Unit 1: Plants are Life:
Lesson 1A & B: Living vs Non-living Things
& Life Cycle of Plants
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Time Required: 40 minutes (can be divided into 10 minute and 30 minute activity)
Primary AZ State Standards:
(Cross-reference “Standards Matrix” for full listing)
Science:
S00-S4C1-01: Distinguish between living and nonliving things.
S00-S4C3-03: Describe changes observed in a small system (growth of a seed)
Social Studies:
SS00-S5C1-04: Discuss differences between needs and wants.
Objective(s):
Students will differentiate between living and non-living things.
Students will differentiate between needs and wants.
Students will sequence the steps in a plant’s life.
Materials:
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Key Vocabulary:
Samples of living and nonliving things
(see Pre-teaching Preparation for suggestions)
Butcher paper
Markers
Book: A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant’s Life Cycle
Appendix KA: Plant sequencing worksheet
Blank paper, glue sticks, scissors
Seeds for planting
(see Pre-teaching Preparation for suggestions)
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Potting soil
Watering can(s) or water pitchers
Small, clear, plastic cups
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Instruction Features
Preparation
Scaffolding
_X_ Adaptation of Content
_X_ Modeling
_X_ Links to Background
_X_ Guided Practice
__ Links to Past Learning
_X_ Independent Practice
_X_ Strategies Incorporated _X_ Comprehensible Input
Grouping Options
_X_ Whole Class
__ Small Groups
_X_ Partners
__ Independent
Integration of Process
_X_ Reading
_X_ Writing
_X_ Speaking
_X_ Listening
Assessment
__ Individual
__ Group
__ Written
__ Oral
Application
_X_ Hands-on
_X_ Meaningful
_X_ Linked to Objectives
_X_ Promotes Engagement
Living
Nonliving
Needs
Wants
Cycle
Seed
Seedling
Grow
Die
Pollination
Background Information:
This unit helps to set groundwork for the rest of the year. Although learning
names of plant parts is not a kindergarten standard, this lesson will make
subsequent discussions about gardening and food topics much easier.
In the first part (A) of Lesson 1, students will begin a small experiment to
differentiate between living and non-living things. The experiment should be
continued throughout the unit and talked about briefly at the beginning of each
gardening lesson. Living things are things that are or have ever been alive, whereas
nonliving things are things that have never been alive. Some children think because
something is dead, it is now nonliving. However, this is not the case. Living things are
grow, breathe, reproduce, excrete, and respond to stimuli. To do this, living things
need food, air, and or water. You may end up having a discussion about childrens’
belief that if something moves (hand of a clock) or grows (an icicle), it must be alive.
This lesson will help challenge their preconceptions.
In the second part (B) of Lesson 1, student will begin another project of growing
a plant from seed to get a hands-on understanding of plant cycles. Ideally, students
will grow pumpkin seedlings that they could later plant out into the garden for next
year’s fall Pumpkin unit. However, if the school does not have a youth garden, other
fast growing seeds include sunflower, radish, or marigold. When reading the book,
decide ahead of time which vocabulary you will delve into. This lesson is intended to
be introductory, so going too deep is not advised.
Pre-lesson Preparation:
PART A – Living vs Nonliving Things
1. Gather nonliving material. Be sure it doesn’t have anything growing on it, like
mold, fungus, or anything else that might confuse the children. Options might
be rocks, silverware, bottles, something running on a battery, a cup of water.
2. Gather living materials. Some examples might be a growing plant, a vegetable
or fruit, a dead bug, and a flower.
PART B – Plant Cycles
1. Get the book, A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant’s Life Cycle by Pamela
Hickman and Heather Collins. Other book options are From Seed to Plant, by
Gail Gibbons or From Seed to Plant (Rookie Read About Science) by Allan
Fowler. Any other age-appropriate book about a plant life cycle will do.
Consider vocabulary in each book before beginning.
2. Presoak seeds for a day for quicker germination.
3. Prefill cups with moistened soil to save time during the activity (if you want).
Activity Instructions:
PART A – Living vs Nonliving Things
10 minutes, whole group activity
1. Put up chart paper to write on. Draw two columns. Title one “Living Things”
and the other “Nonliving Things”.
2. Ask students and accept all ideas for the questions, “What is a living thing?
What is a nonliving thing?”
3. After opening discussion, tell students that we will do an observation
experiment. Over time, students will look at the various objects you gathered
for this lesson.
4. Tell students to make predictions now about what is living and what is
nonliving. Write down student predictions on the chart.
5. Ask students, “What do you think the living things need to stay alive? What is
the difference between need and want?” Give examples of begging for toys at
the store… I NEED! I WANT!!
6. Assign students to keep the living things alive, whichever items they believe are
alive.
7. Tell students that they will talk about their observations of these objects again
next time. Keep paper to revise with class!!
PART B – Life Cycle of Plants
30 minutes
Whole group and pairs
1. Tell students, “One of the things that gets confusing is what to call something
when it has died. It’s not living anymore, right? But it was! And that is part of
what we call the Cycle of Life. Today we are going to learn a little bit about the
life cycle of a plant.”
2. Ask students to explain “cycle”. Draw pictures to help (bicycle, tricycle)
3. Tell student to think about the parts of the cycle while we are reading.
4. Read A Seed Grows: My First Look at Plant’s Life Cycle. Discuss while reading.
5. Explain that students will now do their own experiment to see how seeds grow
into plants. Explain procedures:
a. First, put in pairs.
b. Second, work with your partner to put these pictures in order (model
worksheet activity) as a “prediction” of what will happen to their seed.
Remind them, as a strategy, to look at the numbers 1 – 5 below the
pictures.
c. Third, raise hand when finished to get planting materials for each pair.
Model planting for students (plant several seeds/cup).
d. Will continue to observe changes on this worksheet, by drawing their
own pictures under the diagrams of what their plant looks like. Have
students label their diagrams with dates to show sequence.
6. Put students in pairs.
7. Distribute Appendix KA - “From Seed to Plant Sequencing Activity worksheet”,
blank paper, scissors, and glue sticks. Write student names on papers. Have
students assemble their sequences with scissors and glue sticks. Check to
make sure they are correct.
8. As students finish, distribute planting supplies (cups, dirt, seed) to each pair of
students. Have students write their names on their cups and plant their seeds.
9. Put cups in a warm location with observation sheets nearby. Have students
check seeds every few days and document changes together on worksheet.
10. Share class observations at the beginning of subsequent gardening lessons.
11. Ask student in closing,
 “Why do people need to understand the life cycle of plants?” Because
plants are part of life and we need to understand how to take care of
them. Farmers, gardeners, and scientists all work with plants. Plants are
living things just like we are.
Resources:
Borovoy, J. & Holtman, K. (1994). “Between a rock and a hard place: Determining
living and nonliving things.” The Mysterious Plant Caper. California Foundation
for Agriculture in the Classroom, Sacramento, CA. pp. 27 – 28.
http://www.cfaitc.org/LessonPlans/pdf/400.pdf
Borovoy, J. & Holtman, K. (1994). “From seed to plant sequence activity.” The
Mysterious Plant Caper. California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom,
Sacramento, CA. p. 92.
http://www.cfaitc.org/LessonPlans/pdf/400.pdf
Fowler, A. (2001) From seed to plant: Rookie read about science. Children’s Press.
31 pp.
Gibbons, G. (1993). From seed to plant. Holiday House. 32 pp.
Hickman, P. & H. Collins. (1997). A seed grows: My first look at a plant’s life cycle.
Kids Can Press, Toronto, ON. 20 pp.
Turner, M. (2002). “The circle of life: Plants and plant growth.” 2002 Colorado Unit
Writing Project. Cardinal Community Academy, Keenesburg, CO. pp. 1 – 23.
http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/Kindergarten/K_PlantsPlantGrowth.pdf