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Classroom Resources

Monthly Themes

Plants

Writing Prompt

Story:

Have students include this sentence somewhere in a story: “I tiptoed into the greenhouse. It was dark and quiet and filled with thousands of plants. Suddenly a long, trailing vine…”

Activities

Grades K–2: Math
The Value of Seeds

Have students learn number value by counting and writing numbers.

Grades K–3: Science/Art/Language Arts
Blooming Bulletin Board

Have students “pot up” a paper garden on the classroom bulletin board. Have a class discussion on what colors flowers can be. Then provide students with garden books, construction paper, and scissors, and have them create their own colorful flowers. Older students can label their flowers with each flower's name and color.

  • Color Garden
  • http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/color/garden.html
Grades K–3: Art/Language Arts
A Garden Book

Students love to color, so have them create a colorful garden book. Older students can write or dictate sentences that tell something about the pictures.

Grades K–4: Science
Trees Up Close

Have students develop their observation skills by applying their senses to the study of life in and around a single tree.

Grades K–8: Science/Language Arts
Watch Them Grow!

This is a clear way to demonstrate seed germination. Provide students with several seeds (bean seeds work best), napkins, sealable plastic bags, water, and labels. Have each student place two or three seeds on top of a napkin and add just enough water to moisten the napkin. Next, have each of the students place the seeds and napkin in a plastic bag so that the seeds are showing, and seal the bag. Then have students label the bags with their name, the date, and the seed name. Place the bags in a warm, partially sunny place. The seeds should sprout in three to five days. Have students make and record their observations with words and drawings. Have a class discussion on the results.

Grades K–8: Science/Math
Capillary Action in Action

Show students how water moves upward through a plant, by placing a celery stalk or white carnation in a cup of water dyed with food coloring or ink. Have students make scientific observations of what they see, including the length of time it takes for the water to move. Older students can record their findings in a chart.

Grades 1–8: Science/Math
Let It Rain!

April showers bring May flowers, but how much rain has there been? Have students make a rain gauge for the garden.

Grades 1–8: Science
Quizzes

Test students' knowledge about plants.

  • Parts of a Plant (grades 1–2) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_1-2_quiz.pdf
  • Parts of a Plant Answer Key (grades 1–2) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_1-2_quiz_key.pdf
  • Parts of a Plant (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_3-5_quiz.pdf
  • Parts of a Plant Answer Key (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_3-5_quiz_key.pdf
  • Plant Reproduction (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_6-8_quiz.pdf
  • Plant Reproduction Answer Key (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_6-8_quiz_key.pdf
Grades 2–3: Science/Music
Garden Song

Learning by singing is always fun for students. Have students sing a growing song.

Grades 2–3: Science/Language Arts
Salad Lessons

Turn your students into “green thumb” chefs. Have students match plant parts with plant names and make a virtual salad in the process.

Grades 2–8: Language Arts
Word Finds

Have students find plant-related words hidden in a puzzle.

  • Plants (grades 2–3) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_easy_wf.pdf
  • Plants Answer Key (grades 2–3) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_easy_wf_key.pdf
  • Plants (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_med_wf.pdf
  • Plants Answer Key (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_med_wf_key.pdf
  • Plants (grades 4–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_hard_wf.pdf
  • Plants Answer Key (grades 4–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_hard_wf_key.pdf
Grades 2–5: Science/Art
Animated Plants

Students will “flip” over this activity. Have students create a flip book that illustrates the growth and change of a plant as it goes through its life cycle.

Grades 3–4: Science/Language Arts
Terms of a Bean Plant

Have students study bean plant parts and then use the terms to label a diagram.

Grades 4–6: Science/Social Studies
Save a Tree!

Have students create a personal book of ideas about saving the environment.

Grades 4–8: Science/Math
Case of the Mysterious Tree

Have students explore the science and math of trees, from the root system to the highest branches, in an interactive demonstration.

Grades 4–8: Science/Social Studies
The Many Uses of Plants

Plants have many uses in addition to being a source of food for people and animals. Ask students to list other uses (source of medicine, textile dye, shade, oxygen, perfume, cloth). You might have students research the topic and present their findings to the class.

Grades 6–8: Social Studies/Science
Plants: 1001 Uses

Students will identify plant products in the classroom, further identify products made from plants, and show on a world map where the plants grow.

Grades 7–8: Science
Eating on the Fly

One way to really capture students' interest in plants is to examine the insectivorous Venus' flytrap. Have students make a poster of pertinent facts about this fascinating plant. If possible, bring a plant specimen to class for students to observe and record observations about.

Grades 7–8: Language Arts
Crossword Puzzle

Have students test their knowledge of plants.

  • Plants (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_xword.pdf
  • Plants Answer Key (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/pdf/plants_xword_key.pdf
Houghton Mifflin