Teaching About Plants

Teaching about Plants in Primary Grades

Hey y'all! Our plant unit is in full swing and we are loving it! We're using these two little flip books to help organize our thinking and the kids are flipping out over them. 

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First, we pulled apart a plant. I grabbed some weeds from my yard or you can get some cheep annuals.

The kids analyze the plants with their magnifying glasses and drew each part in their flip books.

Then, I brought in different vegetables and we taste-tested the different parts of plants we eat. This is ALWAYS a favorite activity.

I usually use sunflower seeds for the first page, but there are other seeds you could use. For flower, I use broccoli or cauliflower. For leaves, I usually get spinach, but lettuce or kale works, too. Celery is an easy stem, and carrots are good for roots. Of course, you can always choose to introduce your students to other plants as well.

After we taste each one, we draw it in our book and color in if we like it or not. I always have one student who is super dramatic when they don't like something so I leave the trashcan in the middle of the room in case anyone just HAS to spit out one of the tasters. ;) You can grab your own copy of these books here.

I also like to read a few books to go along with these activities. Tops and Bottoms is a great book to talk about where plants grow and which ones grow above the ground and which grow below--a great intro into root vegetables.

I also like to read Joanna Gaines's new book We Are the Gardeners. It's a great introduction to our plant unit and how gardens grow.

My students loved both of these books and I know yours will, too! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you gained some new ideas for your next plant unit. Stay tuned for more great resources coming soon and be sure to follow me on TPT for some new ideas, updates, and resources. I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon!

Stay cozy,