Plant Needs
Readiness
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the living and non-living elements.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that there are relationships, systems, and cycles within environments.
Science Background
Biology of Plants: Missouri Botanical Garden (website) - Background about plant needs, growth and development, with links to information of plant parts, how plants make food, plant adaptations, and more.
Biology of Plants
Missouri Botanical Garden, mbgnet.net
Plant Nutrients: North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (website) - Plants make their own food through the process of photosynthesis, but they also require external nutrients to grow and survive. Learn about mineral and non-mineral nutrients that are essential for plant health.
Plant Nutrients
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, www.ncagr.gov
Signature Lesson
What Plants Need to Grow: Science NetLinks (website) - Students cultivate seeds in different conditions (water and sunlight, sunlight only, water only), observe how the plant in each “ecosystem” lives and develops, and learn what plants need to thrive. (Lesson is labeled K-2, but is adaptable to any level.)
What Plants Need to Grow
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Do Plants Need Sunlight? Michigan Reach Out! (website) - Students learn that plants need sunlight to survive, and investigate what happens to plants that do not receive sufficient sunlight. Includes assessment and extensions.
Do Plants Need Sunlight?
Michigan Reach Out, www.reachoutmichigan.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
What Do Plants Need? Alabama Learning Exchange (website) - Students learn how to care for plants, and understand that to be healthy, plants require soil, water, light, and air. Students will learn the importance of roots, stems, and leaves. They also will develop skills in observation, comparison and record keeping.
What Do Plants Need?
Alabama Learning Exchange, alex.state.al.us
Assessment Ideas
Have each student describe, in writing, the appearance of plants grown in each condition in the Signature Lesson and also explain what need was lacking in each trial.
Literature Connections
Hungry Plants. Batten, Mary (ISBN-13: 978-0375825330)
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds. Cole, Joanna (ISBN-13: 978-0590222969)
Plant Parts: The Life of Plants. Spilsbury, Louise (ISBN-13: 978-1432915063)
Eyewitness: Plants. Burnie, David (ISBN-13: 978-0756607159)
Plants: Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses, and Other Plants. Levine, Shar (ISBN-13: 978-0778753902)
Additional Resources
Welcome to Fast Plants: University of Wisconsin (website) - Home page with links to all the information needed to work with Fast Plants (small members of the mustard family that complete a full life cycle in four weeks) in your classroom.
University of Wisconsin
Welcome to Fast Plants, www.fastplants.org
TEKS Navigation
Grade 5
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