Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Growing Seeds of Appreciation

Teacher: Evan Kroon

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
Students see and interact with plants
multiple times a week.
(How does this fit with students
experiences, the school goals, and the
larger societal issues? How does this fit
with the broader curriculum- what has
come before and what will come after?)

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to

(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

Gain observational skills
Understand nature better
Appreciate the diversity of plants
Explain the life cycle of a plant
Make a conscious decisions to live a in a way that does the least harm to plants.
Name and describe a plant from four different Biomes

Established Goals
L.OL.E.1LifeRequirementsOrganisms
havebasicneeds.Animalsandplantsneedair,
water,andfood.Plantsalsorequirelight.
Plantsandanimalsusefoodasasourceof
energyandasasourceofbuildingmaterialfor
growthandrepair.
L.OL.02.14Identifytheneedsofplants
L.OL.E.1LifeRequirementsOrganisms
havebasicneeds.Animalsandplantsneedair,
water,andfood.Plantsalsorequirelight.
Plantsandanimalsusefoodasasourceof
energyandasasourceofbuildingmaterialfor
growthandrepair.
ART.VA.II.2.2Combinetheuseofelements
ofartandprinciplesofdesign
tocommunicateideas.
ART.VA.I.2.1Identifyandusevarious
materialsandtechniquesusinga
sequentialprocess.
ART.VA.I.2.2Demonstratethesafeuseofa
varietyofmaterials,tools,

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that
Students will keep considering
The five main parts of a plant and what
Why should I care about plants?
they do
What will happen if plants keep disappearing?
Plants unique characteristics depending
How can I stop plants from disappearing?
on what biome they are in.
Observation skills is important
Plants are beautiful on the outside and
(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry,
inside
meaning- making and transfer?)
Plants are used by humans for many
purposes
Humans need to take care of plants

(What specifically do you want students to

understand?
What inferences should they make?)

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Cognitive Objectives
Physical Development
Socio-emotional Objectives
Objectives
Describe plants of different
Work together to
Find information using
Biomes.
produce a presentation
books and the Internet.
to share with the class.
Explain that plants from
(What
values
and commitments and

Solve
riddles
to
find
what
different biomes have special

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

andprocesseswithenvironmentalawareness
CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.2.2
Writeinformative/explanatorytextsinwhich
theyintroduceatopic,usefactsand
definitionstodeveloppoints,andprovidea
L.OL.02.22 Describe the life cycle of familiar
flowering plants including the following stages:
seed, plant, flower, and fruit.
S.IA.03.12 Share ideas about science through
purposeful conversation in collaborative group
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RI.2.2
Identifythemaintopicofamultiparagraphtextas
wellasthefocusofspecificparagraphswithinthe
text.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RI.2.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesina
textrelevanttoagrade2topicorsubjectarea.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RI.2.5
Knowandusevarioustextfeatures(e.g.,captions,
boldprint,subheadings,glossaries,indexes,
electronicmenus,icons)tolocatekeyfactsor
informationinatextefficiently.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.2.1
Participateincollaborativeconversationswith
diversepartnersaboutgrade2topicsandtextswith
peersandadultsinsmallandlargergroups.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.2.1.C
Askforclarificationandfurtherexplanationas
neededaboutthetopicsandtextsunderdiscussion

adaptations based on their

surroundings.
Recognize that plants come
in all different shapes and
sizes
Recognize that humans rely
on plants for many things
(food, tires, woodchips,
building, etc.)
Name the five main parts of
a plant (roots, seeds,
stem, leaves, flowers)
Explain at least one
function of each part of
the plant
Explain that plants come
in all different shapes,
colors, and sizes.
Explain deforestation
and its effects on the
planet.
Explain how plants clean
our air by taking in
Carbon Dioxide and
putting out oxygen.
Explain how plant roots
hold soil in place which
reduces erosion.
Explain how birds, bugs,
and animals rely on

they need to take

pictures of.
Identify everyday
products at home that
contain plant products.
Show what the
different parts of a plant
look like through
illustrations
Brainstorm ideas about
how they can help
protect and care for
plants

attitudes should students acquire or

wrestle with?)

(What discrete skills and processes

should students be able to use?)

(What facts and basic concepts

should students know and be
able to recall?)

G5.0.1 Suggest ways people can responsibly

interact with the environment in the local
community.
S.RS.02.16 Identify technology used in everyday
life.
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

L.OL.E.1 Life Requirements- Organisms

have basic needs. Animals and plants
need air, water, and food. Plants also
require light. Plants and animals use food
as a source of energy and as a source of
building material for growth and repair.
2 G5.0.1 Suggest ways people can responsibly
interact with the environment in the local
community.

GLCEs
2LS41Makeobservationsofplantsandanimals
tocomparethediversityoflifeindifferenthabitats.
L.OL.02.14Identifytheneedsofplants
S.IP.02.12Generatequestionsbasedon
observations.
S.IA.02.12Shareideasaboutsciencethrough
purposefulconversation.
S.IA.02.13Communicateandpresentfindingsof
observations.
PK-2.TC. Technology Operations and
Concepts 6. -understand that
technology is a tool to help him/her
complete a task, and is a source of
information, learning, and entertainment
PK-2.CC. Communication and Collaboration
2.-Use a variety of developmentally appropriate
digital tools (e.g., word processors, paint programs)
to communicate ideas to classmates, families, and
others

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

(What content standards and programor mission-related goal(s) will the unit
address?
What habits of mind and crossdisciplinary goal(s)- for example 21st
century skills, core competencies- will
this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)

Evaluative Criteria
Rubric to be used on the parts of the
plant book of lesson 1.
Excellent- Each flap has the correct
part of the plant pictured on it. The
flap also has a sentence or two
describing the functions of that part
of the plant .
Good- Each flap has the correct part
of the plant pictured on it. The flap
also has some information describing
the function/s of that part of the
plant but not all.
Fair- Each flap has the correct part
of the plant pictured on it. Some
flaps contain the function/s of that
part of the plant but others do not.
Poor- Not every flap has the correct
part of the plant pictured on it. No
information is written about the
function of that part of the plant.
(What criteria will be used in each
assessment to evaluate attainment of
the desired results?)(rubric required)
(Regardless of the format of the
assessment, what qualities are most
important?)

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

Students will create a class covenant describing ways they will help take care of the earth.
Students will also copy the class covenant or make a new personal covenant to hang at home.
This task will pull together ideas from previous lessons such as what leaves do (take in carbon
dioxide and put out oxygen) which is why we will recycling paper (so we dont have to cut down
as many trees)

Students will take a final plant unit test, which asks important questions from each of the
lessons.

How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex
performance?)

OTHER EVIDENCE:
As the students work I will be walking around the classroom seeing who seems to be doing their work correctly.
This entails correct labels, accurate information, and life like drawings. If I notice a student struggling I can work
with him or her individually.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Effort is the most important quality I will

be looking for. I want students to at least
try the activities to the best of their
abilities as well as try to answer the
questions with an educated guess.
Participation is another important quality
I will be looking for. All I can ask of my
students is that they try to do what is
expected of them.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Pre-assessment- due ________
First of all, I am going to give a questionnaire with basic questions about plants (Ex. What do plants need to grow, what color are plants,
etc..) And then ask them to draw a picture of the life cycle of a plant.
The second Pre-assessment I am going to do is have the learners write questions they would like answered or things they are
wondering about on note cards. I will collect the note cards and then look at the questions so I can figure out how best I can answer
them with my unit.

(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does
Learning Events
each learning event build?)
Acquisition
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (10) (11)
(13) (15) (16) (17) (18)
Meaning
(1) (9) (10) (11) (13) (14)
(15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20)
(21) (22)
Transfer

(3) (6) (8) (10) (12) (13)

(14) (18) (19) (20)

Progress Monitoring

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their

participation in these learning events
Lesson 1
1. We will be discussing the five main parts of a plant and what they do.
I will introduce the parts and the students will offer up what they
think that part of the plant does.
2. The students will look at the similarities and differences between the
same part of different plants (Tree trunk vs. Bean stalk, etc.)
3. Students will discuses the similarities of parts of the plant and objects
familiar to them (Stem and straw, seed and baby, etc.)
Lesson 2
4. We will discus what we learned about the parts of the plant from the
previous lesson.
5. I will show the students pictures of different biomes. We will discus
what a biome is and what characteristics our four biomes have.
6. I will talk to the students about wearing the right clothes for the
season
7. Students will break into groups and research a particular biome and
the characteristics of a plant in that biome.
8. Groups will present their findings to the rest of the class.
Lesson 3
9. We will be discussing the different stages of the plant life cycle.
10. Students will compare the life cycle of a plant with their own life
cycle.
11. Students will brainstorm ideas about how to show the most important
parts of the life cycle in the play.
12. Participating in the play.
Lesson 4

(How will you monitor

students progress toward
acquisition, meaning, and
transfer during lesson
events?) (Formative
Assessment)

I will ask questions during the lesson,

keep track of individual progress,
monitor discussions between students
and their group work participation. I
will let them know how they are doing
on worksheets or projects and give
them clear expectation.

By having the students give a short

group presentation of the findings of
their research about characteristics of
plants in a certain biome.

By having the students create

a play depicting the life cycle
of a plant that will be recorded
and uploaded to the class
website.

By having the students take

picture of plant being used
around school and upload the
picture to a website. Students
will also write a letters to
plants thanking the plant for all

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

13. We will discus the ways humans rely on plants (for food, paper,
building materials, tires, etc.)
14. Students will come up with example of plant products they uses
everyday.
15. Students will go on a scavenger hunt around the school looking for
plants in use.
16. Students will write a letters to plants thanking them for all the plant
does for them.
Lesson 5
17. Students will look at the picture they took in the previous lesson and
think about how important plant are to them.
18. Students will discus ways humans can harm plants
19. Students will discus how animals rely on plants
20. Students will come up with ways to protect plants from being harmed.
21. Students will come up with a class covenant describing actions they
will take to protect plants.
22. Students will come up with a personal covenant that they will hang up
at home.

(Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of

action and expression, and multiple means of engagement?)
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in
the learning plan?)

it does for them.

By having the students

create a flap book depicting
will show the five different
parts of the plant as well as
written descriptions of the
function of the parts of the
plant.

(How will students monitor their own

progress toward acquisition, meaning,
and transfer?)(Assessment as learning)

I will make my expectations

clear to the students, including
using a rubric, so the students
can monitor their performance.

I will have projects and work

sheets for the students to
complete. This will allow
students to see what they need
clarified

I will have a rubric for some

lessons so

(What are potential rough

spots and student
misunderstandings?)

(How will students get the

feedback they need?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

I will give students feed

back in class when
reviewing answers. If a
student has a question he
or she is encouraged to
write it on a note card and I
will do my best to answer
the question next time I see
the student.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum