with the students, steering them towards realizing that fruits have seeds in them. 5 minutes 4. Ask students, Where does fruit come from? Discuss this question with the students. Cover the facts that: 1) Fruit comes from plants, 2) The fruit is the flower portion of the

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plant, 3) One plant produces many seeds, 4) These seeds can be found in the plants fruit. To get to these topics ask questions and guide the discussion. 10 minutes Show the students all the fruits you will be dissecting. Here is a list of fruits that could be used, but only choose 5 fruits to dissect: apples, strawberries, peaches or apricots, bananas, watermelons, grapes, raspberries, blueberries. Have one piece of each fruit ready to be cut up by each pair of students. There should be 12 pieces of each fruit on 12 paper plates with 24 spoons and 24 toothpicks. 5 minutes Say to students, Today we will be taking apart fruits to find their seeds. Then we will be drawing the seeds and describing the seeds in writing on a sheet I will give you. You will be doing this work with your plant unit partner. When you have completed that portion, please respond in your journals to the questions I will place on the board. These questions are: Why do plants produce many seeds, and why are seeds important to keeping plants on the Earth? When looking at a plant, what part of the plant would create the fruit or be the fruit? If I planted a seed that came from a banana, could I expect a different plant to grow from it, like an apple tree? Why or why not? 2 minutes Students will receive their fruits and dissecting materials. They will begin the activity. Circulate around the room, helping students where necessary, asking questions to students to deepen their understanding, and making sure each person in the partnership is involved. 20 minutes Bring the class back together on the rug. Ask them the question you had on the board. Reach the conclusion with the students that seeds are found in the fruit, which is the flower portion of a plant. A plant produces many seeds, and each seed that comes from a plant is unique to that plant. 10 minutes

Materials Needed: 30 toothpicks 30 spoons 5 different kinds of fruit 12 pieces of each of these fruits 15 paper plates Plant Observation Journals Pencils A Seed is Sleepy by Diana Hutts Aston Fruit Dissection of Seeds wksht 25 copies Sponge Activity: Students will be allowed to work on their plant final project

Fruit Dissection Observation Log Fruit: _________________

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