Going Out on a Limb-Plant Communities of Wisconsin Central Sand Plains

Created Feb. 6, 2024 by Victoria Rydberg-Nania, Sandy Benton, Pamela Bilderback, Kristin Grooms, Michele Crispell


Grade Level: 4


Lesson author(s):

Pam Bilderback

Michele Crispell

Kristin Grooms

Sandy Benton

Instructional Materials Needed:

Wisconsin Forestree 

LEAF Curriculum

UW Extension Lesson: Six Yummy Plant Parts and Flowers, Bees and Broccoli

Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts Addressed (ELA Full Document or Literacy in All Subject Areas Full Document):

4-ELA.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

4-ELA.SL.4.1Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

4-ELA.RI.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. 
4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4-LS1-1.4.1 A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions.


Wisconsin Standards for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Standards Addressed (Full Document or searchable spreadsheet):

ELS.C1 Students develop and connect with their sense of place and well-being through observation and questioning.

ELS.EX2 Students evaluate relationships and system structures to demonstrate the interdependence of natural and cultural systems.

Evidence of Need:

Based on the KWL chart 2% of students could identify the life cycle and structures of plants grown Central Sand Plains region of Wisconsin.

Evidence of Success:

In discussion or writing, students will be able to provide rationales for garden plant selection based on what they learned about the native plants that grow in the community.

Inquiry Experience 3

Based on https://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/leaf/SiteAssets/Pages/Wisconsin-Forestree/Lesson3S.pdf

Setting and Estimated Time:  

Learning Target:

I can recognize and identify how the forest community can help us make decisions about what foods grow best in our soil.

Formative Assessment:

Writing research piece to compare and contrast the life cycle and structures of two plants we have studied.

Locations: Classroom, Circle Tree Farms, and school garden

Procedure:

page 4 from Forest Tree Lesson 3 linked above.

Discovery Education video, Plant Structures

1. Ask students, what do you know about the life cycle of plants and the structures they have?

2. Show Discovery Education video,  Plant Structures,  Discuss and create an anchor chart of plant structures.

3. UW Extension representative, Sharon Volkening-Wolfe will conduct the "Six Yummy Plant Parts" to teach students plant parts and structures.

4. Plant seeds such as carrots, beans, tomato plants, and kale.  Make sure to plant seeds of various plants to include at least one root, stem and leaf plant we eat.

5. Observe and document weekly plant growth and development. 

6. Lead students in writing comparison essays that integrate comparing and contrasting the life cycle and structures of at least two of the plants they are observing. If using Units of Study in Writing, or another instructional resource, refer to specific lessons as student formative assessment indicates as necessary.


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