Life Sciences/Plant structure and Function Vertical Alignment

2014 2015

Title

Plant Structure and Function Vertical

Alignment Project

Teacher
E-mail
School
Lesson Title
Grade Level
Concept Targeted

Leslie Geiger
Leslie.Geiger@cobbk12.org
Teasley Elementary
I am a plant - where do I belong?
5th

Students will demonstrate how plants

are sorted into groups.
Lesson Objective: Students will observe, generate questions and classify or sort
leaves from different plants by physical characteristics. Students will give each
category a name. Students will record observations on lab sheet
Lesson Essential Questions: What are some common characteristics of plants?
Assessment: observations during group discussion, group lab sheets and
explanation of science journal entries
Georgia Performance Standards:
S5L1. Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined
the groups with how and why scientists use classification. b. Demonstrate how
plants are sorted into groups
Safety Considerations:
Students will need to understand that some plants are poisonous to taste.
Method:
Engage: Today we are going to sort things that are alike into groups. Show pictures
of habitats from Georgia such as maritime forest, river, salt marsh, pond, hardwood
forest, swamp, the piedmont area. Ask: Where do you think these pictures are
from? Model sorting pictures into groups by trees or no trees Ask: How did I sort
these pictures? What is something that you see in each picture? Ask: How else
could we sort these pictures? (lead to habitats that have water and habitats that
do not have water).

Opening/Explain Task: Scientists today we are going to sort or classify

leaves from different plants.
Write terms classify, sort, group, on chart paper.

Explore: We are going to divide up into groups. After you are in your groups I
want each of you to look at the leaves on the table and think of questions that are
important to ask about the leaves. Write the questions on your lab sheet. Each
member of the group will then read their questions. As a group decide on 2
questions that you would like to share with our class. Be prepared to tell why you

thought these would be good questions.

The teacher will listen to the questions and write 2 - 3 of the questions on chart
paper.
Teacher then explains that Scientists take good records of what they observe using
their eyes, nose, touch, ears and taste. Today we will be using our eyes, nose, and
touch to explore the leaves. You can record your observations on your recording
sheet. Once you have explored the leaves I want you, as a group, to sort or classify
the leaves. Give each group a name. Write the name of the group on an index card
and place the card next to the leaves. Be prepared to explain why you chose each
name for the group.
.

Explain: After students are finished sorting and recording observations ask groups
to share how they classified the leaves and the names that they gave to the groups.
Teach another way to classify plants: that all plants have one major thing in
common; they produce their own food. Explain that scientists can classify plants
into 2 major groups by how they pollinate or reproduce. There are seed
producers(flowering plants and cone bearing plants) and spore producers. Write
terms on chart paper. Have students name some of the common seed bearing
plants that they know such as pine trees, roses, daisies.and spore producers
mushrooms, ferns, and mosses.
As a group write 5th grade friendly definitions of terms pollinate, seed producer and
spore producer. Students write terms in science journals and draw and name
examples of each.

Summarize Learning: Student volunteers state something that they

learned.
Extend: Students think about what happens to a plants leaves in different
seasons. Students infer why a plant loses its leaves in colder weather.
Students will learn the definition of deciduous plant and coniferous plant.
Students will go on a walk on school grounds and classify plants by whether
they are deciduous or coniferous.
Evaluate:
Materials: Pictures of habitats in Georgia, several kinds of leaves including leaves
from flowering plants that have visible seeds (such as sunflowers, daisies, marigolds
and black eyed Susans) , needles from evergreen trees, and fern fronds with spore
cases on the underside, lab sheets and index cards, science journals.
Source: NPS.gov

Name: Date:
Classify_____________________________________________________________________________
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Categorize__________________________________________________________________________
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Science Skill 1: Questioning
1. Get into teacher assigned group 2. Examine or look at the leaves on the table 3.
Write down at least 3 questions you have about the leaves.
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4. Take turns sharing your questions with your group and listen carefully. 5. Pick one
question from your group that you liked the best and record it.
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Science Skill 2: Making Observations 1. Look closely at the front and back of each
leaf. 2. Touch and describe how each leaf feels. 3. Draw each leaf in the space
below.

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4. Are there any other ways you could learn about this leaf?
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