Daniela Denis

Fall 2014

Mrs. Gerace

EDUG 863

Unit: Plants
Grade: 2
Lesson: # 2
Topic: Parts of a Plant: Structure and Function
NYS Standards:
Grade 2 Living Environment Standards
LE 1.1b Describe the basic needs of plants: Light, air, water, soil (nutrients)
LE 3.1b Identify and compare the physical structures of a variety of plant parts (seeds,
leaves, stems, flowers, roots)
Grade 2 ELA Common Core Writing Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question
NYC Scope and Sequence: Plant Diversity
Science Ideas:
- What is the structure of a plant and the functions of each part?
Objectives/Goals:
Students will be able to
Identity major parts of a plant
Explain the function of each
Prior Knowledge:
Students were introduced to living and non-living things

Lesson:
Opening:
The teacher will show the students a plant. The teacher will ask students what they
believe the parts of a plant are. (Turn and Talk) Students will discuss in small groups
first and then as a whole class (3 minutes). The teacher will hand students post-it
notes and the students will need to put their responses on the board. The teacher will
then discuss the answers with the class. (5 minutes).
**If the weather permits, the teacher will take the students outside to look at the
plants. They will be given a clipboard and post-its to write down their answers. The
teacher will have a poster board for the students to stick their responses to.
After discussing what the parts of a plant are (seed, roots, stem, leaves, flower), the
teacher will ask students to think about how does each part help the plant function. (5
minutes)
Teacher will read the book From Seed to Plant By: Gail Gibbons (6 minutes)

Teacher will ask students how does (name each individual part) help the plant
function. Students will then write what they have learned from the book about how
each part helps the plant function.
Based on what they have written the teacher will decide which group to put the
students in.

Differentiating Instruction:
Individual Activity: Students (or groups) will be given a blank flipbook made from
computer paper. The students will need to fill in parts of a plant. If the students open a
flap, the parts will be showing. (10 minutes)
o For example, if you open the first flap the seed should be showing. The
second flap would only show the seed and the roots. The third flap would
show the seed, roots and stem. The fourth flap would show seed, roots, stem
and leaves. The fifth flap would show the entire flower.
Each student will be completing the activity but they will be split up into five
different groups.
After the student completes the flipbook with their group, the students will need to
answer a question in their science notebooks.
o Question: Describe what they feel is needed for plant growth.
Example of what the flipbook would look like:
Plants
Flower

Leaves

Stem

The flower holds the seeds.

The Leaves help the plant get

water and sunshine.
The stem holds the plant up and
helps it grow.

Roots

The roots anchor the plant and

give it nutrients to grow.

Seed

The seed is the beginning of

the plants life cycle.

Tier One: The flipbook will be blank and the students will need to write the parts of a
plant and definitions of the parts of a plant. The students will then draw the pictures after
they have completed the work.
Plants

Tier Two: The parts of a plant will be written out. The students will then draw the
pictures after they have completed the work.
Plants
Flower

Leaves

Stem
Roots
Seed

Tier Three: The definitions will be written out and the students will be given the parts of
a plant on a separate sheet of paper. The students will then draw the pictures after they
have completed the work.
Plants
The flower holds the seeds.

The Leaves help the plant get

water and sunshine.
The stem holds the plant up and
helps it grow.

The roots anchor the plant and

give it nutrients to grow.
The seed is the beginning of
the plants life cycle.

Closing:

Students will share what they have made starting with the seed to the flower. (5
minutes- one minute per group)

Assessment:
Students will be assessed by their science journals after the activity is completed.
My current population is very low functioning and I have a student who has a one on one
in the classroom. In academic settings, he will answer verbally and have the teacher write
his responses on the paper as he states them. He will then trace what was written on the
paper.
Depending on the student: There will be some students given a flipbook with pictures of
the plants and the definitions of the plant parts. The students will have to color in the
picture and name the part of a plant.

The teacher and assistant teacher will walk around and provide students with support.