Science Unit Plan- Collections in Nature

Kindergarten 2014
Kelley Wier
1-1Seek and Find
1-2I Wonder
1-3Explore Form and Texture
1-4....Leaf Research
1-5....Estimation and Measurement
1-6....Making our Leaf Museum

Lesson 1: Seek and Find

Subject: Science
Activity: Intro/Leaf Walk
Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to add to the class collection by finding leaves on our leaf
Objective:
walk. Students will begin to understand the importance of exploration through
collecting various types of the same object.
Materials:
Were going on a Leaf Hunt
Bags for each student
Science folders (if extra time after the walk)
Opening:

Presentation:

Guided Practice:

Individual practice:

Closing:

Assessment:

Read Aloud- Were going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

Why do you think the children decided to collect leaves?
Excite students about our class collection
Review rules for leaf walk
No sticks, nuts, living leaves
Stay on path, walk
Leaf walk
Tell students to keep an eye out for interesting additions to the class
collection
Collect student bags once finished with leaf walk
Tell students that we will be using our class collections to explore and
learn more about leaves
Pass out and explain science folders if time
Scientists collect research and learn by exploring
Its important to keep research so that we can remember what we
learned, continue to learn new things, and share what we learn with
others. (and to save info to use for the Make a Museum lesson)
Complete Leaf Walk page and decorate cover page depending on time
Model
Independent work time
Work on it during morning work during the week if not time?
Congratulate students on starting the class collection
Let students know that their collection will help us to learn about this
special part of nature
Students will collect leaves, work on pages for science folder if time.

Lesson 2 Think and Wonder & Twenty Questions

Subject: Science Activity: Class meeting/Individual practice Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to make distinctions between objects by carefully observing
Objective:
them and using both color and size descriptors.
Materials:

Opening:

Accommodations:

Chart paper and markers

Tray with small assortment of leaves
All about a Leaf page
Science folders
Hold I Wonder meeting
What are you interested in learning about our leaves?
Record all student ideas on chart paper
How could we find out more information?
Probe for direct methods of inquiry (observation and experimentation)
and indirect methods (book research or asking an expert)
Our collection study will help you to answer all of the questions that you
have!

Accommodations:

Presentation:

Guided Practice:

Individual practice:

Closing:

Assessment:

Play Secret Leaf game (Twenty Questions)

Ask students to sit in a circle. Place a tray with a few leaves in the
middle.
Tell children that I am thinking of a particular leaf and that students can
ask questions to figure out which secret leaf I am thinking of.
Questions should refer to just one characteristic. It must be a question
with a yes or no answer. For example, is it bumpy? Is it bigger than a
penny?
Repeat each students description when I respond (Yes, it has bumps, or
no, it is not bigger than a penny)
Remind children to use only words (no pointing) to discover which
object you have in mind.
There are many ways to describe a leaf! (color, size, shape, texture, etc.)
Student practice (if time)
Turn and talk to a partner
One partner has a turn picking a secret leaf
Switch and the other partner has a turn picking secret leaf
Model All About a Leaf Page
From our secret leaf game we have learned about different ways to talk
about a leaf. You will complete the All About a Leaf page using one leaf
that you choose at your table.
Model observing, completing page
Complete All About a Leaf Page
Monitor and assist
When done, put into science folder
Turn and talk share if time
What type of leaf did you look at? How is it similar or different to your
partners?
Congratulate students on learning about how to wonder about and
describe our class collection
All About a Leaf page(s)

Lesson 3 Explore Form and Texture

Subject: Science
Activity: Art/Literacy extension
Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to explore the shapes, colors, and textures of various leaves
Objective:
in the class collection by exploring Leaf Man text and representing leaves in a
Leaf Man project.
Materials:

Opening:

Presentation:

Guided Practice:

Multiple pages for

students who finish
quickly- can do more
than one leaf

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Chart Paper
Materials for Leaf Man project (one per child)
Extra materials for decorating leaf man- googly eyes, different size/shape/color
paper and real leaves for decoration
Students meet my Leaf Man puppet
Im so excited that you have decided to study leaves!
What are some of your favorite things to do with leaves?
Look at all of my leaves!
Are all of my leaves the same? How are they different? (size, shape,
color)
Here is my life story! I hope you enjoy it!
Read aloud and discussion- Leaf Man
What are some words you would use to describe the leaves in this story?
In our class collection?
Prompt students to share words related to color, shape, texture, size, etc.
Record all student ideas on chart paper
Model Leaf Man project

Accommodations:

Individual practice:

Closing:

Assessment:

Today you are going to make your own Leaf Man!

Model how to put together
Remember to include different colors, shapes, sizes, and textures in your
own Leaf Man to show all of the differences in our leaf collection
Independent work- creating Leaf Man
Everybody stand up and stretch as tall as the tallest tree. Ready? Now
tiptoe back to your seat to make your own Leaf Man.
Monitor and assist
Turn and Talk
Introduce your partner to your Leaf Man. Explain what
colors/shapes/sizes you used and why. What is your Leaf Mans name
and story?
Congratulate students on creating Leaf Man in order to explore form and
texture of our leaves.
Students will each have completed a Leaf Man project using various types of
leaves. Students will also explore form and texture in various center activities
throughout the unit (wax paper project, leaf rubbings, etc.)

Lesson 4 Identify and research & Explore form and function

Subject: Science
Activity: Research/explore
Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to understand that there are differences in leaves, but that
Objective:
they all have similar form and function.
Materials:

Opening:

Presentation:

Guided Practice:

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Various leaf research books at each table
Leaf descriptors anchor chart
Leaf parts anchor chart
Leaf Research page(s)
Leaf identification cards
Read aloud- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
What types of leaves do you see? Are there any that are similar?
Different?
Where are leaves usually found?
What are leaves a part of? Where do they come from?
What do you think is a leafs job?
Leaf Research
There are many different types of leaves from different trees. We
know this by the many different shapes, sizes, and colors weve
noticed in our leaves.
Although there are many different types of leaves, they all have the
same parts and the same job.
All leaves have a stem, veins, and blade.
All leaves gather energy from the sun to help the tree grow. Leaves
have an important job!
Leaves fall in autumn because it is getting colder and there is less
sunshine. The tree doesnt need leaves during winter.
Today we will do a leaf rubbing to help us see the different parts of a
leaf that help it do its job. You will also do research to see if you can
figure out what kind of tree your leaf came from. We can use
resources such as books, pictures, or experts to help us learn more
about leaves.
Model how to do a leaf rubbing to show different leaf parts
Its important to hold the leaf very still
Model it on the board
Model how to do research using various resources
Model looking for information from books and from leaf
identification cards to identify type of leaf

Have pre-cut pieces for

students who struggle
with cutting.

Accommodations:

Students can tape leaf

to page or trace leaf if
their leaf rubbing
doesnt turn out.

Individual practice:

Closing:
Assessment:

Complete Leaf Research page(s) in folder

Monitor and assist
Complete leaf rubbing page first, then leaf parts page if time
Can look at leaf books if extra time
There are many different kinds of leaves. They all have the same parts and all
do the same job!
Students will create a leaf rubbing and attempt to classify the type of tree that
it comes from using leaf identification cards.

Lesson 5 Estimation and Measurement

Subject: Science
Activity: Math extension Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of estimation by successfully
Objective:
estimating the number of leaves in a container. Students will be able to
demonstrate an understanding of measurement by measuring and recording the
length of their leaf on the Leaf Measurement page.
Materials:
Container of leaves
Chart paper and markers
Science folders and Leaf Measurement page
Unifix cubes
Other non-standard measurement tools (string, blocks, etc.) for extra practice
Opening:
Estimation intro
Have you ever tried to guess how many objects are in a container? This is
called estimation
I remember a time when I tried to guess the number of candies in a jar.
The person who guessed the closest to the actual amount won an ice
cream bar! I didnt estimate close enough to the actual number, so I didnt
win.
I am going to try to guess how many leaves are in this container.
Guess and count
Look at this container of leaves. How many do you think are inside?
Show me on your fingers.
What are some ways you could help yourself make a guess? Why did you
estimate the number you did?
How can we figure out how many leaves there actually are? (counting)
Lets count together.
Raise your hand if you were right! Give yourselves a pat on the back for
learning how to estimate.
Presentation:
Measurement intro
Leaves are all different sizes; big, medium, small.
How could you figure out exactly how big your leaf is? (Measuring it!)
We can figure out exactly how big a leaf is by measuring.
Measuring means that we use tools to help you figure out the size of an
object. Today, the tool we are using is unifix cubes.
Estimating measurement?
Just like we can estimate how many leaves are in our container, we can
also estimate the size of our leaves.
Here is my leaf. Before I measure it, Im going to estimate how long I
think it is.
Think aloud: Hmmm I would say this leaf is medium sized. Its not
very small or extra big. I would estimate that it is 4 unifix cube.
Guided Practice:
Measure a leaf together (on elmo?)
Lets measure my leaf together.
Model putting the cubes together until it reaches the length of the leaf.
Call students up to help?
Was my estimation correct?
Now, you are going to measure one of your own leaves in your folder.
Choose one leaf and take it out of your folder. You will use unifix cubes
at your table to measure your leaf. Use your recording sheet to record

Accommodations:

how many cubes long your leaf is.

Individual practice:

Independent practice
Prompt students to estimate length before actual measurement
Monitor and assist

Provide additional
measurement tools for
students who finish
early (string, tiles, etc.)
Provide additional
copies for students to
measure a second leaf if
time.

Closing:

Assessment:

Graphing size (can review graph at beginning of next lesson if run out of time)
Lets see what everyone found for their measurements!
Raise your hand if your leaf is 1 cube long, 2 cubes long, 3 cubes long,
etc. (Record responses on size graph)
Look at the different sized leaves in our classroom!
What do you notice about the different sizes?
Congratulate students for learning how to estimate and measure with our leaves
Leaf measurement page

Lesson 6 Make a Museum

Subject: Science
Activity: Unit conclusion
Setting: K general educ. classroom
Number of students: 19
Statement of
Students will be able to demonstrate a broad understanding of our leaf collection by
Objective:
adding to our classroom museum through whole class, small group, and
independent work.
Materials:
Leaf Museum poster pieces (4 poster board leaf cutouts, medium sized)
Leaf books
Leaf Museum binder
Leaf Museum page (one for each student)
Baskets for museum leaf displays, magnifying glasses, etc.
Opening:
What is a Museum?
Have you ever been to a museum? What did you see?
What did you learn about? What kinds of displays did you see?
Today, we are going to create a museum with our leaf collection. Our
museum will help us to keep learning and to help teach others about
everything we have learned.
Presentation:
Planning for our museum
What would be important to include in our museum?
Probe for answers: visuals, models, facts, size, color, types, measurement,
projects, form/function, pictures, leaves, displays, information, etc.
Guided Practice:

Whole class museum work

Work as a group to add information to museum poster piecescolors/textures, size/measurement, types, leaf parts
As a group, we are going to work together to create a couple important
displays for our museum. You will be able to add to them later.
What are the colors/textures we saw in our leaf collection?
What are the sizes we saw? What did we do to learn more about size? How
can you measure leaves?
Are all leaves the same shape? Where do leaves come from? What types of
trees have we collected leaves from?
What are the parts that every leaf has? What does a leaf do?
Record student responses on Leaf Museum poster pieces

Accommodations:

Individual practice:

Closing:

Assessment:

Independent museum work

Each of you will receive a Leaf Museum page. Once completed, we will put
these pages together as a leaf information book for our museum. People
who visit our museum will be able to look at our book to learn about our
collection.
You will select an interesting leaf from your collection and we will help you
tape it to the page. You will record information about your leaf at the bottom
of the page.
Use pages from your folder or leaf books at your table to write interesting
facts or information about your leaf.
Work on Leaf Museum page independently
Monitor and assist
Small group museum work
Each of you will also have the opportunity to add to the museum poster
pieces at your table groups when finished with museum page. You can
attach leaves, add facts, decorate, etc.
Give each table a Leaf Museum poster piece to add to when finished/almost
finished with Leaf Museum page
Put the museum together
The museum will be open for you to look at in small groups
Congratulate students on all that they have learned!
Student will help create a classroom museum through whole class, independent, and
group work.

Write students leaf

facts for them if
necessary

Collections

___________________________________

Science Folder

We went on a Leaf
Hunt!
Here is what I found:

All About a Leaf

A picture of my leaf:

Size:

BIG
Mediu
m
Small

Color:
Red

Gree
n

Brown
I Yellow

Orang like my
e
leaf

because____________________________

_________________________________________
___________ .

Leaf Research
My leaf rubbing:

My leaf type:

Maple

Maple

Oak

Oak

Elm

Elm

Ash

Ash

Aspen

Other

Leaf Research

All leaves have the same parts.

All leaves help trees grow!

Leaf Measurement

My leaf is _____________________ cubes

long.

Leaf Museum

About my Leaf:

_________________________________________
_______________
_________________________________________
_______________

_________________________________________
_______________
_________________________________________
_______________