Unit Plan Framework

Theme: Salsa Garden

Age Range: Preschool and older

Unit Goal: Children will understand how vegetables grow from a seed and one of the many uses for them by making salsa.

Common Core Standards/Foundations Met:

ELA.1.14: Write using phonetically spelled words. ELA.2.16: Attempt to write and draw. ELA.3.21: Use drawings or pictures to represent objects. ELA.5.3/ELA.5.10: Read own writing (e.g., gives meaning to own writing by reading what it says). ELA.5.8: Write using pictures, letter, and words. ELA.8.111: Tell three events in chronological order.

M.1.27: Rote count to five. M.1.41: Name groups of objects. M.3.2: Anticipate an event. M.3.9: Tell three events in chronological order. M.6.17: Identify attributes of objects. SE.1.68: Work and play cooperatively with others. SE.2.81: Work together as a team toward a common goal. SE.2.54: Learn social skills. SE.3.96: Show understanding of cause and effect. SE.6.36: See a simple task through to completion. P.1.7: Explore the environment using the five senses. P.4.6: Uses objects as tools. P.5.1: Grasps small objects. PC.1.5: Uses sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell to explore their world. PC.4.10: Show pride in physical/personal accomplishments. SC.1.8: Use their findings to create self-published books and/or materials. SC.1.9: Communicates discoveries. SC.1.10: Express ideas and share observations with others. SC.1.26: Identify plants and animals as living things. SC.1.30: Participate in discussions related to their findings. SC.1.38: Use their five senses to learn about the environment. SC.1.40: Identify sun and rain in the environment. SS.5.7: Comment or ask questions about physical differences.

Book List (at least 5, in APA annotated format)

Kids Garden (Avery Hart and Paul Mantell) Growing Vegetable Soup , Lois Elhert,( Voyager Books, 1990) Isabellas Garden, Glenda Millard (Candlewick Press, 2009) The Carrot Seed, Ruth Krauss (Harper Collins, 1945) City Green, DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (Harper Collins, 1994)

Planting Seeds: Dig

holes, measure how far apart they need to be and plant seeds. Obj: Children will pick what they would like to have in the garden and pick the seeds to plant.

Life Cycle of a PlantObserve and write in science journals Obj: Children will document the changes in the plants from the time they plant the seeds until we pick the vegetables. They will keep either notes or pictures in their journals.

Measuring: How far apart do seeds need to be planted and how big the plant gets. Obj: Children will learn to use objects or rulers measure the distance between the seeds and to keep track of how the plants are growing. Sorting Vegetable Seedssort by color, size, shape, type Obj: Children will be able to sort vegetable seeds by 3 attributes; color, shape, and size and explain reasons for sorting the way they have.

Science Activities

Math Activities

Salsa Garden
Other Activities Literacy Specific Activities Reading: Children will read books about different types of gardens. Obj: Children will learn about different types of gardens and what vegetables come from seeds and which ones come from plants. Tasting vegetables: Trying the vegetables before they go in salsa. Obj: Children will know what each vegetable tastes like individually and when they are mixed.

Listing Vegetables/following recipe: Making a list of materials used and following a recipe. Obj: Children will make a list of vegetables needed for our garden. Children will also read and follow the directions on the recipe. Recipe Book: Children will bring in recopies from home to add to a class book. Obj: Children will bring in a recipie that their family likes for a salsa and put it together making a class book that everyone gets a copy of.

Culminating Activity Children will help in picking vegetables and creating salsa. Obj: Children will engage in a healthy food preparation activity and demonstrate proper hand washing techniques and ability to follow and resequence directions.