Plant Unit Plan

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    Unit Plan: All About Plants

    Jennifer Smolyn & Brittanie Vangeli

    4/22/13

    SPE304

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    Unit Plan Overview

    Lesson # Objectives Activity Assessment

    1 Identify the main partsof a plant

    Plant flip-paper drawing**Plant seeds for unit

    project (lesson 7)

    Accuracy of plantdrawing

    2 Determine the steps

    required for growing a

    healthy garden

    Creating a poster with

    step-wise directions on

    growing a healthy plant

    Details and accuracy of

    directions, assessed

    using a checklist

    3 Determine the

    nutritional value in

    fruits and vegetables

    Read The Vegetables

    We Eatand

    categorize/eat fruits

    and vegetables

    Reading comprehension

    worksheet

    4 Understand the

    importance of plants ina human diet

    Write a menu for three

    meals consistingentirely of plants

    Creativity of menu and

    diversity of plantsincluded

    5 Start a growth log of

    group plant project

    Prepare growth log,

    measure plants using a

    ruler, decide which

    group member will

    measure each day

    Accuracy of

    measurements, ability

    to use a ruler

    6 Recognize the parts of a

    plant, appreciate the

    great variety of plants

    in nature

    Field trip to a botanical

    garden: photograph

    plants and bring back to

    classroom to label

    Labeled plant

    photographs

    7 Finish plant project

    journal

    Finish plant projects

    and prepare growth

    logs to be submitted

    Plant project journal

    completion

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    Long Term Planning

    Overall objective/Introduction

    What are you going to teach?We will be teaching a unit on plants. Students will be learning about plants and why

    they are important to our lives. In this unit, we will be teaching our students the parts and functions

    of a plant. Students will be learning how to measure plants through the completion of a project in

    which they will grow their own plants. Additionally, students will be taught about how plants are

    incorporated into some of the foods we eat and what nutritional values they provide. Lastly,

    students will be able to apply what they learn in class to a wide variety of plant species through a

    trip to the Botanical Gardens!

    Describe the class for which your unit was designed.This unit was designed for a third grade classroom that contains students with various

    learning styles. Ms. Smolyn is the general education teacher, while Ms. Vangeli is the special

    education teacher. In our class, we have ten girls and ten boys in a suburban elementary school

    setting. Two of these students have visual impairments, meaning that they need modified materials

    and enlarged objects/print. Our classroom also has three students with attention issues and one

    student with social issues. Lastly, two of the students are gifted and talented and one student has

    metacognition issues.

    Rationale

    Why are you going to teach this unit?We thought it was appropriate to teach our third graders about plants because it fits in to

    the third grade standards and is a common unit to teach third graders. Third graders are constantly

    observing things around them. This unit will help students enhance their observation skills by having

    students record observations instead of speaking about them. We feel plants is a important topic to

    cover in our third grade classroom because students need to start to understand the world around

    them and how important other living objects are to them. Students will be able to see how plants

    are used in their everyday lives for all sorts of reasons such as, food, clothes and oxygen.

    Sequence

    How will this unit unfold?We are teaching a plant unit that will last five to six weeks. In this unit we will be

    learning about plants and their functions. Along with learning about the plants functions students

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    will be able to identify and label the parts of a plant. For our plant unit students will be writing steps

    one must take to keep a plant healthy. Students will know how plants grow each and every day

    when they are cared for properly. In this unit students will be growing their own plant and will be

    measuring their plant in math each day and record their measurements on their growth log. By the

    end of this unit students will be able to see how much their plant has grown and how important is to

    take care of their plant. Additionally our plant unit will consist of a writing activity where students

    write menus for three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) consisting entirely of plants! This will allow

    students to see how important plants are to the human diet. As we reach the conclusion of our

    plant unit students will be given the opportunity to visit the Botanical Gardens as a class field trip.

    Student will be able to walk around the gardens and take pictures of plants. They will then be able

    to use their pictures to label the parts of a plant.

    Standards

    Writing3.W.2- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and

    information clearly.

    3.W.4- With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and

    organization are appropriate to task and purpose.

    Math3.MD.4- Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and

    fourths of an inch.

    Science5.3.P.A.1: Investigate and compare the basic physical characteristics of plants

    5.3.2.C.2: Identify the characteristics of a habitat that support the growth of plants

    Adaptations

    Students

    Describe the students with special needs in the classroomIn this classroom of twenty students, nine of the students have special needs that must

    be addressed in every lesson we plan. Two of our students have visual impairments, meaning

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    that they need modified materials and enlarged objects/print. In order to meet their needs, we

    must provide them with other ways to learn besides visually, which means employing auditory

    and kinesthetic stimuli in every lesson. Our classroom also has three students with attention

    issues, who are not classified under an IEP. These students need to be constantly stimulated and

    we must use varying strategies throughout every lesson to hold their attention. As well, one

    student in the class has social issues. We must be careful to encourage this boy to work with

    others, but not pressure him to find a partner or speak aloud suddenly in front of the entire

    class. Furthermore, we have two girls who are gifted and talented and need to go beyond the

    expectations of the rest of the class in order to remain engaged. Lastly, one student has

    metacognition issues, so we must ensure that he receives a specific plan and that each task is

    monitored so he does not become overwhelmed with information.

    Explain how this unit will meet the needs of students with special needs.In this unit, the variety of strategies used ensures that the learning needs of all of our

    students will be met. For any group work, the groups are always predetermined based on

    students abilities. Depending on the task at hand, the students with special needs may be

    completely divided in different groups, or they may be grouped with another student with

    similar needs. Assigning the groups helps ensure that the students with special needs will be

    able to learn in an environment where they are best suited. As well, the student with social

    issues will like having assigned groups because he will not feel pressured or uncomfortable

    trying to find his own group.

    This unit will include all of the learning styles to maximize student understanding of the

    material. Information will be presented in an auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile fashion.

    This will help the student with attention deficit issues remain focused because he is not doing

    one activity for any length of time, but rather is constantly changing how he is learning. This also

    helps the students with visual processing issues, because they can hear the information and also

    perform hands-on activities, rather than simply struggling with primarily visual stimuli. These

    students will also get their own personal copy of all of the directions given in each lesson.

    Lastly, each lesson is differentiated in terms of the students abilities. The gifted and

    talented students will be challenged more and their assignments always go into more depth

    than the assignments for the rest of the class. Students who have other special needs will also

    have assignments modified to make them simpler and easier to understand, which is especially

    helpful for the student with metacognitive issues.

    Adaptations for students with special needsEach lesson in this unit will be differentiated and adapted to meet the learning needs of

    all students in this classroom. Specific examples of these adaptations are described in each

    lesson. Certain students may receive a copy of written instructions, while others may have the

    activities partially prepared for them in advanced. Likewise, some students will have alternate

    forms of assessment for some lessons, either to make the material a bit easier or to make it

    even more challenging.

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    Short-Term Planning

    Lesson One

    Objective: Students will be able to label the different parts of a plant and explain the function of each

    part; students will set up their pots and plant seeds for their long-term project of growing a plant

    Materials:

    Two small flowering plants Markers Scissors Paper Plastic plant pots Watering can Pea seeds Fertilizer

    Development:

    *Note: This lesson will likely take two class periods, depending on the cooperation of the

    students. All of the lesson in this unit may require more than one class period.

    1) First, we will divide the class into pre-determined groups with four students each. The studentswith special needs will be separated, with the exception of the two gifted girls, who will be

    placed in the same group with two other students who do not have special needs.

    2) We will project the steps for planting seeds onto the board and pass out a copy of the steps toeach student. We will read through these steps and demonstrate how to plant seeds to the

    students.

    3) The students will then break into their groups and plant their pea seeds using the providedmaterials.

    4) Lastly, the students will create a schedule to determine who will be responsible for checking onthe plants each morning when they come into class. During the first five minutes of each class,

    the students must make sure their plants are getting enough water and sunlight.

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    5) Then, (on the second day if necessary), we will randomly divide the class into two groups. Eachteacher will work with a small group of students. Both of the English Language Learners will be

    placed with the special education teacher, who is better equipped for instructing them.

    6) In the small groups, both teachers will each have a small flowering plant. We will use this plantas a model to discuss the different parts of a plant with the students

    7) We will ask the following questions, delivered both verbally and by writing on the board.- What are plants?

    - What do plants need to grow? Have you ever grown your own plant before?

    - Where is the plant stem located? What does it do for the plant?

    - Where are the plants leaves? What do the leaves do?

    - Where are the plants flowers and roots? What are the functions of the

    flowers and roots?

    8) Then, we will ask student to point to where the leaves, stem, roots, and flower are using theplant provided. Students may also volunteer to come up and show the group where each part is

    located.

    9) Then, we will ask student to point to where the leaves, stem, roots, and flower are using theplant provided. Students may also volunteer to come up and show the group where each part is

    located.

    10)Each teacher will then describe the assignment to the students, as explained below. We willprovide the students with a model to help them complete their own plant flip-pictures.

    11)After completing this assignment, we will ask students to give us an exit ticket to conclude theclass period. On an index card, they will each have to write down (a) one new fact they learned

    about plants from todays lesson and (b) one thing they would still like to know about plants.

    Assessment:

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    Students will complete a labeling activity to demonstrate their knowledge of the functions and

    structure of a plant. Students will be given a piece of paper and be asked to fold the paper in half

    vertically (the long-way) down the middle. The students will then be asked to open up their paper and

    draw a flower on the right side. On the left side of the paper, they will write the functions of

    corresponding plant part. The students will then cut on the left panel of the paper up to the crease in

    the center, which will allow them to flip back and forth between the plant part and the image inside. On

    the front of each flap they will write the label of the corresponding plant part underneath. More

    advanced students will be asked to write additional information on the functions of each part. This

    assignment will be graded as classwork, with each flap worth five points. If all of the flaps are complete

    and correct, the student will receive the full twenty points for this assignment.

    Homework Application:

    Students can use this flip paper drawing to study at home and review the parts of a plant with

    their parent or guardian. They can also use it later in this unit when they will be asked to label

    photographs from the botanical gardens trip.

    Adaptations for students with special needs

    The students with visual impairments may have difficulty drawing their flowers and

    understanding how to cut the paper to create the flaps. Instead, they will be given a pre-made flip sheet

    with a picture of a flower already on it. They will color their flowers and write the steps on the flap. Also,

    the students with metacognitive issues will receive printed directions that they can refer to in creating

    their plant. As one of the teachers is going through the step-by-step instructions slowly, the other will

    walk around the room to assist students who require additional help. In addition, the student with social

    issues should not feel pressured because the teachers are assigning the groups, so he does not have to

    feel uncomfortable trying to find a group to work with. The tangible objects and variety of strategiesused in this lesson should keep the attention of those students with attention deficits. Likewise, the

    gifted and talented students will be responsible for writing additional functions of plant parts on their

    flaps, rather than just the general purpose of each part.

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    Lesson Two (Writing)

    Objective: students will be able to write the steps required for growing a healthy garden/plant.

    Materials:

    Paper/ Poster paper Gardening tools Large plant picture Plant books in classroom

    Development:

    1) Students will gather on the carpet and we will discuss how we keep ourselves healthy. Whilediscussing, we will write the ideas on large chart paper in a list format. This will show the

    students an example of how to write stepwise directions for any process.

    2) We will then brainstorm ideas on how to grow a healthy plant/garden. The students will beshown a big picture of a plant and asked what they think are some things that they would need

    to grow healthy garden/plant. Students should brainstorm ideas such as: soil, water, sunlight,

    oxygen, nutrients, space to grow, etc. After, we will explain to the class that this will help the

    students grow their own pea plants in class.

    3) After the students have finished brainstorming ideas, we will explain to the students that inorder to grow their own plants in the classroom, they will need to know the steps to keeping a

    plant healthy.

    4) Students will be partnered heterogeneously based on previously determined groups. Once theyare in pairs, we will explain that each pair will make a poster that lists and describes the steps

    necessary to keep a plant healthy. If they become confused, we will encourage the students to

    think of some of the things we talked about at the beginning of class. We will also remind the

    students that they can go to our classroom library if they need to reference any books.

    5) Additionally, students will be told that they can find any spot in the room to work with theirpartner on their poster. They can also use any art supplies at the front of the room to complete

    their posters.

    6) As the students are working, Ms. Vangeli will call up one group at a time to investigate some ofthe common garden tools we use when planting. These tools are situated in the back of the

    classroom and will provide the students with tangible objects to go along with this unit.

    7) As a closure, when students have finished, they will hang their posters up around the room.Then they will walk around the room and look out their classmates posters as well.

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    Assessment

    Students will be assessed on the creation of a poster that describes the steps in growing a

    healthy garden. The posters will be assessed with a simple checklist, as shown below.

    Student posters should:

    a) Describe the planting of seeds .b) Explain the daily care required for a plant before it sprouts .c) Explain the daily care required for a plant after it sprouts .d) Be neat and legible .

    HW application

    For homework, students will be asked to go home and look at any plants they have in the house

    or out in a garden and determine if they are well cared for. Students should apply what we learned in

    class to help their parents/guardians care for their plants. For students who do not have any plants at

    home, they can use the skills they learned to successfully grow their classroom plant. Alternatively, they

    could ask their parents to consider getting some plants that they can take care of at home using the

    skills they learn in this unit.

    Adaptations

    For students who might have trouble writing out the steps, they will be given the option to draw

    a picture instead. Additionally, students that need visual aids can refer to the large picture of the plant

    (discussed in the introduction), look at the gardening tools in the back table, or look at plant reference

    books in the classroom library. The gardening tools in the back aid both the students who need visual

    and the students who learn best with tactile objects. Students were pre-grouped heterogeneously, sothe students with special needs did not work with one another. This is especially helpful for relieving any

    anxiety issues that the student with social issues may have. Furthermore, our student with

    metacognition issues can refer to the brainstorming chart that we created as a class because he learns

    best with graphic organizers.

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    Lesson Three (Reading)

    Objectives: Students will read The Vegetables We Eatby Gail Gibbons and explain the nutritional value

    in fruits and vegetables.

    Materials:

    The Vegetables We Eatbooks (2) Poster notepad Various fruits and vegetables (apples, potatoes, bananas, broccoli, kiwi, carrots, corn, oranges,

    etc.)

    Knives, paper plates, paper towelsDevelopment:

    1) Students will be divided into two groups. One group will include the visually impaired students,the attention deficit students, the poor metacognition student, and the student with social

    issues, along with five additional students. This group will work with Ms. Vangeli. Ms. Smolyn

    will work with the remainder of the class, including the gifted and talented students.

    2) Ms. Vangeli and Ms. Smolyn will each read The Vegetables We Eatbook. Ms. Vangeli will use thebig book version. While reading, both teachers will pause frequently and add information to

    the large poster notepad. They will write about the eight groups of fruits and vegetables we eat

    (leaf, bulb, flower, root, tuber, stem, fruit, and seed), as well as the nutritional value of fruits

    and vegetables.

    3) After reading, the teachers can ask several comprehension questions about the story.4) Then, the two groups will return to their seats for the rest of the lesson. We will then put out

    some common fruits and vegetables from the supermarket and ask students to help classify

    them in the groups based on the poster notepads created.

    5) Once students successfully classify the fruit or vegetable, the teachers will cut them up and givethem to the students to enjoy. **Note: Teachers should be familiar with student allergies

    before feeding them the fruits and vegetables.

    Assessment:

    Students will be assessed primarily on their participation in this lesson. Each student is expected

    to contribute at least two thoughts or questions throughout the lesson in order to receive the full

    participation points.

    Homework/Application:

    At the dinner table tonight, students are to think about the food they eat and decide if they are

    consuming any fruits or vegetables. If they are, they should also try to categorize these fruits and

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    vegetables. This will be discussed tomorrow in the beginning of class, so students may want to write

    down what they eat on a piece of paper.

    Adaptations:Ms. Vangelis group uses the big book to help those students with visual impairments

    see better. She will also pass the book around and let students see the pictures up close. After the list is

    created on the large paper, these students will also receive their own copy of the list to keep. The storyis short enough that the students with attention issues will remain focused, and they will enjoy

    categorizing and eating the fruits and vegetables.

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    Lesson Four

    Objectives: Students will construct a menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner using only plant items to

    demonstrate their understanding of the nutritional value of plants.

    Materials

    White printer paper Markers, crayons

    Development

    1) Ask students the following questions to review yesterdays lesson and introduce todayslesson in a large group discussion:

    a. What plants did you eat for dinner last night?b. Were these plants fruits or vegetables?c. What category of fruits or vegetables does the plant belong in?d. Why are these fruits and vegetables so important to eat?

    2) Divide students into pairs. Groups will be predetermined at the teachers discretion, withstudents paired based on how they work well with one another and their ability to remain

    focused and on task. Students with special needs will not be paired with one another.

    3) Students will create a menu based entirely on plant food items. They must fold their paperto create three panels. The front will be the cover of the menu, which they may decorate

    however they would like (create a restaurant name, etc.) The inside three panels will havethe headings Breakfast Lunch and Dinner. Each meal should have two different

    options to choose from and should include a small picture of each. They may decorate the

    back panel however they would like, as long as it pertains to plant foods.

    Assessment: Students menus will be graded out of ten points, with a possible three points given for

    each meal and one point for neatness and completeness. A student who receives three points for a

    panel will have two creative food options and pictures to go along with it. The menus will be hung up

    around the classroom after they are graded.

    Homework Application: At home tonight, write down a list of all the plants included in your dinner.

    Remember, even if you are not eating plain vegetables, there are always fruits and vegetables in most

    foods (pizza sauce contains tomatoes, etc.) This will be turned in tomorrow for a participation grade,

    either completed or incomplete.

    Adaptations: A sample menu created by the teachers will be passed around the room once students

    begin their menus so that they can see what is expected. This is especially helpful for students with

    visual processing issues and metacognitive issues.

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    Lesson Five (Math)

    Objective: Students will be able to measure the height of their plant stems using a ruler and keep a log

    of this growth every day for the remainder of the unit.

    Materials:

    Personal pea plants Growth Log Ruler

    Development:

    1) Before we begin our measurement lesson, we will review information about measurement theyhave learned prior to this unit. We will reinforce the measurement lines on the ruler, such as the

    difference between inches, centimeters and millimeters using a ruler projected on the board.

    Then the students will measure items such as a pencil, desktop, and eraser. As a class, we will

    go over the measurements that the students came up with.

    2) Next, students will be instructed on how to properly record their measurements in their growthlogs. The person in each group who has been responsible for watering the plants at the

    beginning of each day will also be responsible for measuring the height of the plant at that time.

    If they need help, another group member can assist them.

    3) Once the students understand what is expected of them for their growth logs students go backto their pea plants. For those students whose plants have not sprouted yet, they will be givenanother small plant to work with.

    4) We will explain to the students that just like humans, plants grow every single day. When weproperly take care of plants with water and sunlight, they are able to grow bigger and bigger

    each day. We will also explain to the students that each day before we start math we will be

    measure our plants and recording how tall they are, which will enable us to see how much our

    plants are growing each day.

    5) Once students have properly measured how tall their plants are, they will be asked to record theplants height in their growth log.

    6) Along with recording measurements in our growth log students will be asked to draw a quicksketch of their plant. Since this lesson will be on-going, the students will be able to see by their

    sketches and measurements how much their plant has grown since the first day.

    7) As a closure, students will be able to compare and contrast their plants appearance and heightwith that oftheir classmates. They will leave their growth logs at their lab stations and rotate

    around the room, observing their classmates plants and growth logs.

    Assessment:

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    By the end of this unit, students will submit their growth logs. This assessment will determine if

    students have successfully understood how to measure a plant and have observed plants growing over

    time. For this lesson, students will be assessed on their participation and ability to measure with a ruler

    in the proper units.

    Homework application

    Since the students are learning about measurement in math, they will be asked to go home and

    find three items in their house and measure them using a ruler. If they do not have a ruler at home, they

    may borrow one from the classroom. Students will be asked to record their object and measurements in

    their math journals to share with the class tomorrow.

    Adaptations

    For students who have difficulty visualizing measurements, they will be able to see the actual

    plant and understand what two inches looks like. Additionally, for students that learn best through

    tactile and kinesthetic means, this lesson provides a hands-on activity in the measurement of the plants.If certain students are seriously challenged by the measuring, they can be responsible for drawing a

    sketch of the plant. We will have those students draw a picture of how tall their plant is and observe

    growth through each sketch becoming a little larger over time. For the gifted and talented students,

    they will have to create a basic graph showing growth over time to be submitted with their growth logs.

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    Lesson Six (Field Trip)

    Objective: Students will be able to take pictures of different types of plants and label the different parts

    on their photographs the following day. Students will be immersed in hands-on adventures relating to

    plants and apply their knowledge of plants to the new species they see today.

    Materials:

    Field trip to a botanical garden Disposable cameras Notebooks and pencils Construction paper

    Development:

    1) Before we leave for the field trip, we will go over the rules for the day and remind the studentsthat they are representing our school and should be on their best behavior. We will then assign

    students to their field trip groups and introduce the students to their chaperone for the day.

    These parent chaperones were decided beforehand and volunteered to come on the field trip

    with the class. Once the students know the rules for the day and their chaperones, we will ask

    each student to share one interesting plant fact they have learned thus far in this unit. If they

    cannot think of one, they may say pass or repeat a fact that has already been said.

    2) When we arrive at the botanical gardens, a disposable camera will be given to each group.3) We will then instruct each group to take pictures of interesting plants and flowers that they

    might see when they are exploring the botanical gardens. They also may choose to write down

    any interesting facts they learn about plants during the tour of the garden.

    4) We will tell students that when they return to the classroom the following day, their pictureswill have been developed and printed. They will be using these pictures to label the parts of the

    plant with their field trip group members. They will also identify any fruits and vegetables they

    saw in the garden.

    5) Before the students leave the tour of the botanical garden, we will tell them to consider thetype of environment these plants are living in and how this might compare and contrast to the

    environment we grew our pea plants in.

    6) When students return to the classroom the next day, they will paste their pictures onconstruction paper and label the parts of the plant they see in their picture. If applicable, they

    should also label their plants as fruits or vegetables. As a class, we will discuss how the botanical

    garden plant environments were similar or different to our class environment.

    7) As a closure, students will form a circle and be able to share one favorite part of the botanicalgarden field trip with the rest of the class.

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    Assessment:

    Students will be assessed on if they could successfully label the parts of the plants from the

    botanical garden. Each group should have at least six labeled pictures with the labels in the correct

    locations.

    Homework application:

    Students will be asked to go home and write down three Did you know.? facts that they

    learned from the botanical gardens.

    Adaptation:

    Before we leave for the trip during the class share out, students have the opportunity to pass

    or repeat an answer that has already been said. This is great for the student with social issues because

    he will speak out in front of the group, but he does not have to come up with his own answer if he is too

    worried to think of one. On the field trip, the groups that have the students with attention problems will

    be given more than one chaperone in order to keep those students focused and behaved. Students will

    be pre-grouped for this trip, with the special needs students being split up into different groups. As well,

    having smaller groups may encourage the student with poor social skills to speak up and participate in

    the photographing because he will not feel as intimidated.

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    Lesson Seven (Final Project)

    Objectives: Students will finish their plant project journal to be turned in at the end of class. They will

    also complete any other assignments they did not finish during the unit to get partial credit (if

    applicable).

    Materials:

    Plant project journals Rulers (for any final measurements needed)

    Development:

    1) Arrange desks in groups, instruct students to sit with their plant project groups2) Students will look through their plant notebooks and see if they completed every aspect of the

    project. They will have the rest of the class period to finish taking measurements and clean up

    their notebooks to be submitted at the end of the period.

    Assessment

    Students plant journals will be graded using a simple rubric, shown below.

    Poor (1) Proficient (2) Exceeds Expectations (3)

    Measurements

    Plants not measured

    every day; measured inthe incorrect units or

    with obvious

    inaccuracies

    Plants measured every

    single day with up to80% accuracy in units

    and measurements;

    data not organized

    into neat tables

    Plants measured

    correctly every day withthe correct units used;

    data organized into neat

    tables that are easy to

    read

    Plant sketches

    Plant sketches mostly

    absent or only few

    included

    More than half of the

    plant sketches are

    included, but they are

    not labeled

    All plant sketches

    included and clearly

    labeled to distinguish

    when they were drawn

    Plant observations Plant observationsrarely (or never) noted

    Plant observations

    occasionally noted,but not clear or

    accurate

    Plant observations noted

    frequently with clear

    labels and accurate

    explanations, including

    description of watering

    frequency and sunlight

    availability

    Neatness and

    spelling/grammar

    Log is nearly impossible

    to read and understand;

    grammar and spelling

    detract from content

    Log is legible, but not

    neat and organized;

    several spelling and

    grammar issues

    Log is legible, neat, and

    organized; very few

    grammatical or spelling

    errors

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    Homework Application

    No homework! Plant unit has been completed.

    Adaptations

    Students with special needs, especially those with metacognitive impairments and visual

    processing difficulties, will be graded based on their groups log. All group members will receive the

    same grade; unless it is obvious that one student did all of the work, in which case the grades will be

    adjusted accordingly. More frequent errors and neatness issues are permitted on the days that the

    special needs students wrote in the logs.

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    Assessment

    Determine how you will assess student attainment of unit objectives.The students will be assessed at the completion of the unit on their personal plant

    projects. They will be required to submit a growth and observations log for their pea plants,

    detailing how the plant changed over the duration of the unit. They should also include

    information on watering frequency and sunlight issues they note in their observations of the

    plant. Throughout the unit, students will be assessed on the completion of various projects as

    described in the above lessons (such as plant flip papers, botanical garden photographs, and

    participation/completion of homework assignments).

    Describe adaptations of assessment for students with special needs.The assessments in each lesson are modified for those students with special needs. The

    gifted and talented students are required to go beyond the expectations of the rest of the class.

    For instance, they are required to submit a graph of their plant growth over time in addition to

    the tables in their growth logs. They are also required to know additional details about the plant

    structure and function. Those students with visual learning issues and metacognitive issues will

    not have to go into as much detail in their descriptions. They will be graded more leniently in the

    assessment of their final project. Since there are no presentations in this unit, the student with

    social needs will be assessed in the same way as his peers. The students with attention

    difficulties will also be assessed in the same way, with the hope that the variety of activities in

    these lessons will stimulate them throughout the unit. These specific assessment modifications

    are also described in the above lesson plans.