Plant 3-4 Activity 1
I.
Defining Picture - Generic Plants
The idea behind this picture is to have a variety of plants. I like this picture, it would be
nice if the plants themselves where larger, bigger, fuller than the ones in the picture. I
like the variation in the leaves between the plants and would like to keep that.
II.
Model Picture
We need a Cactus in a desert scene. The cactus needs to be a saguaro cactus. It needs to
have a cartoon feel in that it is colorful and inviting but not campy.
this picture is too campy, but shows you what a saguaro cactus is. Is needs to be green
have thick stems, needles and possibly a few tiny leaves.
Here is one in real life that might be helpful.
The background needed for the model is desert. Lots of different shades of brown rocks,
small brush. Think of Arizona with rock and sun not so much sandy desert. I have
attached a desert scene below to show you what I am talking about. The large tree stem
to the left does not need to be included in this background.
FYI – the cactus will be the center piece of this model so it will have to be the most
obvious thing in the picture.
Plant 3-4 Activity 2
I.
Defining Picture – three kids investigating plants on a table (clip art)
The goal of this picture is to have three kids investigating plants. I like the three kids
in aprons with plants on the table in front of them. But instead of the kids watering
and pruning, they need to be investigating. One kid could have a hand len where they
are looking at the leaf. One kid could be pulling the plant out of a pot, dirt falling on
the table trying to look at the roots of the plant. Another could be looking at the stem
of a plant. It is important that all the plants they look at are the same. Unlike this
picture, I think the plants need to have a bigger presence in the picture. It needs to be
more obvious what the students are doing. You can loose the window like thing in the
back.
II.
Other Pictures in this activity
Picture Descriptions
The goal of pictures 1 – 3 is to show all the kinds of parts of a plant. (ex. Roots can be tap
root or fibrous, leaves can be large like palm leaves or thin like pine needles, stems can
be thick like tree trunks or thin. These pictures will be repeated through out the rest of
the lesson. All the pictures need to show both above and below ground views.
The clip art that is the place holder and is an examples of the variation needed in the
pictures.
#1 Potato
Things it needs for learning – a thick root structure (the potato) and the green leaves, their
does not need to be a long stem, the leaves and stem can be one thing.
#2 Prairie Grass Things it needs for learning – long thin stem, long thin root, sparse leaves that are present
but not in your face. Need to be able to see the leaves but don’t need to be like oak
leaves.
#3 Large Tree that has a very complex root system below, leaves need to be large and
bushy. The current clip art picture does not really show the leaves, please make the
leaves a little more defined.
Things it needs for learning – the thick trunk, large green leaves, and complex root
system.
#4 Cutting a Leaf off a plant
The goal of the picture is to show where students need to cut their leaves. The person in
this picture is cutting a leaf off of a stem at the section where the stem of the leaf
connects with the stem of the plant. The example picture does not show this but the
cartoon picture will need to be really explicit about where the scissors are cutting. The
plant in the picture needs to have large leaves with long leaf stems. Could the scissors be
child protected scissors. Child protected scissors are scissors that have blunt ends.
#8 De-Leafing the Stem
Show all the leaves carefully pulled off of the stem. Basically draw the picture given.
#18 Getting to the roots of the plant
Show the leaves roots and a little bit of soil left on the roots. The students will need to
pull apart the plant and clean the roots. Basically draw the picture – I don’t think you
need the hand and figures in this picture.
#22 Cleaning the roots
Draw the picture as it stands. The person is swishing around the plant in the cup of water
to remove the soil.
Plants 3-4 Activity 3
I.
Defining Picture – Girl Watering plants (clip art)
I like the girl watering the plants picture, what I don’t like about this picture is the
plants are not large enough in the picture. I want this picture to be a girl watering, but
I like the set up of the plants and the watering can in the second picture (the boy).
Can we merge the two of these pictures?
II.
Other pictures
Cutting off all the vines:
This is a picture needs to support students cutting off all the vines of the plant. Please
draw the scissors as safety scissors (blunt ends). Make it more obvious that they are
cutting a stem and not a leaf.
Plant 3-4 Activity 4
Defining Picture – Kids observing a garden growing
The students need to be in a garden, but instead of it being about planting seeds, it should
be about kids observing a garden. The black soil should be a lush overgrowing garden
Other Pictures – there are no other pictures for this activity
Wrap Up:
Black Line master of a plant that shows leaves, stems and roots. Students will be
coloring this in. It needs to feel like a coloring book master. No color, thick lines, very
clear picture.
Picture #1
Picture #2
The general feel of this picture needs to be like picture #1. Picture #1 is lacking a root
system. Picture #2 is way to sketchy for what the students need to do, but it has a nice
root system. Could you use picture #2’s root system and draw something similar onto
Picture #1?
This is a picture that makes or breaks the activity, please call or email if you have any
questions.