Lesson Plan

1. Title/Topic/Grade level: Fun Flowers, Structure and function of plants, 4th grade
2. Lesson Essential Questions:
Are plants living?
What parts do plants have?
What do these parts do for plants?
3. Standards:
9.1.4.A.5. Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills in classroom and family
settings.
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external
structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4. A: Learning objectives and assessments
Identify plants as living based on their characteristics
Understand the different parts of plants and why they are necessary for a plant's survival
B: Assessments:
Objectives

Assessments

SWBAT identify plants as living

Students will verbally be able to express that plants are

living because they require food, grow, move,
reproduce, and have cells

SWBAT label parts of a plant and

explain what the significance of
each part is

Students will construct their own flower and label each

part of the flower

5. Materials:
Plant pictures
Plant Observation worksheet (15)
Rubric for Constructing a Flower (15)
White board
Dry erase markers
Construction paper
Pre-cut flower petals (15)
Pipe cleaners (15-Brown, 30-Green)
Pre-cut leaves (30)
Tape
Glue
Index cards (60, 4 per student)

Pencil

6. Pre-Lesson Assignments and/or Prior Knowledge:

Students have learned about living and nonliving things
Students have seen flowers before. They should know that flowers grow and require
sunlight and water to grow
7. Lesson Beginning:
Science folders will be distributed at the beginning of the lesson and include all
worksheets for the day.
Give each student a picture of a plant (include some flowers and some trees). Ask
students to make observations about their plant picture and to write down their
observations on their worksheet. Have the stick picker call on three students to share their
observations. Use this to see what prior knowledge students have about the parts of a
plant.
What do we know about flowers? You need to prompt students to do into more detail
about flowers: Do they grow? Do they need food to survive?
Ask the class if flowers are living.
What do all living things have? (Cells)
8. Instructional Plan:
Do beginning lesson with the pictures
Ask the class if they remember the lesson from cell from the week before. Explain how
like animals plants have cells too. Tell them that plant cells have most of the same
organelle as animal cells and give and example (Ribosomes-Produces proteins). Explain
how plant cells also have three other organelle that animal cells do not have and define
them. Have students take notes on their worksheet.
o Chloroplast- food producers of the cell
Converts light energy from the sun into sugars. Gives plants their green
color.
o Vacuole- Storage unit of a cell
Think of it like a backpack
Holds food necessary for a plant's survival and a plants waste
When a plant stops growing it has one enormous vacuole (takes up half
the volume)
Increases/decrease depending on amount of water available
o Cell Wall- Provides support for the cell
Why plant cells are square
Helps maintain the shape of the plant
Draw a flower on the board. Include the flower itself (the petals), the stem, leaves, and
roots. Have the class fill out their worksheet while you go over the function of each part
on the board.
Point to the roots. Can anyone tell me what this is?

o Roots act like straws absorbing water and minerals from the soil. Tiny root hairs
stick out of the root, helping in the absorption. Roots help to anchor the plant in
the soil so it does not fall over. Roots also store extra food for future use.
Roots- Absorb water from the soil
Point to the stem. Does anyone know what this is called?
o Stems do many things. They support the plant. They act like the plant's plumbing
system, conducting water and nutrients from the roots and food in the form of
glucose from the leaves to other plant parts. Stems can be herbaceous like the
bendable stem of a daisy or woody like the trunk of an oak tree.
Stem- Supports the plant and transfer water from the roots to the rest of
the plant
Point to the leaves.What is this called? Do all leaves look the same? What do we know
about leaves in the fall? Can anyone tell me why the leaves are green?
o Most plants' food is made in their leaves. Leaves are designed to capture sunlight
which the plant uses to make food/provide energy through a process called
photosynthesis.
Leaf- Captures sunlight to make food and energy for the plant
Point to the pedals. What do we call these? Do they always look the same?
o Petals are the reproductive part of most plants. Flowers contain pollen and tiny
eggs called ovules. After pollination of the flower and fertilization of the ovule,
the ovule develops into a fruit. (attract pollinators and make seeds)
Petals- Attracts animals and makes seeds
We are going to build our own flowers.
Distribute construction paper. two leaves, petals, a green pipe cleaner, and two brown
pipe cleaners o to each student.
Model for the students how we are going to construct our flowers. First, glue petals to the
top of the construction paper. Have students write their name inside of the petals. Twist
the brown pipe cleaners around the green pipe cleaner. Tape the green pipe cleaner in the
center of the construction paper underneath the petals. Glue leaves next to the pipe
cleaner so it looks like they are connected.
Once the entire flower is constructed give students four index cards. Students should
label the four parts of the flower and give a brief description of the function for each part.

Once the flower is made and parts are labeled have students go to the Im done jar.

Differentiation: For this activity, allow students to work with the other students in their
group. If working with younger children you could give them a worksheet with an outline
of a flower already on it rather than have them draw/construct one. All they would need
to do is label the parts of the plant. You could also provide them with a word bank of the
four parts of the plant.

Class Management: Distribute material to students so they are not all getting up at once
for all of the materials. Hand out index cards once the students flower is constructed so

you can make sure they know what the structure of the flower is before moving on. Use
popsicle sticks to call on students to answer questions
Transitions: Direct students attention from the whiteboard to their worksheets. Move into
the activity by having the teacher distribute the material.

9. Closure: Exit ticket- List three organelles that are in plant cells, but not in animal cells.

Name: _________________________

Date: ____________

Plant Observation:

Chloroplast: __________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Vacuole:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Cell Wall: ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Construct a Flower
4

Description

Makes a
complete and
detailed
description of
the subject
matter and
elements seen
in their work.

Makes a detailed
description of
most of the
subject matter
and elements
seen in a work.

Makes a
detailed
description of
some of the
subject matter
and elements
seen in a work.

Descriptions are
not detailed or
complete.

Construction

Great care
taken in
construction
process so that
the structure is
neat, attractive
and follows
plans
accurately.

Construction
was careful and
accurate for the
most part, but 12 details could
have been
refined for a
more attractive
product.

Construction
accurately
followed the
plans, but 3-4
details could
have been
refined for a
more attractive
product.

Construction
appears careless
or haphazard.
Many details
need refinement
for a strong or
attractive
product.

Materials

Appropriate
materials were
selected and
creatively
modified in
ways that
enhance the
construction of
the flower.

Appropriate
materials were
selected and
there was an
attempt at
creative
modification to
enhance the
construction of
the flower.

Appropriate
materials were
selected, but not
used in a proper
way.

Inappropriate
materials were
selected and
contributed to a
product that was
not constructed
properly.

Appearance

Final product is
presented in a
neat and
attractive way
and clearly
looks like a
flower. No parts
are missing.

Final product
looks like a
flower. No parts
are missing.

Final product
somewhat
resembles a
flower. Some
parts/labels are
missing.

Parts and labels

are missing and
the final product
does not look like
a flower.

Total: _____ / 16