© 2012 Alston Publishing House Pte Ltd Science SMART Teacher’s Guide Grade 1 Chapter 5 Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans
Chapter 5: Plants
Total number of periods: 17 periods
Overview of Lesson Plans
What Are Plants? (1 period)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods5.1 / Pupils should:
- know that plants are living things / Explore and observe in order to collect evidence to answer questions. (1Eo1) / Observing
Comparing
Analysing / Communicate clearly / 1
What Parts Do Plants Have? (5 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods5.2 / Pupils should:
- be able to identify and name the major parts of a plant, looking at real plants and models / Try to answer questions by collecting evidence through observation. (1Ep1)
Explore and observe in order to collect evidence (measurements and observations) to answer questions. (1Eo1) / Observing
Organising
Analysing / Be self-directed learners
Apply technology effectively
Global awareness
Manage projects / 5
What Are Some Characteristics of Plants? (5 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods5.3 / Pupils should:
- be able to recognise that plants need light and water to grow
- be able to explore how seeds grow into flowering plants / Try to answer questions by collecting evidence through observation. (1Ep1)
Explore and observe in order to collect evidence to answer questions. (1Eo1) / Observing
Contrasting
Analysing
Organising / Reason effectively
Make judgements and decisions
Use systems thinking
Be self-directed learners
Communicate clearly / 5
How Are Plants and Animals Similar? (1 period)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods5.4 / Pupils should:
- be able to recognise the similarities between animals and plants
- be able to name the characteristics of living things / Try to answer questions by collecting evidence through observation. (1Ep1)
Decide what to do to try to answer a science question. (1Ep4)
Explore and observe in order to collect evidence (measurements and observations) to answer questions. (1Eo1)
Make comparisons. (1Eo4) / Observing
Comparing
Contrasting / Solve problems
Make judgements and decisions / 1
What Are Some Types of Plants? (5 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods5.5 / Pupils should:
- be able to recognise that there is a variety of plants / Ask questions and contribute to discussions about how to seek answers. (1Ep2)
Explore and observe in order to collect evidence to answer questions. (1Eo1)
Model and communicate ideas in order to share, explain and develop them. (1Eo6) / Organising
Communicating / Manage projects
Solve problems
Think creatively
Reason effectively
Communicate clearly
Collaborate with others
Apply technology effectively
Be self- directed learners / 5
Main Lesson Plans
Lesson 5.1
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / Resources /Chapter opener
Teaching Tip: Get pupils to read or act out the comic strip in the chapter opener. / Textbook page 59
What Will I Learn?
Emphasise to pupils what their learning journey will be like for this chapter.
· Plants have different parts.
· Plants need air, water and food, can reproduce and can grow. / Textbook page 60
What Are Plants?
Get pupils to study the picture of the rainforest Ari is in.
Ask pupils:
· Where are the plants found? (Answer: Up on trees, on the ground, in the pond)
· How are the plants different? (Answer: Where they are found, shape of leaves, thickness of stem, etc.)
Background: Plants may be tall and woody, such as trees. Shrubs are mostly short and woody, with many thinner branches. Herbaceous plants are non-woody. / Textbook page 61
Engage:
Pupils learn by observing real-life examples / Teaching Tip: Bring pupils to the school garden or around the school compound to observe the plants. Point out to pupils the different types of plants. Look out for plants growing in unusual places such as between cracks on the ground or on the wall or roof. Pupils may bring along the Textbook as well as pen and notepad so that they can identify and record the different plants.
Explore:
Pupils describe the plants they observed / Ask pupils to describe some of the plants they have seen.
Ask pupils:
· Where can plants be found? (Answer: Plants can grow almost anywhere, e.g. up on trees, in water, on walls, through cracks in the pavement.)
· How would you describe the plants? (Answer: Tall and woody, short and woody, short and green. Accept all possible answers.)
Explain:
The variety of plants is explained briefly / Explain that:
· There are many kinds of plants around us.
· Plants can grow almost anywhere, such as on trees, through cracks in pavements, in ponds.
· Some plants are tall and woody, some are short and woody with many branches, while others are short and green, or long and thin, such as vines or other creepers.
Point out to pupils that despite the differences, plants are similar in many ways.
Process Skills: Observing, Comparing, Analysing
21st Century Skill: Communicate clearly / Consolidation Worksheet 1
Lesson 5.2
What Parts Do Plants Have?
Background: Plants have roots, stems and leaves. Flowering plants produce flowers, which, when pollinated, develop into fruits. Non-flowering plants do not produce flowers at all. The roots of a plant help to hold a plant firmly in the soil. They absorb water for the plants too. If a plant has a tap root system, it has a main root from where other thinner roots branch off. If a plant has a fibrous root system, the roots are about the same length and thickness. Some roots, such as carrots and turnips, serve as storage organs for the plant. / Textbook page 62
Explain that:
· The parts that make up a plant are the roots, stem and leaves. Some plants have flowers and fruits too.
· Each part helps the plant in one or more ways.
Engage:
Pupils learn by observing real-life examples / Field Trip Idea: Bring the pupils to the school garden or a nearby park to observe plants. Pupils may bring along the Textbook as well as pen and notepad so that they can identify and record different parts of the plants.
Process Skills: Observing, Organising, Analysing
21st Century Skill: Be self-directed learners
Explore:
Pupils use their senses to explore new ideas / Involve their senses of sight, smell and touch when exploring the parts of the plant.
Ask pupils:
· What are the parts that make up a plant? (Answer: Roots, stem, leaves, sometimes flowers and fruits.)
Explain:
New concept is covered / Go through the role of each part of a plant.
Teaching Tip: You can bring a bunch of green spring onions or a blade of grass with roots attached to show pupils what the roots look like.
Ask pupils:
· What are the functions of the roots of the plant? (Answer: They help to hold the plant firmly in the soil and take in water for the plant.)
· What if the roots of a plant are removed? (Answer: The plant may not stand firmly in the soil.)
Process Skill: Observing
Common Misconception: Pupils may think that all roots grow in the soil. The roots of some plants can be found hanging in the air, such as those of the banyan tree. Some plants have breathing roots which stick out of the ground, such as those of mangrove plants. / Workbook page 37
Activity 1: Which Part Is It?
Workbook page 38
Activity 2: What Parts Do Plants Have?
Background: The stem contains two types of tubes, the xylem which carries water and the phloem which carries food throughout the plant. / Textbook page 63
Teaching Tip: Ask pupils to imagine the stem of a plant as a pipe or conveyor belt bringing water and food from one place to another. The stem carries water from the roots to other parts of the plant. It also carries food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Elaborate:
Concept is covered further through demonstration / Activity: Tell pupils that water travels up a stem through tubes that act like pipes. You can do a demonstration to show this. Immerse a celery stem cut at an angle in coloured water (for at least a few hours) before the lesson. Bring the celery in the coloured water to class and cut the stem to show the cross-section. Point out how the tubes in the stem carry the coloured water to the leaves.
Process Skill: Analysing
Background: Leaves contain chlorophyll, a green pigment that traps light which is needed to make food. The food is then delivered to the other parts of the plant through the phloem tubes. The food is in the form of sugar which can be stored as starch in the plant when it is not used. / Textbook page 64
Explain:
Concept is explained by analogy / Ask pupils:
· Do plants need to find food? (Answer: No)
· Which part of the plant makes food? (Answer: The leaves)
Teaching Tip: Ask pupils if they have ever visited a factory. Tell pupils that a factory is a place where things are made. Draw the analogy between a leaf and a factory. Tell pupils that a leaf makes plant food, i.e. sugar. The sugar is then sent to other parts of the plant. / Workbook pages 39—40
Activity 3: Leaf Explorer!
Background: Flowers that attract pollinators, such as bees and birds, to pollinate them are usually big, bright, colourful or scented. Some flowers depend on the wind instead of pollinators to carry the pollen from flower to flower. These flowers are usually small and dull. / Textbook page 65
Explain:
Exceptions to the concept are shared / Tell pupils that not all plants have flowers. When a plant has flowers, the flowers are usually the most attractive part of the plant.
Teaching Tip: Ask pupils to name some of the flowers that they like. Tell pupils that not all flowers smell nice. There are flowers that stink too. Share about the largest and one of the most stinky flowers — the Rafflesia. / URL 5.1
Activity: Different flowers and even their colours have different meanings. Get pupils to do an Internet search to find out what the different colours of different flowers mean.
21st Century Skills: Apply technology effectively; Global awareness
Elaborate:
Pupils contribute in discussion on variety of leaves and flowers / Discuss the variety of shapes, colours, smells and textures of leaves and flowers.
Teaching Tip: You can ask pupils to collect leaves or flowers and make a leaf press or flower press.
21st Century Skill: Manage projects / Workbook page 41
Activity 4: What Do I Do?
Activity: Carry out Build Your Skills! with the class. / Textbook page 66
Evaluate:
Pupils go through what they have learnt in a class discussion / Teaching Tip: Show some photographs of common plants so that pupils can compare the parts of different plants. Get pupils to point out the parts. Tell pupils that the roots of plants are often found underground to anchor the plants and are not easily seen.
Tell pupils that they will learn more about the parts of a plant in Grade 3 Chapter 4: Introducing… Roots, Leaves, Stems and Flowers! / Consolidation Worksheet 2
Internet link for Lesson 5.2
URL 5.1: Rafflesia — videos, photos and facts
http://www.arkive.org/rafflesia/rafflesia-spp/
Lesson 5.3
What Are Some Characteristics of Plants?
Discuss the pairs of pictures in the section opener.
Ask pupils:
· What does the plant on the left have that the plant on the right does not? / Textbook page 67
Explain:
New concept is explained / Teaching Tips:
1. Show pupils a picture of the surface of the Moon.
Ask pupils:
· Why are there no plants on the Moon? (Answer: No plants grow on the Moon because there is no air for them to grow.)
· What are the conditions needed for a plant to stay alive? (Answer: Plants need air, water and food to stay alive.)
· Do you need to give a plant food? Why? (Answer: No. We do not need to feed a plant because it can make its own food.)
· Do you need to give a plant water? (Answer: Yes)
Remind pupils that the roots of a plant help to absorb the water that the plant needs.
Ask pupils:
· How does a plant appear when it does not get enough water? (Answer: Droopy, dried up, brown. Accept all possible answers.)
Explain that:
· Plants need water and sunlight to stay alive.
Engage:
A situation is introduced for pupils to think about / 2. Show pupils a picture of a desert with almost no plants.
Ask pupils:
· Why are there very few plants in the desert? (Answer: The desert is very dry with very little water, hence not many plants can survive there.)
Explore:
Pupils explore what they have learnt in an outdoor activity / Ask pupils:
· Why does a plant need light? (Answer: Light enables the plant to make the food it needs.)