Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Abigail Elsavage Date: N/A

Group Size: 23 Allotted Time: 1 hour
Grade Level: 4th Subject or Topic: #2 Parts of a plant
Common Core/PA Standard(s):
Standard - 3.1.4.A1: Classify plants and animals according to the physical characteristics that
they share.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
- The students will be able to identify and explain the functions of leaves, stems, and
roots on a plant by answering the questions on the Nearpod lesson.
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
1. Seesaw activity 1. Hypothesis response
2. Nearpod Quiz 2. Answers on Nearpod
3. Create a plant 3. Creating a plant and labeling its parts and
its basic needs
Assessment Scale:
Nearpod Questions
4-5 points = proficient
< 4 = below basic
Create a plant
15-16 points = target
12-14 points = acceptable
< 11 points = unacceptable
Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
*All prerequisites were taught in the prior lesson
- The 4 basic needs of plants (air/carbon dioxide, water, light, and nutrients)
- The process of photosynthesis
1. Chlorophyll traps sunlight
 2. Energy starts the food-making process
3. Carbon dioxide and water are used with other nutrients to make sugar.
4. Oxygen is given off.
Key Vocabulary:
- Taproot: One main root that grows deep into the soil.
- Fibrous root: Many roots of the same size.
- Dormancy: A state of lower activity in trees.
Content/Facts:
Broad leaves
- Broad leaves are found Oak & Maple trees (and many other trees!)
- Broad leaves appear wide and flat.
- In colder climates, broad leafed trees shed their leaves each fall to save energy.
- In the winter, there is less sun.
- Trees enter dormancy to lower their activity until spring.
- Dormancy is taking place in trees outside right now!
Needles
- Conifer trees (pine, spruce, cacti)
- Needles help prevent water loss.
- Definition: Stems support plants and give them shape.

- Stems contain tubes that carry water and minerals from the roots and food from the
leaves to all parts of the plant.
- Stems are usually soft and flexible.
- Stems have a thin, waxy covering that protects them.
- Some plants have woody stems. Woody stems are hard and thick. 
- Each year, woody stems grow thicker and sometimes taller. 
- Definition: Roots form underground and take in water and nutrients that plants need
for photosynthesis.
- Some roots store food made by leaves.
- Roots have adaptations to help plants meet their needs.
- Definition: A taproot is one main root that grows deep into the soil. 
 - Dandelions have a taproot. 
- Smaller roots branch off from the taproot. 
- Tiny root hairs that take in water and nutrients grow from the taproot. 
- *HINT* Taproot is like a spike that can be easily driven or “tapped” into the soil.
- Definition: A plant with fibrous roots has many roots of the same size. 
- Fibrous roots grow long but NOT deep.
- Spread near the surface of the soil.
- The fibrous roots also have root hairs that take in water and nutrients from the soil.
- Grass has fibrous roots.
- Tip!
“Five roots the same size!”
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
Flower Observation 1. The teacher will place the two potted flowers on a desk
(extended over multiple in the front of the classroom. (Flower #1 & flower #2)
days within unit) 2. First, students will observe the flowers and complete
This will be a part of the the Seesaw journal activity which will ask the
introduction to every following question:
lesson in this unit. - “What do you notice about flower #1 and flower #2 on
*Over the next few days, day 2?”
students will observe two - Allow 4 minutes for students to observe flowers and
different flowers and complete the Seesaw activity.
3. The teacher will pass out mini magnifying glasses and 1 sticky note to the students.
4. The teacher will pass out bags of leaves for students to observe. (Needle and broad
leaves)
5. The teacher will instruct the students to observe the leaves and make note of what they
observe on Seesaw. The teacher will walk around as students make their observations.
6. The teacher will read over all the observations out loud.

Development/Teaching Approaches
1. The teacher will instruct students to open the Nearpod website.
2. On the Nearpod website, students will enter the code which will take them to the
 lesson.
3. The teacher will pass out the guided note sheet to go with the Nearpod.
4. Link to Nearpod:
https://app.nearpod.com/?pin=2C974A22B53F1CEEE33ADEB896016B7F-1
5. The teacher will use the Nearpod to teach the content of the lesson. As the teacher goes
through the Nearpod, students will be instructed to fill in the guided notes sheet.
6. *All the words that must be filled in on the guided note sheet are underlined on the
Nearpod.
7. STOP at slide 6.
8. The teacher will hold up two cards. One card says, “broad leaves” and the other card
says “needles”. The teacher will inform students that they observed two types of leaves
earlier, broad leaves and needles.
9. Next, the teacher will do a sort with the students. One basket will be labeled “broad
leaves” while the over basket will be labeled “needles”. The teacher will call on
students to come up to the front of the classroom to sort the leaves into two piles.
10. Continue with Nearpod.
11. STOP at Nearpod slide 1.
12. Ask students a question: “What 3 parts of a plant did we just learn about today?”
- Students should respond with: “Stems, roots, and leaves.”
13. Next, explain to students that they will be doing an experiment to take a closer look at
plant stems.
Experiment:
Materials
- 1 celery stalk
- Food coloring
- Clear cup filled with water
- Paring knife
- Magnifying glass
Procedure
1. Give each table group a cup and put their team science name on the cup with a label.
2. Take a clear up and fill it half-full of water. Add a few drops of food coloring and have
 a celery stalk ready. Don’t put it into the water yet.
3. Ask students to think about how water is carried through a plant. Hypothesize what
will happen to the celery stalk when it is placed in the colored water. Will the entire
stalk turn color or only parts of it?
4. Cut about three-quarters of an inch (2cm) off the end of the stalk of celery. Put the
stalk into the water and wait a few hours. The stalk and its leaves should chance color
slightly.
5. The teacher will place each group experiment on a table in the room until the next day.
6. The next day, take the paring knife and cut off about an inch (2.5 cm) of the colored
stalk. Observe the end and see how the xylem in the stalk significantly changed color.
Discussion Questions (Introduction to the next lesson)
- What happened?
- What do your observations tell you about the way that plants transport water?
- How do you think the water is able to travel upward from the roots to the leaves?
- Why do plants need water?
- Explain the process of photosynthesis, in which water is a crucial element.
Day 2 Performance assessment
1. The students will create their own plant by drawing it on a piece of paper.
2. The students will label the plants needs and the parts of the plant.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
- To end the lesson, the teacher will direct students back to the Nearpod website for an
interactive online quiz on their iPad.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Follow all IEPs
Materials/Resources:
- Experiment from: https://www.mpalalive.org/classroom/lesson/parts-of-a-plant-us
- Nearpod
- Guided notes sheet (23)
- Kahoot
- Pine needles and leaves
- Plain paper
- Rubrics
Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Parts of a Plant
Guided Notes Sheet

Leaves
There are 2 main types of leaves.

1. ______________ 2. ______________

Needle-shaped leaves help prevent Broad leaves are __________ and

__________ loss. ________.

3. In colder climates, _______________ trees shed their leaves each fall

to save energy. 
4. In the winter, the days are shorter and there is less daylight for
photosynthesis. 
5. Broad leaves enter a state of dormancy, or lower activity, until
spring.
6. Dormancy definition: _______________
 Stems
7. Stem definition: Stems _________ plants and give them shape.
8. Stems contain tubes that carry ________ and ________ from the roots
and _______ from the leaves to all parts of the plant.
9. Stems are usually __________ and flexible.
10. Stems have a thin, __________ cover that protect them.
11. Some plants have woody stems. Woody stems are hard and think.
12. Each year, woody stems grow thicker and sometimes taller.
Roots
13. Roots definition: Roots from underground take in __________ and
__________ that plants need for photosynthesis.
14. Some roots store __________ made by leaves.
15. Roots have adaptations to help plants meet their needs.
Taproot
16. Taproot definition: A taproot is _______ main root that grows deep
into the soil.
- Dandelions have a taproot.
- __________ roots branch off from the taproot.
- Tiny root hair that take in water and nutrients grow from the
taproot.
- *HINT* Taproot is like a spike that can be easily driven or
“tapped” into the soil.
Fibrous Roots
17. Fibrous roots definition: A plant with fibrous roots has many roots of
the _________ __________.
- Fibrous roots grow ____________ but NOT deep.
- Fibrous roots spread the __________ of the soil.
- The fibrous roots also have root hairs that take in water and
nutrients from the soil.
- __________ has fibrous roots.
- *HINT* “Five roots the same size!”