| Plants and Animals COURSE MATRIX |
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SYNOPSIS |
SCIENCE
CONTENT |
THINKING
PROCESSES |
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1. |
GRASS AND GRAIN SEEDS
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Students plant miniature lawns
with rye grass and alfalfa. They
mow the lawns and observe the
response of grass and alfalfa to
cutting. They plant individual
wheat seeds in clear straws and
observe how seeds germinate and
grow. They read about and view a
video on how plants grow. |
• Seeds are alive.
• Seeds need water and light to grow
into new plants.
• Some plants die and some plants
continue to grow after they are
mowed.
• Plants have different structures that
function in growth and survival.
• Wheat and other cereals that we eat
come from seeds called grains. |
• Observe plant development.
• Record and communicate
observations in words and drawings.
• Compare the development of
different kinds of plants.
• Compare the development of wheat
shoots and roots using a bar graph.
• Organize representations of lawns
to show the sequence of events
during growth and mowing. |
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2. |
STEMS |
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Students make new plants from stems
of houseplants. They put sections
of stems into water and look for
evidence that a new plant is forming.
Stem pieces that develop roots are
planted to make new plants. Students
plant pieces of potatoes (modified
stems) and observe them grow. They
learn about how plants make food.
Students read about seed dispersal. |
• New plants can grow from stems of
mature plants.
• Plants need water and light to grow.
• Leaves, twigs, and roots
develop on stems at the nodes.
• Potatoes are underground stems.
• Seeds have structures to help them
travel to new locations to grow.
• Plants make their own food, using
sunlight. |
• Observe the development of roots
on stems.
• Record and communicate
observations in words and
drawings.
• Compare the development of
cuttings from different plants.
• Identify evidence that a cutting will
develop into a new plant. |
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3. |
TERRARIUMS |
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Students set up terrariums using
seeds and plants from Investigations
1 and 2. They add local animals
such as snails, isopods, and worms
and provide for the needs of the
plants and animals. They learna
about other animals and plants
through readings and multimedia. |
• A terrarium is a place where plants
and animals live in soil.
• A habitat is a place where plants
and animals live. There are many
different kinds of habitats.
• Plants and animals have structures
and animals have behaviors that
help them live in their habitat.
• Changes in a terrarium happen over
time and can be recorded. |
• Observe plant development and
animal behavior in a habitat.
• Record and communicate
observations in words and drawings.
• Compare the development of
different kinds of plants and
behaviors of animals when living
together in a habitat.
• Organize and compare maps of a
terrarium to show the sequence of
changes over time. |
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4. |
BULBS AND ROOTS |
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Students plant onion bulbs or garlic
cloves in moist cotton and observe
as they develop into new plants.
They plant parts of roots—carrots and
radishes—to discover which parts will
develop into new plants. Through a
reading, they learn about the shape
and functions of different kinds of
teeth, and use their own teeth to eat
a carrot. |
• Bulbs are alive.
• Bulbs need water to start growing.
• Parts of roots will grow into new
plants. Other parts will not.
• Animals eat plants.
• Animal teeth come in different
shapes and sizes and are used to
capture and eat different kinds of food. |
• Observe the growth of roots and
bulbs.
• Record and communicate
observations in words and
drawings.
• Compare the development of
different parts of plants.
• Compare the shape and size of
animal teeth to the food they eat.
• Observe and compare human teeth. |
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page 3
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