Ariana Sosa and Aline Olguin

Science Lesson Plan

Benchmark Assignment

Title of Lesson: ​New Plants (Brassica Seeds)

Grade Level: ​1st Grade

Time Needed: ​45 minutes- 1 hour

Lesson Overview

Students are already familiar with plants, from experience with the school garden and plants they
have in class. We will call them to the rug to discuss what they already know about plants and
introduce the class calendar. The calendar will be used to record changes in the plants that the
class will be growing. We will have each student plant a seed in a cup and we will make class
observations/recording as well. This fits into the classroom teacher’s sequence because they had
just finished a unit on balancing and motion and the growing plant unit was next. This
investigation goes on for several weeks and it begins with tapping into the students funds of
knowledge pertaining to plants and continues with planting Brassica seeds, observations and
recording. Students will each get to plant a Brassica seed in a cup, but we will discuss our
observations in table groups and as a class.

Driving Question: ​What do plants need to survive?

Ideal Response: ​Plants need soil, water, air, nutrients, and sunlight/light to survive.

Disciplinary Core Ideas​ (From NGSS):

1.L2U2.7​ Develop and use models about how living things use resources to grow and survive;
design and evaluate habitats for organisms using earth materials.
1.L2U1.8​ Construct an explanation describing how organisms obtain resources from the
environment including materials that are used again by other organisms.
NGSS Code ​2-LS2-1 ​Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and
water to grow.

Scientific and Engineering Practices ​(From NGSS)

Explain what each practice will look like in this lesson; what are the students doing when they
engage in each practice you list. Ex: Students will ask questions about how we hear sounds.
Learning Goals

• KNOWING (main idea): What science content do you want your students to learn? Ex:
Students will know that:
1. Plants are alive.
2. Plants need water, air, nutrients, and light to grow.
3. As plants grow, they develop roots, stems, leaves, buds, flowers, and seeds in a sequence
called the life cycle.
• DOING: What do you want your students to be able to do as a result of engaging in your
lesson. Ex: Students will be able to:
1. Plants rapid-cycling brassica seeds in soil and observe changes over time.
2. Record observations using the techniques of drawing, labeling, and captioning.
3. Observe the sequence of changes in the life cycle of brassica.
Language Learning Goals

Goals for speaking, reading, and writing in science

1. Students will label the parts of a plant.
2. Students will discuss what plants need to survive.
3. Students will write and record their observations through time.
Student Science Toolkits

Students will be able to make connections to this lesson by reminding them of the days
they have to water the teacher’s plants in the classroom every few days and how they take turns
in watering the plants. They should already know 1-2 factors (light and water) of what plants
need in order to grow and survive.

We will be able to have students connect to their funds of knowledge by allowing them to
share their personal experiences regarding plants and what they need to survive.

Our lesson makes connections to Indigenous Ways of Knowing because students will be
visiting the community/school garden to see how plants grow. They will also be taking the
opportunity to grow their own plants with brassica seeds.

Materials
What the teachers need:
● FOSS Science Kits
What students need:
● Growth of Brassica Seeds Calendar
● Student Sheet - Plant Picture/Notes
● 1 Planter Cup with holes, 90-ml (3-oz)
● 2 Brassica Seeds
 ● Label, removable
● Half paper towel
● 1 vial
● Student journal
● Pencils

Preparation

The set-up will be placed in each table group (each group has 4-5 students). The materials will
be organized in each group. The dirt/soil and seeds will be distributed by us. We will call
groups that are ready to come and get their soil. Then, we will demonstrate how to insert the
seed to the students. Next, we will pass out the seeds and each student will do the same and
insert it into their cup with soil.
Safety

Before we begin with the planting activity, we will warn students to try to not spill water on the
floor because someone can slip and hurt themselves and to not eat the dirt/soil since it is not
sanitary.

Lesson

First, outline your lesson. Break down each step. Each step will be an activity. For example, a
discussion, a demonstration, a hands-on activity, and reading from a book are all different
activities, even though they are part of the same lesson.
Each activity should serve a purpose or function in your lesson plan. Include ​I-AIM stages and
functions​ (i.e. Question: Establish a question). ​Every lesson will not include all of the I-AIM
functions. However, be sure your lesson includes stages and functions that will:

1. Introduce or re-connect to the driving question - Your lessons should ALWAYS

include an opening activity that lets students know what the driving question is and
what they will be doing in the day’s science lesson.
2. Elicit and build on student ideas/funds of knowledge throughout the lesson.
3. Have ​experiences before explanations​ (if your lesson is just about explanations,
be sure to make clear what experiences students had in prior lessons that you are
referring to in the explanations).
4. Closing that refers back to the driving question -Your lessons should ALWAYS
include a closing activity that reviews the day’s activities and what students should
have learned.
Then, describe each activity in enough detail that someone else could teach it. It is helpful to
write this out ​step-by-step​. Questions to consider as you write this part of your lesson plan
include: What will you do? What will your students do? What transitions will you use
between activities or places in the classroom? What questions will you ask students during the
lesson (either to the whole class or to small groups as you walk around)?

Include 3-5 activities

1 Title:​ Discuss Plants (Science Talk) I-AIM Stage & Function

Question: Establish a question or
problem, elicit students’ initial ideas.
(Experience Phenomena - Past visits
to school garden)

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what the teacher
says/does.
1. Ask driving question: What do plants need to survive?
2. Students will share their answers as a class.
3. As teachers, we will keep the science talk going by making connections to their
personal experiences.
4. Make sure to help students elaborate by asking questions regarding how and why.

Assessment:
We will pay attention to amount of participation and take note of what students seem to
be more knowledgeable in and what they need further explanations in. We will encourage
engagement by asking for more elaboration.
Accommodations/Adaptations:
We will emphasize new vocabulary words that are important for this lesson and translate
them, to make sure all students understand. We will also use a diagram to refer to the
parts of a plant when those words come up. The pictures will be a good visual aid to
support students’ understanding.

2 Title:​ Planting Brassica Seeds I-AIM Stage & Function

Explore and Investigate: Explore
phenomena for patterns.

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what the teacher
says/does.
1. Introduce the activity: Talk to them about the brassica seeds that they are going to
use to plant and explain to them that the seeds are very small , so they need to be careful
not to lose them.
2. Demonstrate the planting procedure: We will demonstrate by holding up one of the
planter cups with 2 holes on the bottom, and tell them that each one will plant 2 of the
tiny seeds in their own cup. We will model the planting procedure.
● Scoop up a heaping cup full of soil. Level off the soil so that it is even with the
top of the cup.
● Tamp down the soil gently.
● Place 2 seeds on top of the soil.
● Cover the seeds with a tiny bit of soil and press down slightly.
● Place the cup on a half sheet of paper towel. Add one vial of water.
3. Label the Cups: The material collector of the group will collect cups and we will have
each student write their name on the label ​before peeling it off to put on their cup. Then
we will have them stick their labels high up on the outside of their cups.
4. Prepare soil in cups: We will have newspaper or a tarp layed out to set the basins of
soil on. We will call students by groups to fill their cups with soil. To do this quickly and
efficiently we will have one group come up at a time and they will just scoop some dirt
and tamp it down at their seats.
5. Distribute seeds and cover with soil: we collector of each group would come up to a
teacher (Aline or Ariana) to collect the seeds for their group onto a paper towel so that
they don’t slip through their hands. When everyone has the seeds, we will walk around as
they press them gently into the surface the way we demonstrated. The collector will use
an empty cup to bring soil to their group to cover the seeds.
6. Water: The collector of the group will pick up a 1 ½ liter container of water and a vial
for the group and half a paper towel for each student. We will remind the students that
they should have their planter cup on a paper towel before pouring a vial of water in. The
collectors will return the containers of water and the vials as soon as they their group is
done.
7. Put cups in the indoor lighting section: The students will place their cup planters under
the indoor plant lighting section that Sra. Barcelo has for them. We will call them group
by group to do so. As the groups come up, we will check their cups to see if their seeds
were properly covered.
8. Discuss the future watering procedure and how we give the plants the nutrients or
“food” we discussed during the science talk. It is not necessary to add fertilized water at
the time of planting, this will be done in a day or two.
11. Make a calendar entry: Students will mark their calendars to indicate the day they
planted their brassica seeds. Mark the class calendar as well.

Assessment:
We would be looking for participation in this activity. Since we will be demonstrating the
process beforehand, we want to be able to support the students when it is their turn to
plant the seeds.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
If there are students that seem confused or do not know what to do, we will be able to
support them and visually demonstrate again what they have to do. We will try to assist
them in the process, but we still want them to be able to plant the seeds themselves
instead of us doing all of the work for them.
3 Title: Observing Brassica Growth I-AIM Stage & Function
Explore and Investigate: Carrying
out investigations to try out and
test ideas. Developing and using
models - making and recording
observations first hand. Analyzing
and interpreting the data - looking
for patterns in observations.

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what the teacher
says/does.
1. They will mark the day they planted their brassica seeds in their individual calendar
sheets and we will mark it on the class calendar.
2. Once a week or so, students will record changes to their plants in their student journals.
We will give examples of what they can include in their recordings such as notes,
observations, drawings, diagrams and including the date to keep track of when your plant
goes through changes.
3. We will check in with students at week 3 to have a discussion about what they have
observed, patterns they’ve noticed and how it reflects on what we thought about what
growing plants need to survive.

Assessment:
We will be looking for students that participate in filling out and writing in their
observation chart and in their science journals.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
If there are students that still do not understand the directions or feel confused, we can
support them by demonstrating visually and giving them an example of what they should
include when writing in their class calendars and science journals.
Lesson Artifacts
Bibliography/Sources

FOSS Toolkit

Google Translate (for the purpose of translations with vocabulary words)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIDVm8_aLDI