Rigor/Relevance
Framework
LESSON PLAN
Knowledge
Area and/or Course Horticulture
Lesson Title Plant parts and Functions
No. Periods 1 (73-minute period)
6
5
4
3
2
1
C
D
Assimilation
_______
Adaptation
_______
A
B
Acquisition
_______
Application
___ X____
1
Teacher Goal(s):
1. Students will identify and locate parts of seeds and
plants
2. Students will develop an understanding of the plant
part functions
2
3
4
Application
Objectives:
The student will be able to (TSWBT). (Oregon Skill Set numbers in parentheses at the
end of the objective statement.)
1. Explain the functions of a seed (Plant 01.02.06.a)
2. Identify the major parts of a seed (Plant 01.02.06.a)
3. Prepare soil for seed germination and discuss germination of seeds in growing medium (Plant
02.02)
4. Describe the major function of root system to support the entire plant (Plant 01.02.02.a)
5. Describe the necessary functions of trees relative to photosynthesis and pruning (Plant
01.02.03.a)
State Standards met by Objectives:
Subject
Strand
1. Plant
01.02.06.a
2. Plant
3. Plant
02.02
01.02.02.a
4. Plant
01.02.03.a
5. English
EL.HS.RE.03
Eligible Content
Explain the functions and components of seeds and
fruit
Prepare growing media for use in plant systems
Identify the components, the types and the functions
of plant roots
Identify the components and the functions of plant
terms
Make connections to text, within text, and among
texts across the subject areas.
Knowledge: 1=awareness; 2=comprehension; 3=application; 4=analysis; 5=synthesis; 6=evaluation
Application: 1=knowledge in one discipline; 2=apply knowledge in one discipline; 3=apply knowledge across disciplines; 4=apply knowledge to real-world predictable situations; 5=apply
knowledge to real-world unpredictable situations
5
Materials, Equipment, Audio-Visual
Aids:
1. Growing media
2. Plug trays
3. Seeds: tomato, basil, cilantro
References:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/td
c02.sci.life.stru.insideseed/
http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/germinat.htm
http://www.kidsgardening.com/onlinecourse/PartI5.htm
4. Tree worksheet
5. White board
http://forestry.about.com/b/2005/01/01/basic-treeanatomy.htm
Anticipatory Set/Introduction/Motivation/Interest Approach:
Review Yesterday’s Lesson:
Yesterday we discussed safety in the greenhouse. Since we are going to be working in the
greenhouse in the next couple of days I expect everyone to know their safety with 100%
accuracy. Let’s review some of the points from yesterday:
- Why is safety in Horticulture so important?
- What does it mean to be safe?
- Who’s responsibility is it to maintain safe working conditions in the greenhouse?
- What are some of the safety hazards or situations in the horticulture industry?
Set:
Since in this lesson, germination and seeds are discussed, the teacher will set up a demonstration.
The items needed are: soybeans, clean glass jar (pickle jar works), sand, and warm water. The
teacher will ask the students to get out a piece of paper and write a hypothesis for what they
believe will happen when 2/3 of the jar is filled with soybeans, 1/3 of the jar is filled with sand,
and the remaining space is filled with warm water.
By the end of the period the turgid pressure from the seeds absorption of water will cause the
glass jar to crack.
Transition (Use Objective):
Today we will be discussing seeds, germination, root systems, and plant structure relative to
pruning. Without the seeds and plant we would not have stems to be able to prune. We will be
working in the greenhouse planting seeds, and identifying the parts of those seeds.
1. Explain the functions of a seed
2. Identify the major parts of a seed
3. Prepare soil for seed germination and discuss germination of seeds in growing medium
4. Describe the major function of root system to support the entire plant
5. Describe the necessary functions of trees relative to photosynthesis and pruning
Strategy – Includes Teacher
Activity, Student Activity,
Questions/Answers and
Objectives
Subject Matter Outline/Problem and Solution (Application
Points Lace in Throughout Lesson) (Modeling, Guided
Practice, and Content)
Objective #1
Seed Functions
Students will be asked to write
down notes on seeds and
germination
A seed has several functions and advantages:
(Q) What is the function of a
seed?
2. Contains a food source to nourish the embryo until it is able
to start making its own food.
(A) Store energy for the new
plant. It is the bridge from one
plant generation to the next
3. Has a seed coat to protect the embryo and food source.
1. Contains the embryo which will grow into the new plant.
4. Can remain dormant until conditions are right for
germination and growth.
(Q) What is the embryo?
(A) The new plant
Objective #2
Seed Parts
The teacher will have the
drawing of a monocot seed
and a dicot seed.
The parts of the seeds will not
be labeled and the students
will try their best to fill in the
blank spots.
(Q) What makes monocots
different from dicots?
(A) Cotyledon
(Q) What is a cotyledon?
A seed consists of three main parts: the seed coat, the
endosperm, and the embryo. Of these parts, the embryo is
clearly the most important. Its cells will differentiate and
develop into all the different tissues that will ultimately make
up the mature plant. The other parts of the seed play merely
supporting roles. These roles, nonetheless, are critical to the
embryo's success.
(A) A leaf of a plant embryo,
being the first or one of the
first to appear from a sprouting Dicots are seeds that have two parts, such as a bean seed. A
bean seed that has soaked in water for a day or two has a soft
seed
outside covering. This is the seed coat. The seed coat would
probably slip off the seed easily. The bean seed has a slit going
The teacher will have both a
monocot and dicot example
seeds to show students the
difference between monocots
and dicots.
The easiest seeds to use are
the corn seed and the bean
seed.
If seeds are allowed to soak
the night before they will be
easier to open
down the middle of the seed. Inside is a tiny plant called an
embryo. The two large parts of the seeds are called cotyledons.
They supply the food for the young plant when it's growing.
The bean seed has two parts. Therefore, it is a dicotyledon, or
dicot for short.
The seed coat protects the internal parts of the seed during a
period called dormancy, prior to germination. Dormancy is a
protected state during which a seed "waits" for favorable
growing conditions. Indeed, the seed coats of some seeds allow
them to wait a very long time. The oldest known viable seeds
were from an East Indian lotus. They were 466 years old when
they germinated.
(Q) What is the purpose of the
seed coat?
(A) Protect the seed
Teacher will talk about each
part of a seed and label the
diagrams on the whiteboard
for students to follow in their
notes.
Objective #3
(Q) Does anyone know what
germination is?
Germination
Germination usually begins when the embryo is exposed to
water. The water swells the embryo inside, bursting the seed
coat and setting growth into motion. During the earliest phase
(A) Germination is when water of growth, when the embryo has no leaves and therefore no
“triggers” the growth and
means of photosynthesis, the endosperm serves as a food
expansion of the embryo seed. source. It serves the same function as the yolk in a bird egg,
providing high-energy food to the developing embryo.
(Q) How is seed growth
It ends once the seed has begun to sprout.
measured?
What factors affect germination?
(A) It is measured in
Temperature, Water, sunlight, time, space, etc.
millimeters.
What can increase/decrease germination?
(Q) When does germination
To Increase Germination put the seed in the correct amount of
end?
light, water, and temperature. To decrease it you can decrease
the amount of sunlight, and raise or lower the temperature or
(A) It ends once the seed has
amount of water
begun to sprout.
The steps of seed germination when planting indoors are:
Students will be asked to bring
out a piece of paper to begin
writing down ways to increase
germination and factors which
would decrease germination.
Students will be assigned to a
seed packet. They will have to
answer questions related to
reading the seed packet.
Q: What is the expiration date
on the packet?
Q: Why is there an expiration
date?
A: Because seeds will expire
and will not be as likely to
germinate
After the reading activity,
students will get a
demonstration from the
teacher on filling the seed
trays, planting their seeds, and
leaving in greenhouse.
Students will mark seedling
trays in order to record and
watch germination rates
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

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Viable seeds- Good seeds that are not hollow, and are
not so old that germination rates are poor. Some seed
can remain viable for years if stored properly. Others
normally last only a season in storage.
Soil- A good, seed starting mixture that is light and
sterilized.
Water- The soil should be moist, but not soaked.
Warmth- Here is where growers can add to their
success. The ideal seed starting temperatures vary by
type of seed. Most are between 70 to 85 degrees
Fahrenheit.
1. Plant the seeds. New gardeners have a habit of planting
seeds too deep. We recommend planting seeds a little
less than the recommended depth. You can carefully
add soil around the seedlings at a later point if needed.
2. Provide bottom warmth to the seeds. We will do this
step by placing the seeds in a warm greenhouse
3. If you are planting tomato seeds, place the seeds in a
plastic bag so that the condensations will keep the soil
moisture up.
4. Now the wait begins! The time required to germinate
may be a few days to a few weeks. Germination time
varies widely. It can usually be found on the seed
packet. For seeds with a long germination period, plant
in smaller groups over a couple of weeks. This way if
the first group does not germinate, you won't be waiting
three weeks to find out and before starting a new
planting.
Objective #4
Function of Root System
(Q) What is the function of the
root system?
The major functions of roots are: 1) anchorage in soil; 2)
storage of energy resources such as the carrot and sugar beet;
3) absorption of water and minerals from the soil; and 4)
conduction of water and minerals to and from the shoot. The
roots store the food (energy resources) of the plant. The food is
either used by the roots themselves or digested, and the
products of digestion are transported back up through the
phloem to the above-ground portions of the plant. The roots of
some plants are harvested as food for human consumption.
Plant hormones are synthesized in the meristematic regions of
the roots and transported upward in the xylem to the aerial part
of the plant to stimulate growth and development.
(A) Support the plant (Tap),
provide nutrients, food source
(Fibrous)
Students will complete their
tree worksheet which contains
information on root systems
relative to plant structure and
support
Objective #5
(Q) What is the function of the
trunk of a tree?
(A) Supports the tree
(Q) What do you think the
purpose of the breathing pores
on trees are for?
(A) So the tree or plant can
take in oxygen
(Q) What do you think
happens when fires come
through the area and smoke
surrounds the tree for a long
period of time?
(A) Kills the tree
Students are still filling in their
tree activity sheet through this
presentation and to follow
along with the teacher
(Q) What is the purpose of the
crown of the tree?
(A) Leaves bring in
photosynthesis
(Q) Where on the tree is air
brought in?
(A) Allover, especially on the
underside of leaves
Tree Functions
(Q) When we are pruning trees
which part of the plant are we
usually removing?
(A) The top of the tree or
crown
Closure/Summary/Conclusion (Tie in Objectives)
To close the lesson on seeds, trees, and germination. Students will have a discussion about what
they have learned.
1. Explain the functions of a seed beginning of new life, starts new plant
2. Identify the major parts of a seed see the pages before, cotyledon, epicotyl, etc
3. Prepare soil for seed germination and discuss germination of seeds in growing medium
4. Describe the major function of root system to support the entire plant support and nutrient
uptake for plants to be able to live, provide oxygen and water to plant
5. Describe the necessary functions of trees relative to photosynthesis and pruning leaves take in
photosynthesis and the importance of trees is to know when and where to prune trees so as not to
ruin the natural shape on accident
Evaluation: (Authentic forms of Evaluation, Quizzes, or Written Exam)
A verbal check for understanding will be facilitated by the teacher.
- What is the function of a seed?
- What is the difference between monocot and dicot seeds?
- What is germination?
- How does the root system of a tree work?
- What is the function of the crown in a tree?
Assignments: (Student Activities Involved in Lesson/Designed to Meet Objectives)
1. Daily Calendar
2. Tree Worksheet
3. Seed Packet Information Sheet
4. Monocot vs. Dicot Drawing
Lesson Reflection
The anticipatory set for this lesson, engaged the entire class about seed germination. I was
surprised by the interest in the glass jar. When the jar finally cracked close to the end of the
period, the students were able to explain to me exactly why that happened. I used the seed packet
reading activity because I wanted students to be able to understand the importance of all of the
information on those packets. Most students had trouble with a couple of the questions and as a
class we reviewed the importance of the reading the seed packet thoroughly before planting.
Students really liked going out into the greenhouse and planting seeds. I began asking students to
keep notes on the germination of their seeds. I gave student 3-4 minutes outside at the end of the
period to collect that data.