Project GLAD
David Douglas School District-Oregon
PLANTS
(Level 5)
UNIT IDEA PAGES
I.
UNIT THEME
• Plants & how they effect humans
• Parts of a plant and physiology
• How different cultures used plants
• How plants contributed to multiethnic diversity
• Desire for money dive people
• Science:
-Photosynthesis, parts of a plant, Transport System, Plant Cells, Life Cycles,
plant reproduction, types of plants; classification
II.
FOCUSING/MOTIVATION
• Observation Charts
• Inquiry Chart
• Picture File cards
• Big Book
• Read Alouds
• Chants
• Super Scientist Awards
• Field Trips
• Experiments
• Realia
III.
CLOSURE
• Processing Inquiry Charts
• Portfolio Folders
• Songs and Poetry
• Home/School Connections
• Experiments
• Presentations
• Test
• Learning Logs
• Independent Project
IV.
CONCEPTS
SCIENCE
• Plants have four basic parts that help it survive.
• Plants cells have characteristic parts, which you can view under a microscope.
• Plants get their energy from a process called photosynthesis.
• Plants release oxygen needed for respiration by living things.
• Seed plants reproduce both sexually and asexually.
• The life cycle of a seed plant includes definite stages.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Plants can be classified
• Plant structures are able to adapt to variables of light, temperature and other conditions.
LIFE SCIENCE
CCG 1: DIVERSITY/INTERDEPENDENCE: Understand the relationships
among living things and between living things and their environments.
Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the
organisms that live there.
• Describe the living and nonliving resources in a specific habitat and the adaptations
of organisms to that habitat.
• Describe how adaptations help a species survive.
• Describe changes to the environment that have caused the population of some
species to change.
• Identify conditions that might cause a species to become endangered or extinct.
CCG2: ORGANISMS: Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of
organisms.
• Classify a variety of living things into groups using various characteristics.
• Describe basic plant and animal structures and their functions.
• Associate specific structures with their functions in the survival of the organism
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
CCG3: THE DYNAMIC EARTH: Understand the properties and limited
availability of the materials which make up the Earth.
• Identify properties and uses of Earth materials.
• Recognize that soils vary in color, texture, components, reaction to water and ability to
support the growth of plants.
• Recognize that the supply of many resources is limited, and that resources can be
extended through recycling and decreased use.
CCG4: THE DYNAMIC EARTH: Understand changes occurring within the
atmosphere of the earth.
• Identify causes of earth surface changes.
• Identify effects of wind and water on Earth materials using appropriate models.
• Explain the water cycle
• Identify factors affecting water flow, soil erosion and deposition.
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
CCG5: COLLECTING AND PRESENTING DATA: Conduct procedures to
collect, organize, and display scientific data.
• Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations.
CCG6: ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING RESULTS: Analyze scientific
information to develop and present conclusions.
• Summarize, analyze, and interpret data from investigations.
CCG7: FORMING THE QUESTION/HYPOTHESIS: Formulate and express
scientific questions of hypotheses to be investigated.
• Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses based on those
observations, which can be explored through scientific investigations.
CCG8: DESIGNING THE INVESTIGATION: Design safe and ethical
scientific investigations to address questions or hypotheses.
• Design a simple scientific investigation to answer questions or test hypotheses.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
CCG9: ENERGY: Understand energy, its transformations, and interactions with
matter.
• Identify forms of various types of energy and their effects on matter.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Identify various forms of energy including heat, light, sound, and electricity.
• Describe examples of energy transfer.
• Identify examples of energy transfer in the environment
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Plants have adapted and changed over time
• The effect of geography (land and climate) on plants and where they grow
• Geographical origins of plants
• The human responsibility of taking care of plants
• The effects of plants and their uses on human lives; medicine, economy, travel, and
industry.
HISTORY
CCG1: HISTORICAL SKILLS: Interpret and reconstruct chronological
relationships.
• Interpret data and chronological relationships presented in timelines and narratives.
• Order events found in historical narratives.
• Calculate time and infer information from timelines
CCG2: HISTORICAL SKILLS: Analyze cause and effect relationships,
including multiple causalities.
Identify cause and effect relationships in a sequence of events.
CCG3: HISTORICAL SKILLS: Understand, recognize, and interpret change and
continuity over time.
• Understand how history can be organized using themes, geography, or
chronology.
CCG4: HISTORICAL SKILLS: Identify and analyze diverse perspectives on and
historical interpretations of historical issues and events.
• Identify primary and secondary sources
CCG5: HISTORICAL SKILLS: Understand relationships among events, issues,
and developments in different spheres of human activity (i.e. economic, social,
political, cultural).
ECONOMICS
CCG6: Understand that resources are limited (e.g., scarcity).
• Understand that all economic choices have costs and benefits, and compare options
in terms of costs and benefits.
CCG7: Understand economic tradeoffs and how choices result in both costs and
benefits to individuals and society.
• Identify and give examples of consequences of economic choices in terms of
• Understand the difference between "needs" and "wants" and their relationship to
economic tradeoffs.
CCG8: Understand how conditions in economy influence and are influenced by the
decisions of consumers, producers, economic institutions, and government.
• Understand how supply and demand influence price, and how price increases or
decreases influence the decisions of consumers.
• Understand that prices rise and fall depending on supply and demand.
CCG9: Understand economic concepts, principles, and factors affecting the
allocation of available resources in an economy.
• Understand how decisions regarding what to produce, how to produce, and for
whom to produce are answered in various economic systems.
• Understand how decisions about production are made in traditional, capitalist, and
command economies.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
CCG10: Understand the interdependence of the global economy and the role
played by the United States.
• Recognize examples of how nations interact economically.
GEOGRAPHY
CCG11: Use maps and other geographic tools and technologies to acquire, process,
and report information from a spatial perspective.
• Examine and understand how to prepare maps, charts, and other visual
representations to locate places and interpret geographic information.
• Use maps and charts to interpret geographic information.
• Use other visual representations to locate, identify, and distinguish physical and
human features of places and regions.
CCG12: Understand economic, cultural, and environmental factors that influence
changes in population, and evaluate the consequences of the resulting increases or
decreases in population.
• Identify and give examples of issues related to population increases and decreases.
• Identify and give examples of positive and negative impacts of population
increases or decreases.
CCG13: Understand how people and the environment are interrelated.
• Understand how physical environments are affected by human activities.
• Understand how and why people alter the physical environment.
• Describe how human activity can impact the environment.
• Understand how human activities are affected by the physical environment.
• Identify constraints on human activity caused by the physical environment.
• Understand how the physical environment presents opportunities for economic
and recreational activity
CCG14: Compare and analyze physical (e.g., landforms, vegetation, wildlife,
climate, and natural hazards) and human (e.g., population, land use, language, and
religion) characteristics of places and regions.
• Identify physical and human characteristics of regions in the United States and the
processes that have shaped them.
• Identify and locate major landforms, bodies of water, vegetation, and climate found
in regions of the United States.
• Identify the type of economic activity, population distribution, and cities found in
regions of the United States.
• Identify and compare physical and human characteristics of major regions and
significant places in the world.
• Locate and identify population centers and geographic reasons for their locations.
• Identify, locate, and compare the cultural characteristics of places and regions.
• Recognize relationships between the physical and cultural characteristics of a place
or region.
CCG15: Analyze the causes of human migration (e.g., density, food and water
supply, transportation and communication systems) and its effects (e.g., impact on
physical and human systems).
• Identify patterns of migration and cultural interaction in the United States.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
READING
CCG1: Increase word knowledge through systematic vocabulary development.
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of printed materials.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Identify sequence of events, main ideas, facts, supporting details, and opinions in
literary, informative, and practical selections. Students will identify or summarize the
following:
• the order of events or a specific event from a sequence of events.
• a statement or sentence that best indicates the main idea of the selection.
• directly stated facts, e.g., action or events; directions for an experiment or
problem-solving exercise; information from charts/graphs; names of characters,
places, or things in the selection; special circumstances relevant to the story.
CCG2: Demonstrate inferential comprehension of a variety of printed materials.
• Identify relationships, images, patterns, or symbols and draw conclusions about
their meanings in printed material.
• Identify implicit relationships such as cause and effect, sequence-time
relationships, comparisons, classifications, and generalizations.
• Identify unstated reasons for actions or beliefs based on explicitly stated
information in the passage.
CCG3: Recognize, pronounce, and know the meaning of words in text.
• Determine meanings of words using contextual and structural clues, illustrations,
and other reading strategies.
• Use context clues to choose the correct meaning for identified words in the reading
• Use knowledge of commonly used prefixes and suffixes to help define words in
• Use knowledge of contractions and possessives to help determine the meaning of
words in the passage.
• Use illustrations such as pictures, charts, graphs, or diagrams to determine the
meaning of words in the passage.
CCG4: Locate information and clarify meaning by using illustrations, tables of
contents, glossaries, indexes, headings, graphs, charts, diagrams, and/or tables.
• Use information in illustrations, graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables to help
understand a reading passage.
• Use a glossary to locate words to help clarify meaning.
• Use headings to locate where needed information is likely to be found.
WRITING
CCG5: Communicate knowledge of the topic, including relevant examples, facts,
anecdotes, and details appropriate to topic, audience, and purpose. Express ideas in
an engaging and credible way to audience and purpose.
• Convey clear main ideas and supporting details in ways appropriate to topic,
audience, and purpose.
• Provide relevant supporting details.
• Provide content and selected details that consider audience and purpose.
CCG6: Structure information in clear sequence, making connections and transitions
among ideas, sentences, and paragraphs.
• Structure writing by developing a beginning, middle, and end with clear sequencing
of ideas and transitions.
• Develop a recognizable beginning that introduces the audience to the topic.
• Develop a clearly sequenced body that contains identification of main topics and
supporting details about the topics.
• Develop a conclusion.
• Use some transitional words, e.g., first, then, finally, also.
CCG7: Express ideas in an engaging and credible way appropriate to audience and
purpose.
CCG8: Develop flow and rhythm of sentences.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Use sentence structures that flow and vary in length.
• Use simple and complex sentences.
• Vary sentence length and beginnings.
• Create sentences that flow together and sound natural.
CCG9: Demonstrate knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization,
paragraphing, and citing sources.
• Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing.
• SPELLING:
• correctly spell words appropriate to benchmark level.
• limit use of phonetic spelling to uncommon or difficult words.
• GRAMMAR AND USAGE:
• show basic control of subject-verb agreement.
• use a consistent point of view, i.e., first, second, third person.
• PUNCTUATION:
• use correct end of sentence punctuation.
• correctly place commas in dates, in a series, and after introductory words.
• use apostrophes in contractions and singular possessives.
• CAPITALIZATION:
• correctly capitalize sentence beginnings, proper nouns, titles, abbreviations, and
the pronoun "I" .
• PARAGRAPHING:
• use paragraph breaks.
CCG10: Use a variety of written forms (e.g., journals, essays, short stories, poems,
research papers, business and technical writing) to express ideas appropriate to
audience and purpose. Use multi-step writing process (e.g., identify audience and
purpose, generate ideas, plan, draft, confer, revise, and publish) to express ideas.
• Write in a variety of modes (e.g., narrative, imaginative, expository, persuasive) and
forms (e.g., essays, stories, reports) appropriate to audience and purpose.
COMMUNICATION
CCG11: Demonstrate control of eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation,
inflection, gestures, and other nonverbal techniques.
• Demonstrate control of eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, and
gestures appropriate to audience and purpose
CCG12: Investigate topics of interest and importance, selecting appropriate media
sources and using effective research processes.
CCG13: Acquire, interpret, and use information from print, visual, electronic, and
human resources.
CCG14: LISTENING: Demonstrate comprehension of messages from authentic
and other sources for a variety of purposes.
ELD STANDARDS - GRADES K - 5 (Oregon State Standards)
READING
Beginning Level
Word Analysis
• Recognize English phonemes that correspond to phonemes students
already hear and produce while reading aloud.
Fluency and Vocabulary Development
• Read aloud simple words in stories or games (e.g., nouns and adjectives).
• Respond appropriately to some social and academic interactions (e.g.,
simple question/answer, negotiate play).
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Demonstrate comprehension of simple vocabulary with an appropriate
action.
• Retell simple stories using drawings, words, or phrases.
Early Intermediate Level
Word Analysis
• Recognize words and phrases using context clues and illustrations.
Fluency and Vocabulary Development
• Apply knowledge of content-related vocabulary to discussions and reading.
• Read simple vocabulary, phrases, and sentences independently.
• Use knowledge of English morphemes, phonics, and syntax to decode and
interpret the meaning of unfamiliar words in simple sentences.
• Demonstrate internalization of English grammar, usage, and word choice
by recognizing and correcting some errors when speaking or reading
aloud.
• Demonstrate recognition or words and phrases and word/object correlation
from previously learned materials.
• Read own writing of narrative and expository text aloud with some pacing,
intonation, and expression.
Intermediate Level
Word Analysis
• Understand that printed materials provide information.
• Recognize that sentences in print are made up of separate words.
Fluency and Vocabulary Development
• Create a simple dictionary of frequently used words.
• Demonstrate internalization of English grammar, usage, and word choice
by recognizing and correcting errors when speaking or reading aloud.
• Read grade appropriate narrative and expository texts aloud with
appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression.
Advanced Level
Word Analysis
• Apply knowledge of word relationships, such as roots and affixes, to derive
meaning from literature and texts in content areas.
V.
VOCABULARY
Adaptation
Angiosperms
Cambium
Chloroplasts
Cultivate
Cytoplasm
Decomposer
Domestication
Germination
Membrane
Nomenclature
Nonvascular
Scurvy
Stomata
Vacuole
Botany: The study of plants
Phloem: A tissue, made from tube like cells, that carries sugars produced in the
leaves down through the stems to other parts of the plant. (Along with
xylem- make transport system of a plant)
Rhynia: One of the earliest vascular plants in the fossil record
Xylem: A tissue, made from tube like cells that carries water and minerals up from
the roots and then through the stems. (Along with phloem- make transport
system of a plant)
VI.
SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE/MATH SKILLS
• SOCIAL STUDIES
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
expressing ideas orally
group/partner discussions
organizing
comparing and contrasting
map skills
inferring and predicting
hypothesis
•SCIENCE
observing properties
graphing
problem solving
communicating
comparing and contrasting
organizing
classifying
sequencing
grouping
developing hypotheses
•MATH
graphing
workspace
story problems
addition and subtraction
patterning
VII. RESOURCES
Literature Resources for Plants GLAD Unit
Contributed by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles Elementary
Silver, Donald. Why Save the Rain Forest? New York, NY : J. Messner, c1993. ISBN 0671866095
(LSB) 0671866109 (pbk.)
Dowden, Anne Ophelia. The Blossom on the Bough : A Book of Trees. New York : Ticknor & Fields,
1994. ISBN 0395683750; 0395689430 (pbk.)
Mitchell, Barbara. A Pocketful of Goobers : a Story About George Washington Carver. Minneapolis :
Carolrhoda Books, c1986. ISBN 0876142927 (lib. bdg.)
Burnie, David. Tree. 1st American ed. New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 1988. ISBN
0394896173; 0394996178 (lib. bdg.).
Ganeri, Anita. Plant Science. New York : Dillon Press, 1993. ISBN 0875185800
Bash, Barbara. Ancient Ones : The World of the Old-growth Douglas Fir. 1st ed. San Francisco :
Sierra Club Books for Children, c1994. ISBN 0871565617.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Related Juvenile Titles in the Multnomah County Library system
(sorted by classification)
Call No.
j570 B751s
j572.46 S587p
j574.526 K67w
j574.526 K67wr
j574.526 L239c
j574.526 L253t
j574.526 L411L
j574.526 L411m
j574.526 L611t
j574.526 L616d
j574.526 L672a
j574.526 M173d
j574.526 M256w
j574.526 M992o
j574.526 P247g
j574.526 P359nd
j574.526 P957c
j574.526 R327t
j574.526 R776w
j574.526 R813a
j574.526 S275d
j574.526 S275t
j574.526 S275tr
j574.526 S587a
j574.526 S587as
j574.526 S587p
j574.526 S587s
j574.526 S625b
j574.526 S625g
j574.526 S798a
j574.526 S878m
j574.526 S878t
j574.526 T243m
j574.526 W192a
j574.526 W727b
j574.526 W959b
j577.3 F785o
j577.3 G892d
j577.3 J68w
j577.3 K66e
j577.3 M278f
j577.3 M414c
j577.3 P915w
j577.3 S798a
j577.34 B419r
j577.34 C524t
Title
The science of life: projects and principles for beginning biologists
Photosynthesis
What do we know about grasslands?
What do we know about rainforests?
Coral reefs in danger
Tropical rain forests around the world
Lily pad pond : text and photographs
Mangrove wilderness : nature's nursery
Tropical rain forests
A desert year
Antonio's rain forest
Desert
Where the waves break : life at the edge of the sea
Our endangered planet. Tropical rain forests
Green giants : rainforests of the Pacific Northwest
Nature's footprints in the desert
Coral reefs : earth's undersea treasures
BEGINNING FACTS The tree in the ancient forest
Wetlands
All eyes on the pond
Desert
Temperate deciduous forest
Tropical rain forest
Arctic tundra
African savanna
Pond
Seashore
The Brazilian rain forest
The Great Astrolabe Reef
America's prairies
Mountains
Temperate forests
Meadow
America's deserts : guide to plants and animals
Between cattails
Beneath the waves : exploring the hidden world of the kelp forest
Our living forests
Destination : rain forest
Walk in the deciduous forest
Exploring the rain forest
A forest's life : from meadow to mature woodland
The coniferous forest
A walk in the rainforest
America's forests
he rain forests of the Pacific Northwest
The tropical rainforest
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
j577.34 G348r
j577.34 G475L
j577.34 G798j
j577.34 G816r
j577.34 J68w
j577.34 K71j
j577.34 L345m
j577.34 L672p
j577.34 P189j
j577.34 P672t
j577.54 J68w
j577.54 M173d
j577.6 P243p
j577.63 M879p
j577.64 C353r
j577.68 F785L
j578.754 S186i
j578.76 B825r
j578.76 C697o
j578.77 M153a
j579.8 C418s
j580 B665s
j580 O96h
j580 P957b
j580 R14g
j580 T151u
j580 T238i
j580 W932o
j581 B966p
j581 D79w
j581 G196w
j581 T335g
j581.078 M849p
j581.3 G441f
j581.3 P416h
j581.4 C246p
j581.5 L253e
j581.526 S625a
j581.53 N669c
j581.6 E75p
j581.76 G455s
j582.16 C527s
j583.121 O96c
j586 C437p
j587.3 K79f
j588.2 J69m
Rain forest
The last American rainforest, Tongass
Jungle
Rain forest
A walk in the rain forest
Journey into the rainforest
The most beautiful roof in the world : exploring the rainforest canopy
People of the rain forests
Journey through the northern rainforest
Trees and plants in the rain forest
A walk in the desert
Desert
Pond & river
Pond
River life
Life in a wetland
BEGINNING FACTS In the desert
River, lakes, and ponds
Our wet world : exploring earth's aquatic ecosystems
About the ocean
Sea soup : phytoplankton
The science of plants
How seeds travel
Being a plant
Grocery store botany.
Unearthing garden mysteries : experiments for kids
Incredible plants
Oh say can you seed?
Plant
Wild green things in the city; a book of weeds.
What's inside plants?
Green plants
The plant cycle
From seed to plant
How plants grow
Plant survival: adapting to a hostile world
Endangered plants
Ancient forests
Carnivorous plants
Poison plants
Seashore
The secret life of trees
Carnivorous plants
Plants without seeds
Ferns; plants without flowers.
Mosses
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Online Resources
Please note that internet addresses change frequently and some of these links may no longer be active.
Remember to check the “Terms of Use” on each site!
Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles Elementary
Timeline, North American Southwest. Smithsonian Institute: Textiles of the North American Southwest
website <http://educate.si.edu/textiles/english/timeline/>
J. Folsom, Ed. Plant Trivia Timeline. Huntington Botanical Gardens website
<http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/Timeline.html>
Biotech Timeline. Biotech Knowledge Center website
<http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/biotech/bbasics.nsf/timeline.html?OpenPage>
Garofolo, Michael P., compiler. The History of Gardening: A Timeline from Ancient Times to the
Twentieth Century. January 1, 2003. The Garden Digest website
<http://www.gardendigest.com/timegl.htm>
Proposed General Timeline and list of lessons and activities: Topic- Seed Germination Week One.
University of Arizona website <http://biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/lessons2/Roxane/time.htm>
Shane Bassett, Mill Park Elementary
Songs for Teaching - Using Music to Promote Learning (includes chants, raps, poetry)
<http://www.songsforteaching.com>
Pam Beggs, District Office
Classroom Clipart : Tons of categories for all subjects. (Clicking on category PLANTS leads to related
subcategories of botany, cropts, ferns, flowers, fruits, fungi, gardens, herbs, trees, vegetables,
wildflowers) <http://classroomclipart.com>
Bureau of Land Management - Environmental Education website. Each site also contains classroom
activities and teacher resources
Alaska's Cold Desert
<http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/alaskas_cold_desert/index.html>
Columbia River Basin Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/Columbia_river_basin/index.html>
Great Basin Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/great_basin/great_basin.html>
High Plains Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/high_plains/high_plains.html>
Mojave Desert Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/mojave/index.html>
Sonoran Desert Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/some_like_it_hot/index.html>
Colorado Plateau Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/colplateau/index.html>
Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystem
<http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/green_mansions/index.html>
Kids Domain. Among the many games for kids is a section with interactive ONLINE SCIENCE
GAMES for kids -- among the topics are ecology, environment, rainforest, plants .
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
<http://www.kidsdomain.com/games/earthday.html>
Enchanted Learning. Teacher and student resources on many subjects. Here is the link to their page
with plant worksheets. <http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/plants/printouts.shtml>
University of California, Berkeley. Museum of Paleontology Among the topics covered are: geologic
timeline; early plant life; evolution.
<http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/>
The Teacher’s Corner Teacher resources.
<http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/plants.htm>
National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Teacher resources.
<http://www.nbii.gov/education/botany.html>
ProTeacher Teacher resources.
<www.proteacher.com/110013.shtml>
ABCTeach. Forms and worksheets
<http://abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/science/plants/>
Teach, Learn Communicate Thematic units; internet activities; links ro resources.
<http://alfy.lycos.com/Teachers/teach/Thematic_Units/Plants/Plant_2.asp>
Houghton Mifflin Education Place Internet resources and links, graphic organizers, activities.
<http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/march/plants_additional.html>
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD
David Douglas School District
PLANTS
(Level 5)
UNIT PLANNING PAGES
I.
FOCUSING/MOTIVATION
• Observation Charts
• Inquiry Chart
• Picture File cards
• Big Book
• Read Alouds
• Chants
• Super Scientist Awards
• Field Trips
• Experiments
• Realia
II.
INPUT
• Timeline of relationship between plants and humans
• Narrative Input Chart
- Life cycle of a Plant
• Pictorial Input Chart
- Plant Transport System
- Photosynthesis
- Parts of a flower
- Plant cells
•World Map Input- plants in different places in the world effected cultures/Exploration
• Comparative Pictorial Input Charts:
- Non-woody -vs.- Woody transport systems
- Parts of a plant -vs.- Parts of a tree
• Expert Groups: Corn, Potato, Coffee, Wheat, Tea, Rice, Sugar, Peanuts, Tobacco, Cotton
• 10/2- in English and Primary Language
• Living Wall- Plant Scene?
III.
GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE
• Focused Reading: Co-op Strip Paragraph
“Plants have helped humans throughout history.”
• Process Grid: Type of plant
-Physiology
-Origin
-Uses
-Influences
• T-Graph for success: Cooperation
• Team Points
• Personal Interaction: “Slavery”
• Processing of all charts
• “Farmer in the Dell” Plants
• Science Exploration
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Listen and Sketch Poetry
• Brainstorming
• Where’s My Answer? Inquiry Chart
IV.
READING/WRITING
A. Total Class
• Cognitive Content Dictionary
• Group Paragraph
• Pocket Chart/ Cooperative Strip Paragraph
• Read Aloud
• Farmer in the Dell
• Found Poetry
• Process Grid
• Hands on Demo
• Listen and Sketch
B. Cooperative/Choice
• Story map- Narrative Input Chart
• Ear to Ear Reading
• Strip Book
• Mind Map
• Reading Groups:
- Clunkers & links
- Extension activities using Co-op Strip Paragraph
C. Individual
• SSR
• Writer’s Workshop:
-Warm-up quick writes
-Picture prompts
• Write/Sketch
• Read the Room
• Interactive Writing/ Journal
V.
EXTENDED ACTIVITIES FOR INTEGRATION
• Art
-Posters
• Field Trip
-Nature walk
• Listening Centers
• Technology
• Videos
• Guest Speaker
• Student Made Big Books
• Cooking
• Food Samples
• Clothing/Textiles Samples
VI.
CLOSURE
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
• Processing Inquiry Charts
• Portfolio Folders
• Songs and Poetry
• Home/School Connections
• Experiments
• Presentations
• Test
• Learning Logs
• Independent Project
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Vocabulary
Sources: Silver Burdett Ginn Science Discovery Works, Teaching Guide PLANTS, 1996 (David Douglas SD adaptation)
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary <m-w.com> and Dictionary.com
Domestication: To adapt to life with humans.
Membrane: A thin, flexible layer of animal or plant
tissue covering or separating structures or organs.
Cultivate: To improve and prepare for raising
crops.
Cytoplasm: The jellylike substance that fills much
of the cell.
Rhynia: One of the earliest vascular plants in the
fossil record
Scurvy: A disease caused by vitamin C
deficiency, characterized by soft, bleeding gums,
bleeding under the skin and extreme weakness.
Nomenclature: A system of names used in an art
or science.
Angiosperms: A plant characterized by having
seeds enclosed in an ovary.
Botany: The study of plants
Vacuole: A cell part that stores water and nutrients.
Decomposer: A living thing that breaks down the
remains of dead organisms.
Chloroplasts: A structure in plant cells that captures
light energy that is used in the food-making process.
They are located within the leaves of plants.
Cambium: A layer of cells in the stems and roots of
vascular plants that gives rise to phloem and xylem.
Stomata: The small openings, or pores, usually on
the underside of a leaf, through which gases enter
and leave the plant.
Xylem: A tissue, made from tube like cells that
carries water and minerals up from the roots and
then through the stems. (Along with phloemmake transport system of a plant)
Germination: Beginning to grow or sprout.
Phloem: A tissue, made from tube like cells, that
carries sugars produced in the leaves down
through the stems to other parts of the plant.
(Along with xylem- make transport system of a
plant)
Deciduous: Shedding foliage at the end of the
growing season.
Non-Vascular: Not containing vessels for the
circulation of fluids such as blood.
Adaptation: A structure or behavior that enables an
organism to survive in its environment.
Terrestrial: Living or growing on land.
Simbiosis: 1. Biology. A close, prolonged
association between two or species that may, but
does not necessarily, benefit each member.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:______________________
Date:______________________
Home/School Connection #1
Plants
Let a family member know that you are beginning to study about plants at school.
Ask about a personal interaction your family has had with plants. Ask one or both
of the following questions:
What is your favorite plant?
Have you had any good or bad experiences with plants? Tell me about it.
What did he/she say?…
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:______________________
Date:______________________
Home/School Connection #2
Plants
Let your family know what you have learned about plants so far. Ask your family
member both of the following questions:
How are plants helpful to humans?
How do we use plants in our daily lives?
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:______________________
Date:______________________
Home/School Connection #3
Plants
Share with your family the Cognitive Content Dictionary words you have learned in
our plant unit. Tell them one interesting plant fact you learned today.
Ask your family member the following question:
What does our family do to help protect our environment? How can our family help to
encourage more plant growth at home?
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
A Poem Garden
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
Tomato,
Perfect, round and red,
Growing in your garden bed.
Cornstalk,
Tall and green
With yellow corn inside, unseen.
Melon,
Sweet and round,
Resting on the ground.
String bean,
On the vine,
Green like this garden of mine.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Botanist Bugaloo
©2003 Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles Elem; Lisa Oglesby, West Powellhurst Elem, David Douglas School Dist, Portland, OR
I’m a Botanist and I’m here to say
I’m a scientist who studies plants in every way!
Where plants live and how plants grow
Ask me about botany and I will know!
The parts of a plant is morphology you know
Flowers, leaves, stems, roots – That’s a plant from head to toe!
Physiology studies how plants stay alive
They make their own food – photosynthesis – That’s no jive!
Morphology, Physiology too
Doin’ the botanist bugaloo!
Classifying plants and naming them too
Looking at the leaves is what I do
Are the leaves simple or compound?
Are they pointed or are they round?
Finding useful products that are made from plants
Such as boats, bread and even your (under) pants!
Transportation, food, medicine, clothing too
These are ways plants are useful for me and you!
Classifying, Naming, Researching too
Doin’’ the botanist bugaloo!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
A Daffodil
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
A little yellow cup,
A little yellow frill,
A little yellow star,
And that's a daffodil.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Dig A Little Hole
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
Dig a little hole.
Plant a little seed.
Pour a little water.
Pull a little weed.
Chase a little bug -Heigh-ho, there he goes!
Give a little sunshine,
Grow a little rose.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Five Little Peas
Posted on ReadingLady.com <http://www.readinglady.com>
Five little peas in a pea-pod pressed,
One grew , two grew, and so did all the rest;
They grew...and grew...and did not stop,
Until one day the pod went...POP!
I dig a hole and plant a seed,
Cover it with dirt, and pull a weed.
Down comes the rain, and out comes the sun,
Up grows my plant,
Oh! What fun!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Five Little Seeds
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
Five little seeds,
Five little seeds.
Three will make flowers,
And two will make weeds.
Under the leaves,
And under the snow,
Five little seeds are
Waiting to grow.
Out comes the sun,
Down comes a shower.
And up come the three,
Pretty pink flowers.
Out comes the sun,
That every plant needs,
And up come two,
Funny old weeds.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Four Little Flowers
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
Four little flowers
I did see.
I picked one,
Then there were three.
Three little flowers
Pretty and new.
I picked another,
Then there were two.
Two little flowers
Out in the sun.
I picked one more,
Then there was one.
One little flower
Left in the sun.
I picked it, too,
Then there were none.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
The Gardener Plants the Seeds
(sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
The gardener plants the seeds.
The gardener plants the seeds.
High ho the derry oh,
The gardener plants the seeds.
2nd verse: The rain falls on the ground.
3rd verse: The sun shines bright and warm.
4th verse: The seeds begin to grow.
5th verse: Flowers grow everywhere.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Growing, Growing Little Seed
© 2003 Grace Groom, Menlo Park Elem, David Douglas School Dist, Portland, OR
(To the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
by the 1st and 2nd grade team at Menlo Park Elementary School
* unit vocabulary words are in bold.
(begin with this chorus...)
Growing, growing little seed,
Water, sun and soil I need.
Roots grow down into the ground.
Stems grow high and touch the sky.
(repeat chorus)
Leaves reach out to get some sun,
then they release oxygen.
(repeat chorus)
Flowers bloom for all to see,
petals, stamen, pistils three.
Growing, growing little seed,
please don’t grow into a weed.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Growth
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
A little garden flower
Is lying in its bed.
A warm spring sun
Is shining overhead.
Down come the raindrops
Dancing to and fro.
The little flower awakens
And starts to grow.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
I Dig, Dig, Dig
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
I dig, dig, dig,
And plant some seeds.
I rake, rake, rake,
And I pull some weeds.
I wait and I watch
And soon, you know
My garden sprouts,
And starts to grow.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
I Will Plant a Garden
(to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm")
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
I'll dig some holes here in the dirt,
In a nice straight row.
With a dig-dig here,
And a dig-dig there,
Here a dig, there a dig,
Everywhere a dig-dig,
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
In the hole I'll drop a seed,
Then each seed I'll sow.
With a drop-drop here,
And a drop-drop there,
Here a drop, there a drop,
Everywhere a drop-drop,
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
I'll water each plant one by one,
They'll sprout up in a row.
With a squirt-squirt here,
And a squirt-squirt there,
Here a squirt, there a squirt,
Everywhere a squirt-squirt,
I will plant a garden green,
Then I'll watch it grow.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
I'm a Little Seed
(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
I'm a little seed,
Brown and fat,
I haven't got a front,
And I haven't got a back.
Plant me in the earth,
Give me water each day,
I'll grow to be an apple tree,
While you play!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
I’m a Little Seed
(sung to the tune: "I’m a Little Teapot")
Submitted by: Lorti@aol.com
Posted on The Teacher’s Corner <http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/seedpoem.htm>
I’m a little seed deep in the ground,
Warmed by the sunshine, yellow and round,
Cooled by the raindrops falling down,
Time to raise my head and look around.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
I’ve Planted My Seeds
(sung to the tune: Rockabye, Baby)
Submitted by: Lorti@aol.com
Posted on The Teacher’s Corner <http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/seedpoem.htm>
I’ve planted my seeds.
All in a row.
I’ve watered them well
To make sure they grow.
High up above
The bright sun shines down
And soon tiny plants will poke through the ground.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Little Brown Seeds
Posted on ReadingLady.com <http://www.readinglady.com>
Little brown seeds so small and round,
Are sleeping quietly under ground.
Down come the raindrops
sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.
Out comes the rainbow,
twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.
Little brown seeds way down below,
Up through the earth they grow, grow, grow.
Little green leaves come one by one.
They hold up their heads and look at the sun.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
The Little Plant
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
In the heart of a seed,
Buried deep so deep,
A tiny plant
Lay fast asleep.
"Wake," said the sunshine,
"And creep to the light."
"Wake," said the voice
Of the raindrops bright.
The little plant heard
And it rose to see,
What the wonderful,
Outside world might be.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Little Seeds We Sow in Spring
by Else Holmelund Minarik
Posted on ReadingLady.com
Little seeds we sow in spring
growing while the robins sing,
give us carrots, peas and beans,
tomatoes, pumpkin, squash and greens.
And we pick them
one and all
through the summer,
through the fall.
Winter comes, then spring, and then
little seeds we sow again.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
My Garden
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
This is my garden, I'll plant it with care,
Here are the seeds I'll plant in there,
The sun will shine,
The rain will fall,
The seeds will sprout and grow up tall.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
Chorus
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Do you, I, or anyone know how
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?
Firs the farmer sows his seed,
Then he stands and takes his ease,
He stamps his feet,
And claps his hands,
And turns around to view his land.
(Chorus)
Walking with a partner,
Walking with a partner,
Make a ring, oh make a ring,
Oh, while we happily dance and sing.
(Chorus)
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Package of Seeds
Submitted by: Aileen Fisher
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
They can't see their pictures,
they can't read the label -the seeds in a package -so how are they able
to know if they're daisies
or green for the table?
It sounds like a fancy,
it sounds like a fable,
but you do the sowing,
the weeding, the hoeing,
and they'll do the knowing
of how to be growing.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Photosynthesis Rap
©2003 Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles, and Lisa Oglesby, West Powellhurst,
David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Plants make their food, and that’s no lie,
They use light from the sun and water from the sky,
Nutrients from the soil, and last but not least,
Carbon Dioxide from humans and all beasts!
They give off oxygen from their leaves,
An important fact ‘cause there’s more to tell.
Plants give us food; they feed us well.
Food and oxygen are what they give,
Two basic needs in order to live.
Next time you see a flower or climb a tree,
Remember how plants help you and me.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Plant Cycle Chant
(Farmer in the Dell)
©2003 Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles Elem; Lisa Oglesby,West Powellhurst Elem,
David Douglas School Dist, Portland, OR
Plants start as seeds
Then they sprout and grow
Hey ho we all know
This begins their cycle
Plants have xylem cells
Plants have phloem cells
Hey ho we all know
Plants have a transport system
Plants use Carbon Dioxide
Plants provide oxygen
Hey ho we all know
This is photosynthesis
Plants bud and flower
They die and decompose
Hey ho we all know
This ends the plant cycle
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Planting
Submitted by: Dick Wilmes
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
I took a little seed one day
About a month ago.
I put it in a pot of dirt,
In hopes that it would grow.
I poured a little water
To make the soil right.
I set the pot upon the sill,
Where the sun would give it light.
I checked the pot most every day,
And turned it once or twice.
With a little care and water
I helped it grow so nice.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Planting Seeds
Submitted by: Lorti@aol.com
Posted on The Teacher’s Corner <http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/seedpoem.htm>
First we dig up the soil
Cheered by spring air.
Pantomime digging up the soil
Then we rake and we rake and we rake.
Pantomime raking.
Next we plant our seeds
With the greatest of care.
Pantomime planting sees in the ground.
Then we wait and we wait and we wait.
Fold arms and wait.
Under the ground
The young seeds grow.
Curl up on the floor.
Then slowly they start to rise.
Slowly rise up.
Soon, up they sprout
To greet the sun.
Stand up to full height and spread arms.
Oh what a lovely surprise!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Plants Here
©2003 Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles Elementary, David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Plants here, plants there
Plants, plants, everywhere.
Young plants germinating,
Green plants photosynthesizing,
Vascular plants transporting,
And flowering plants pollinating.
Plants for agriculture,
Plants throughout the garden,
Plants in a laboratory,
And plants around the world.
Plants here, plants there
Plants, plants, everywhere.
PLANTS! PLANTS! PLANTS!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Pollination Song
(Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)
Words by Linda V. Long, Earl Boyles Elementary, David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Pollination
Pollination
How does it occur?
How does it occur?
The stamens make the pollen that
Sticks to the stigma and
Travels down the pistil
Into the ovules
How does it travel?
How does it travel?
The birds and the bees
The windy, windy breeze.
They carry the pollen from
Flower to flower
Making new seeds
Making new seeds
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Seed
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
A little seed for me to sow
A little earth to make it grow
A little hole, a little pat,
A little wish, and that is that,
A little sun, a little shower.
A little while And then, a flower!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Seed Life
Posted online by Melissa Lindsey <http://www.geocities.com/melissajl2000/plant_poems.htm>
A seed is planted;
First a sprout,
Then a stem,
And leaf,
And buds
Come out.
Buds grow bigger, smelling sweet,
Bees and birds come
Round to eat.
Bees and birds
Help flowers spread
Their new seeds on
The garden bed….
A seed is planted.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Seeds (are funny)
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
Seeds are funny, funny things,
Some have stickers
Some have wings
Some are big
Some are small
Some round and flat
Some like a ball.
Some are hidden inside of fruit
Some in pods or underground roots.
Some seeds are foods
And good to eat,
Like corn or beans
Or nuts for a treat.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Seeds
by Winnifred J. Mott
Posted on ReadingLady.com
I planted shining seeds this springJust tiny they seemed to be.
And yet I hoped so very much
That they would change to flowers for me.
Today I saw a mist of green.
It made me very happy, so
I said a little thank-you prayer
To God, who made my flowers grow.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Sunflower
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
Sunflower, sunflower, standing straight and tall,
Sunflower, sunflower, you're the tallest flower of them all!
Sunflower, sunflower, when your seeds fall to the ground,
Sunflower, sunflower, by the squirrels they'll be found!
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
What Makes a Garden Grow, Grow, Grow
Submitted by: Patricia Elizabeth Garner
Posted on CanTeach <http://www.CanTeach.ca/elementary/songspoems22.html>
What makes a garden grow, grow, grow?
(Measure from floor with hand at three levels)
Lots of work with a rake and hoe,
(Pretend to rake and hoe)
Seeds gently planted in a row -(pretend to plant seeds with thumb and index finger together)
That makes a garden grow, grow, grow.
(Measure from floor with hand at three levels)
What brings the seedlings up from the ground?
(With palms up, close to floor, measure at three levels)
Rain from the sky coming down, down,
(Raise hands high and flutter fingers down, down, down)
Bright yellow sunbeams shining round.
(Make arms into big circle overhead)
Help bring the seedlings up from the ground.
(With palms up, close to floor measure at three levels.)
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - COFFEE
The coffee plant. The scientific name of the common coffee plant is Coffea
arabica. It originally grew wild in Ethiopia. It is now cultivated in Java,
Sumatra, India, Arabia, equatorial Africa, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South
America, and the West Indies.
On the average, each person in the United States drinks the brew from
about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of coffee annually. Each year, the United
States uses about 2,600,000,000 pounds (1,180,000,000 kilograms) or about
one-fifth of all the coffee grown in the world. Other leading coffeeconsuming countries include Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the
United Kingdom. Brazil produces about a fourth of the world's coffee crop.
Colombia ranks second in production. Coffee is vital to the economies of
many Latin-American countries.
According to legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia when goatherds
noticed that their flocks stayed awake all night after feeding on coffee
leaves and berries. Coffee reached Arabia in the 1200's. Coffee comes
from the Arabic word qahwah.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Before its use as a beverage 700 years ago, coffee was used as a food, then
a wine, and then a medicine. Coffee moved from Arabia to Turkey during the
1500's, and to Italy in the early 1600's. Coffee houses sprang up
throughout Europe in the 1600's, and people met there for serious
discussions. Coffee probably came to America in the 1660's. Coffee
growing was introduced in Brazil in the 1700's.
Coffea arabica is a shrub with glossy, evergreen leaves. It is 14 to 20 feet
(4.3 to 6.1 meters) high when fully grown. As a rule, coffee growers prune it
to under 12 feet (3.7 meters). It has white flowers that are self-pollinating.
The coffee fruit is called a berry. It begins to grow while the plant is
blossoming and ripens from green to yellow to red. The average plant
produces enough berries each year to make about 11/2 pounds (0.7 kilogram)
of roasted coffee.
Coffee is a drink made from the roasted and ground beans of the coffee
plant. It is the favorite hot drink in almost every country in the world.
compiled by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - CORN
Corn, also called maize, is a plant whose food value and wide variety of uses
make it the most important crop grown in the United States. It is also one
of the most important crops in the world. In order of world grain
production, corn ranks second, after wheat. Rice is a close third. Those
three grains are the chief sources of energy in the human diet.
Corn has an amazing number of uses. The kernels--that is, the corn grain, or
seeds--can simply be cooked and eaten. The kernels can also be used in
making breakfast cereals, baked goods, salad dressing, and many other
foods. Large quantities of corn grain, as well as cornstalks and other parts
of corn plants, are fed to livestock. People eat this corn indirectly in the
form of meat, eggs, and dairy products. Corn is also used in making many
kinds of nonfood products, including ceramics, drugs, paints, paper goods,
and textiles.
Corn was first used for food about 10,000 years ago by Indians living in what
is now Mexico. For hundreds of years, the Indians gathered corn from wild
plants. About 5000 B.C., they had learned how to grow corn themselves.
Thus, corn came to be called Indian corn. But today the term generally
refers only to varieties of corn that produce ears with multicolored kernels.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Depending on the variety, corn can be grown in most mild and tropical regions
of the world. The United States is the world's leading producer and
exporter of corn. It produces about two-fifths of the world's supply,
chiefly in a region of the Midwest called the Corn Belt. Other major corn
producers include Brazil, China, Mexico, Romania, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia.
This article deals mainly with U.S. corn production.
Appearance. A mature corn plant consists of the roots, stalk, leaves, and
flowering parts. The typical Corn Belt plant has a single sturdy stalk
supported by a root system with many branches. About 15 long, broad leaves
grow along the stalk. The flowering parts of a corn plant are the tassel, the
male reproductive structure at the top of the stalk, and the ear, the female
reproductive structure about in the middle of the stalk. An ear consists of
a cob covered by rows of kernels. The ear is enclosed and protected by
special leaves called husks. A plant may have one or several ears. Most Corn
Belt varieties bear one ear about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long per plant.
Each ear has about 18 rows of kernels.
compiled by Lisa Oglesby, West Powellhurst
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - POTATO
Potato is the world's most widely grown vegetable and one of the most
important foods. Potatoes have a high nutritional value and are grown in
most countries.
Potatoes are prepared in various ways--baked, boiled, French-fried, fried,
and mashed--and are served with meat or fish and with other vegetables.
Food processors make potatoes into potato chips, instant mashed-potato
powder, and other products. Food canners use potatoes in such foods as
hash, soup, and stew. Other products whose ingredients may include
potatoes are alcoholic beverages, flour, and certain starches used in
industry.
A potato consists of about 80 percent water and 20 percent solid matter.
Starch makes up about 85 percent of the solid material, and most of the
rest is protein. Potatoes contain many vitamins, including niacin, riboflavin,
thiamine, and vitamin C. They also contain such minerals as calcium, iron,
magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.
Potatoes are not especially fattening unless flavored with butter, gravy, or
sour cream. An average-sized baked potato that weighs from 6 to 8 ounces
(170 to 225 grams) contains fewer than 100 calories.
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Potato growers often weigh potatoes in 100-pound (45-kilogram) units called
bags. The world's growers produce about 6 billion bags of potatoes annually.
China grows more potatoes than any other country. Other leading potatogrowing countries include Russia, Poland, the United States, and Ukraine, in
that order.
The United States produces more than 400 million bags of potatoes yearly.
Idaho and Washington are the leading potato-growing states. Among the
Canadian provinces, Prince Edward Island is, by far, the leading potato
producer.
Several hundred kinds of potatoes are grown in the United States.
However, four varieties account for about 70 per cent of the nation's potato
crop--the Russet Burbank, Norchip, Kennebec, and Katahdin, in that order.
All four are good for baking, but the Kennebec is best for processing into
potato chips. Other important varieties of potatoes raised in the United
States include the Chippewa, Cobbler, Red LaSoda, Red Pontiac, Superior,
and White Rose.
The potato plant
The edible parts of a potato plant are growths called tubers, which form
underground on the stems. Most potato plants have from 3 to 6 tubers.
Some have from 10 to 20, depending on the variety, the weather, and soil
conditions. Potatoes are round or oval and rather hard. They may grow more
than 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and weigh as much as 3 pounds (1.4
kilograms). Their skin is thin and may be brown, reddish-brown, pink, or
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
white. The inside of a tuber is white, and potatoes are often called white
potatoes to distinguish them from a vegetable called the sweet potato.
Tubers consist of several layers of material. The outer skin is called the
periderm. The next layer, the cortex, serves as a storage area for protein
and some starch. The third layer, known as the vascular ring, receives
starch from the plant's leaves and stem. The starch moves out of the
vascular ring to surrounding tissue made up of parenchyma cells. These cells
are the tuber's main storage areas for starch. The center of the tuber,
called the pith, consists mostly of water.
The part of the plant that grows aboveground has spreading stems and
coarse, dark green leaves. The potato plant grows from 3 to 4 feet (90 to
120 centimeters) tall. It has pink, purple, or white flowers that appear
three or four weeks after the plant starts to grow aboveground.
The flowers of potato plants develop seedballs that resemble small green
tomatoes. Each seedball contains about 300 yellowish seeds. Scientists use
these seeds in developing new varieties of potato plants.
The potato originated in South America. Most botanists believe the white
potato comes from a species that first grew in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. More
than 400 years ago, the Inca Indians of those countries grew potatoes in
the valleys of the Andes Mountains. From the potatoes, the Inca made a
light, floury substance called chuno. They used chuno instead of wheat in
baking bread.
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Spanish explorers in South America were the first Europeans to eat
potatoes. The Spaniards introduced them into Europe in the mid-1500's.
About the same time, English explorers brought potatoes to England. From
there, potatoes were introduced into Ireland and Scotland. They became
the principal crop of Ireland because they grew so well there. In fact, the
potato became known as the Irish potato because such a large part of the
Irish population depended on it for food.
White potatoes were probably introduced into North America in the early
1600's. However, they did not become an important food crop until after
Irish immigrants brought potatoes with them when they settled in
Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1719.
From 1845 to 1847, Ireland's potato crop failed because of late blight. Due
to this and other factors, about 1 million Irish people died of disease or
starvation. About 11/4 million others left Ireland and settled in other
countries, chiefly the United States.
During the 1900's, the development of food processing has resulted in a
tremendous use of potatoes in making such products as French fries and
potato chips. Today, processing plants use about 80 per cent of the
potatoes grown in the United States.
compiled by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - RICE
Rice is one of the world's most important food crops. More than half of the
people in the world eat this grain as the main part of their meals. Nearly all
the people who depend on rice for food live in Asia. In some Asian languages,
the same word means eat and eat rice. Most rice is eaten as boiled, white
grain.
Rice is a cereal grain. Like other cereal grains, including wheat, corn, and
oats, rice belongs to the grass family. But unlike other grains, rice grows
best in shallow water. Rice thrives in many tropical areas because of their
warm, wet climate. Farmers usually flood rice fields to supply the growing
plants with moisture and to kill weeds and other pests. China and India are
the world's leading rice-producing countries. Together, they produce more
than half of the world's yearly rice harvest.
The rice plant
Young rice plants have a bright green color. As the grain ripens, the plants
turn golden-yellow. The grain becomes fully ripe from 110 to 180 days after
planting.
Structure. The main parts of a mature rice plant are the roots, stems,
leaves, and head. A system of slender roots supports the plant's hollow
stems. Each stem has at least five or six joints from which the long, narrow
leaves grow. The head, also known as the panicle, grows from the top joint.
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The panicle holds the kernels--that is, the seeds or grains--of the rice plant.
Each panicle carries from 60 to 150 kernels.
Uses of rice
Rice appears in many processed foods, including certain breakfast cereals,
soup, baby food, snack foods, frozen foods, and flour. Breweries use broken
rice kernels to make mash, an important ingredient in beer (see BREWING
[Mashing]). In Japan, rice kernels are used to make an alcoholic drink called
sake, or rice wine.
Farmers may use rice hulls for fertilizer and add bran layers to livestock
feed. In industry, hulls are sometimes used as an ingredient in such
products as insulation, cement, and the liquid chemical furfural (see
FURFURAL). A few producers extract cooking oil from the bran. Many
people in Asia use the straw (dried stalks) from rice plants to thatch roofs
and weave sandals, hats, and baskets.
Where rice is grown
Rice grows best in areas with warm temperatures and with plentiful moisture
from rainfall or irrigation. Such favorable growing conditions occur mainly in
many tropical regions and the valleys and deltas of certain rivers. These
rivers include the Yangtze in China, the Ganges in India, and the Mekong in
Vietnam.
The chief exporters of rice include the United States, Thailand, Pakistan,
and China. The United States exports about 40 per cent of its crop each
year. California-grown rice is sent mainly to Asia. Rice from the Southern
States is sent to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
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History
No one knows exactly when or where rice originated. But it probably first
grew wild and was gathered and eaten by people in Southeast Asia thousands
of years ago. Archaeologists have found evidence that people cultivated rice
for food by about 5000 B.C. in southern China and the northern part of
Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. From there, rice spread northward in China and
to Japan and Korea; westward to India; and southward to Indonesia.
Traders and explorers carried rice from Asia to other parts of the world.
Rice cultivation had spread to Persia (now Iran) and Syria by 300 B.C.
Europeans first learned of rice from Greek soldiers who accompanied
Alexander the Great's military expedition to India in the 320's B.C. But rice
was not cultivated in Europe until the Moors of northwestern Africa
conquered Spain about A.D. 700 and brought rice with them. Rice was
brought from Spain to Italy several hundred years later and afterward
spread to southeastern Europe. Spanish explorers introduced rice to the
West Indies and South America on voyages during the 1400's, 1500's, and
1600's.
Rice reached the American Colonies during the 1600's. Colonists first grew
it commercially in South Carolina about 1685. Rice soon thrived in the
Carolinas and Georgia. After the Civil War (1861-1865), rice production
shifted westward. By 1900, farmers in Louisiana were growing about 70 per
cent of the rice in the United States. Rice became established as a crop in
California in the early 1900's.
Today, farmers in some developing countries increasingly use machines for
plowing and other work once done by hand. Computers help some farmers
plan production and control irrigation, especially in developed countries.
compiled by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - SUGAR
About 120 million short tons (110 million metric tons) of sugar are produced
worldwide every year. India leads the world in sugar production. Brazil
ranks next in world sugar production, followed by China and the United
States.
The United States produces about 71/2 million short tons (6.8 million metric
tons) of sugar a year. Florida, Hawaii, and Louisiana are major producers of
cane sugar. The Red River Valley in Minnesota and North Dakota is the
largest sugar-beet growing region in the United States.
Sugar from sugar cane. Inhabitants of South Pacific islands grew sugar cane
more than 8,000 years ago. The plants were also widely grown in ancient
India. Sugar cane is specifically mentioned in records of an expedition by
the Macedonian king Alexander the Great to what is now Pakistan in 325 B.C.
The cultivation and refining of sugar cane spread east from India to China
about 100 B.C. but did not reach Europe until about A.D. 636. In the early
1400's, Europeans planted sugar cane in northern Africa and on islands in
the Atlantic Ocean. Portuguese settlers later planted sugar cane on the
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
west coast of Africa and in Brazil. The Italian navigator Christopher
Columbus brought sugarcane cuttings to islands in the Caribbean Sea in 1493.
Sugar is a food widely used as a sweetener. People sprinkle sugar on such
foods as grapefruit and cereal to improve their taste. Some people add it to
coffee, tea, and other beverages. In addition, manufacturers include sugar
in such foods as ice cream and soft drinks.
All green plants produce sugar. But most sugar that people use comes from
sugar cane or sugar beets, which produce a sugar called sucrose. This sugar
is the one that people keep in a sugar bowl
Sugar belongs to the class of foods called carbohydrates. Carbohydrates
provide energy for plants and animals. Sugar is refined (purified) before it
is used for food. The refining process also removes vitamins and other
nutrients that are necessary for growth and health. Thus, refined sugar
serves only as a source of energy. Eating large amounts of sugar may
increase the risk of tooth decay and help cause a person to become
overweight.
Sugar cane is one of the world's main sources of sugar. Sugar cane belongs
to the grass family, Poaceae or Gramineae. Its scientific name is Saccharum
officinarum. Sugar cane is a tall grass plant that thrives in tropical and
semitropical climates. Most sugar cane is grown in regions where
temperatures generally range between 75 and 86 ºF (24 and 30 ºC) and
where rainfall is high. Sugar cane needs about 60 to 120 inches (150 to 300
centimeters) of water a year. It stores sucrose in its stalks.
compiled by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR
Name:_________________
Date:_________________
EXPERT GROUP - TEA
Tea is a beverage prepared by pouring boiling water over dry processed tea
leaves. It ranks as the most popular refreshing drink in more countries than
any other beverage.
The annual worldwide production of dried tea totals about 53/4 billion
pounds (2.6 billion kilograms). India has always played a dominant role in
world tea production. Today, India produces over 11/2 billion pounds (720
million kilograms) each year. China is the second largest producer with over
11/4 billion pounds (600 million kilograms) annually. Other tea-producing
countries include Indonesia, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
The tea plant grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The plant, an
evergreen, grows quickly at low altitudes where the air is warm. The finest
tea comes from elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (900 to 2,100 meters).
The plant grows more slowly in cool air, adding to its flavor.
The tea plant is a member of the tea family, Theaceae. It is Camellia
sinensis. Tea plants have small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Each flower
produces three seeds that look like hazelnuts.
A year following being planted, the tea plants are about 8 inches (20
centimeters) high. About 3,000 tea plants grow on 1 acre (0.4 hectare) of
land.
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Wild tea plants grow as high as 30 feet (9 meters). But a commercial tea
plant is pruned to keep it from 3 to 4 feet (91 to 120 centimeters) high. The
plant matures in three to five years and produces a flush (growth of new
shoots). Each shoot consists of several leaves and a bud. At lower altitudes,
tea plants may grow a flush every week. At higher altitudes, a plant needs
as long as two weeks to grow a flush. Tea plants produce no flushes in cold
weather.
According to legend, the use of tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong of
China about 2737 B.C. The earliest known mention of tea appeared in Chinese
literature of about A.D. 350. The custom of tea drinking spread to Japan
around A.D. 600. The first shipment of tea to Europe was made in 1610 by
Dutch traders who imported it from China and Japan. By 1650, the Dutch
were importing tea into the American Colonies.
In 1657, the beverage was sold for the first time in coffee houses in
England. Tea went on to become the national drink of Britain. In 1767,
Britain placed a tax on the tea being used by the American colonists.
Colonial resistance to the tax brought about the Boston Tea Party in 1773
and contributed to the American independence movement (see BOSTON
TEA PARTY).
The use of iced tea and tea bags began in the United States. Richard
Blechynden, an Englishman trying to increase the use of tea in the United
States, first served iced tea at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also
called the St. Louis World's Fair) in 1904. That same year, Thomas Sullivan,
a New York City coffee and tea merchant, sent his customers samples of tea
leaves in small silk bags instead of the usual tin containers.
compiled by Cindy Bradley, Earl Boyles
Project GLAD – Plants Level 5 – David Douglas School District, Portland, OR