XU Childhood Education and Literacy Lesson Plan – Middle and Early Childhood

Education
Name Maria Heisel and Molly McDowell
Topic(s) Pollinators, soil composition, plant growth

Summary The concept of colony collapse disorder will be taught to the

class. We will bring in an expert from Gaiser Bee Co., Krystel
Gaiser. She will share her information on beekeeping and
colony collapse disorder. She will explain the importance of
beekeeping and providing a food source for bees (certain types
of flowers). ​Expert Interview​. We will then do an activity to
explain all of the different foods that will be lost during colony
collapse disorder. Each student will be able to choose a picture
of food out of a pile that the teacher brings in. All students will
stand up with their picture in hand. The teacher will then talk
about all of the foods and crops that won’t be able to be
produced if bees go extinct. The students will sit down when
they hear the food that they have chosen. This activity will help
the students to understand how they will be affected by colon
collapse disorder. Next, the class will discuss ways to help fix
colony collapse disorder. We will then focus on the way that
we can help, planting flowers to give the bees a food source.
The students will then plant White Dutch Clover flowers in
different types of soil. They will measure the flowers growth
throughout a month and decide which soil the flower grew the
best in. The soil will then be used to plant the flowers in a
garden outside the school building.
Subject(s)* Science

Grade/Level* 3rd Grade

Time Frame 1 month

Co-Learning with I will be working with the children to find out which type of
students soil works the best. I will be learning with them about the
benefits of different types of soil and which one we should use
for our garden.
STANDARDS AND KEY CONCEPTS
Ohio New Learning 3.ESS.1.a Earth’s nonliving resources have specific
Standards* properties. Soil is composed of pieces of rock, organic
material, water and air and has characteristics that can be
measured and observed.

Student Objectives Students will be able to…

● Differentiate between different types of soil
● Measure a plant’s growth
● Determine the type of soil that is best for each plant

PERFORMANCE TASKS AND ASSESSMENT

Performance Activities/ ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES​​:
Procedures 1. First, we will discuss the issue of “Colony Collapse
Sequence of Activities Disorder”
Essential Questions 2. We will bring in Krystle Gaiser from Gaiser Bee
Company to explain about pollinators, what bee keeping
is, and how we can help to save the bee population
3. We will then do an activity
4. The teacher will bring in pictures of different foods and
crops and have each child pick out one that they like to
eat
5. The teacher will then tell a story of what will happen if
the bee population will go extinct
 6. All children will be standing at their desks and when
they hear their food choice said they will sit down
7. This will help to hit home that many of their favorite
foods will be lost if they don’t help save pollinators
8. Students will then brainstorm ways to help the bee
population
9. Children will write their ideas up on the SMARTboard
10.We will hone in on the idea to plant specific types of
flowers to help the bee population.
11.We will then choose the flower, white dutch clovers, to
plant
12.I will then explain that we want the plants to grow to be
strong and durable and so we need to find the best soil
for the flower
13.The students will then be broken up into three groups
14.Each group will be assigned a different type of soil to
plant their seeds in.
15.The children will then take care of and record the growth
of their plants throughout an entire month
16.The students will also record the different types of
ingredients in the soil
17.At the end of the month the whole class will compare the
data.
18.We will decide which soil worked best and why
19.We will then use that soil to plant a garden of white
dutch clovers outside the school

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: what are different soils made

out of? Which soil works best for the flower we are
planting?
Assessment/Rubrics Identify and document the instrument used to assess your
students from the teaching of this lesson (e.g. Observation
Checklist/Rubric/ Exit Slip).
Students will keep a chart of the growth of their flowers in
different soil. Students will be assessed on their charts and the
information they write on the growth of the flowers.
I will be working with the children to find out which type of
soil works the best. I will be learning with them about the
benefits of different types of soil and which one we should use
for our garden.

Differentiated Students will be working in groups so they will be paired by

Instruction ability level. Students who need more help will be put in a
group together and will work with me to keep their records of
the growth of their flowers.

Technology Integration ● Students will write their ideas on the SMARTboard

when brainstorming ways to minimize colony collapse
disorder

Resources/Materials MATERIALS: pictures of foods, white dutch clover flower

seeds, three different types of soil, charts for flower growth