Prior to co-teaching about plants, we found it important to assess

what the students already knew on the subject in order to shape our
teaching in a way that would be most beneficial for our students.

Content TEK: 1.10.B Process TEK: 1.2.A

Organisms and environments. The
student knows that organisms
resemble their parents and have
structures and processes that help
them survive within their
environments. The student is expected
to: (B) Identify and compare the parts
of plants
(2) Scientific investigation and
reasoning. The student develops
abilities to ask questions and seek
answers in classroom and outdoor
investigations. The student is expected
to: (A) ask questions about organisms,
objects, and events observed in the
natural world;

Learning Goal:
The students should be able to identify specific parts of plants, along with the
necessary characteristics of plants, and compare, contrast, and question if
different looking plants fall under the category of plant through discussion and
a nature walk.

Part 1: We gave a written pre-assessment to inform our science talk and

begin to understand where the students were at in regards to this subject.
Pattern or Group Example Student Responses
Stem is tabled as Student 1 labeled the roots ras
roots or razes
Student 2 labeled the roots ras
Ideas
This is a really good thing
because they obviously see
the connection between the
stem and the roots, meaning
differentiating the function of
these two plant parts will be
easier to explain.

Unclear in all of Student 3 called the petals/flower We will create a very hands-on
the plant names La Rosa, which I would still lesson to make sure this
consider understanding. However, student makes authentic
the two words they used for stem connections between the plant
and leaves dont look like words parts and their names. For
that would describe these parts of example, we were thinking
the plants. They also left the roots about turning one of the
label blank. teachers into plants to create
life sized plant parts. For
example, your torso/spine
would be the stem. Each
student would benefit from
this experience, but especially
this particular student.
Unsure of stem Planta (Student 4) It seems these students have
name a fundamental understanding
of what the basic plant parts
are, because they named the
rest of them correctly. Perhaps
the focus of the plant anatomy
Student 5 and Student 6 left that should be giving a name and a
particular spot blank, but named function to the stem.
everything else.

Students named Student 7 called what most
all of the plant students named petalos,
parts correctly. Flores. This is still correct.
Student 8 labeled all of them
accurately!
These students would still
benefit from the lesson
because A) they could help
teach the other kids in the
class and B) they could work
on solidifying the meaning and
the definitions of these plant
parts.
 Life Science 3

Is It a Plant?

cactus tree grass

weed bush dandelion

water lily vine fern

Cactus TreeWhat
Grassare you
Weed thinking?
Bush Dandelion Water lily Vine Fern
Student 9 1 1 1 1
1 1 1
15
Student 10
Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science

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Student 11 1 1 1
Student 3 1 1 1
Student 12 1 1 1 1 1
Student 2 1 1 1 1
Student 1 1 1 1 1
Student 13 1 1 1 1
Student 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Student 14 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Student 4 1 1 1 1
Student 5 1 1 1 1 1
Student 7 1 1 1 1 1
Student 15 1 1 1 1 1 1
Student 6 1 1 1 1 1 1
TOTALS 0 9 7 11 7 11 12 10 3

As we see in this chart, none of the students selected a cactus as a plant

and only a few selected a fern. Due to this we will structure a lot of our
science talk around whether a cactus is or is not a plant. Additionally, most
of the students thought that a water lily was a plant, which is interesting
considering the nature of that plant. Due to the similar circling of the
students at each group of tables it will be important for us to get information
from them individually.
Part 2: There is only so much information that we were able to gain from a
piece of paper. We took small groups of kids to talk to them about these
questions and start a KWL.

Question Student Response

Question 1: Which Why a cactus is a plant-It is the only plant in the desertthe
of these are cactus is has green stuff in it and theres spike things in it.
plants?
Points to the fern-This is like a plant because it has little
leaves on it.
Why do you think these are plants?-Because are for the
animals.
Question 2: What All plants grow fruit or some plants?-Sometimes
do we know about
plants? Why is the cactus not a plant?-No tienen leaves.
How do you know that is a plant?-Because there are
flowers.
Question 3: What I want to learn about this onethe water lily
do we want to
know about How the plant grow up from here [seed shape with hands]
plants? when no one here to open it?
Do they exercise?
Part 3: A summary with forward thinking.

With our collection of data we were able to see places where the students

needed clarification, specifically with what characteristics make a plant a plant. No

students thought that a cactus was a plant so it will be important for us to cover what is

necessary for something to be a plant. The vocabulary for labeling a flower needs some

review as well as only two of the students were able to accurately label all of the parts.

We plan to use a student as an example for labeling the parts of the flower on their

body. For instance, their head will be the petals, their feet will be the roots, their torso

the stem, and their arms the leaves. We have a read aloud of The Tiny Seed by Eric

Carlse that we will start the lesson off with to help engage them in thinking about

plants. This lesson is taking place during their usual literacy time so it is important for

us to incorporate that. From there we will label the parts of a flower (with the labeled

student, as explained earlier) to give them vocabulary to use in the rest of the lesson.

This applies directly to the TEK we are covering. Afterwards we will move into what it

means to be a plant. During our science talk, students had many misconceptions about

why something was or was not a plant. For instance, a tree is a plant because it has

leaves and a cactus is not a plant because it has spikes. This will include a discussion of

how the plant takes in nutrients to make it grow, similar to how people grow, since this

was something that the students expressed explicit interest in. We will then use guided

inquiry with plants for them to observe to construct a checklist of necessary

characteristics of a plant. We will reinforce this as a group with examples and non-

examples of plants, especially unique plants. The students will then be going on a

nature walk with their checklist to find and draw a plant and a non plant while

confirming the characteristics. Since the read aloud is in English and we are in a

bilingual class we would like to end with a rereading of the book if time permits.