Science lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes
Which part of the plant do we eat?
Plants
CCSS NGSS.1-LS1-1England: KS1 Y1 Plants
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Which part of the plant do we eat?.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Parts of a plant
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Real plants or seeds, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Parts of a plant). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which part of a plant makes food using sunlight? (the seeds / the leaves / the roots / the stem) → the leavesPrompt: Which part is usually green and flat to catch the light?
- Plant parts: which statement is true? (A tree trunk is a stem. / Roots grow up towards the sky. / Leaves take in water from the soil. / Trees are not plants.) → A tree trunk is a stem.Prompt: Picture a plant from its roots to its flower.
- Which part holds the plant up and carries water to the leaves? (the stem / the roots / the petals / the flower) → the stemPrompt: It is like a straw and a pole at the same time.
Hook · 3 min
- Bring in a plant that has been kept in the dark next to one in the light, and ask what happened.
- Share the objective: Which part of the plant do we eat?. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which part of the plant is this food: cauliflower?
- Step 1: These are bunches of tiny flower buds.
- Step 2: So the answer is: flowers (flower buds)
- Answer: flowers (flower buds)
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which part of the plant is this food: kale? (stem / fruit (holds seeds) / root / leaves) → leavesPrompt: Did it grow under the ground, hold the plant up, catch sunlight, bloom, or is it something you could plant to grow a new plant?
- Why are lettuce and spinach leaves usually green and thin? (They are not ripe yet. / Leaves are made to catch light and make food. / They grow underground. / They are full of seeds.) → Leaves are made to catch light and make food.Prompt: What job do leaves do for a plant?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Scientists call a tomato a fruit, not a vegetable. Why? (It is red. / It grows under the ground. / It is sweet like sweets. / It grows from a flower and has seeds inside.) → It grows from a flower and has seeds inside.Prompt: Cut one open: what do you find inside?
- Which part of the plant is this food: artichoke? (seeds / leaves / stem / flowers (flower buds)) → flowers (flower buds)Prompt: Did it grow under the ground, hold the plant up, catch sunlight, bloom, or is it something you could plant to grow a new plant?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Parts of a plant.
- Use concrete materials: real plants or seeds.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder