Speaking With Plants

Day 1: Discovering Plant Voices

Learning Objectives

Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum Connections:

• Social Studies: Heritage and Identity – Understand the importance of relationships with the natural world, including Indigenous perspectives (Overall Expectation B1.1)
• Language: Oral Communication – Express thoughts related to plants and nature (Oral Communication: 1.1)
• Mathematics: Patterns – Sort and classify objects in the natural environment (Patterning and Algebra: 1.3)
• Health and Physical Education: Movement – Use purposeful, safe movements during outdoor activities (Overall Expectation A1.1)
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) – Develop awareness and respect for living things, patience, and mindfulness

"I Can" Statements

• I can listen carefully to stories about plants and what they might be ‘saying’.
• I can describe how plants grow and why they are important.
• I can participate in a nature walk and notice different plants.
• I can move safely and respectfully outdoors.

Success Criteria

• I listened and responded with my ideas when the story was read.
• I shared something I noticed about plants during the outdoor walk.
• I stayed safe and showed respect for plants and the land.
• I noticed patterns or similarities in the plants we saw.

Resources

• Book: Can You Hear the Plants Speak? (read aloud)
• Printed picture cards of common local plants and Indigenous plant uses
• Clipboards, paper, and crayons
• Magnifying glasses
• Soft mats or sit spots for mindfulness

Lesson Outline [50 Minutes]

1. Welcome Circle & Land Acknowledgement (5 minutes)

• Briefly introduce the Indigenous land and explain the importance of plants in Indigenous stories/ways of knowing.
• Use simple language accessible for ESL learners and repeat important vocabulary (e.g., plant, grow, listen, land).

2. Interactive Read Aloud (15 minutes)

• Read Can You Hear the Plants Speak? aloud, showing pictures as you read. Use dyslexia-friendly reading boxes with large font and clear spacing for the book pages or printouts for shared reading if available.
• Pause to ask open-ended questions: “What do you think the plant feels?” “How do plants help people?” (Inquiry focus)
• Use visuals and gestures to support ESL learners.

3. Pattern Spotting Activity (10 minutes)

• Use collected pictures or real-life plant parts (leaves, flowers) to identify patterns (e.g., leaf shapes, colours).
• Model sorting by size, colour, or shape using CLIPS: Colour, Length, In/out lines, Pattern, Size
• Invite children to group plants or parts and explain their choice. Use sentence stems like “I grouped these because…”

4. Mindfulness & Movement Break (5 minutes)

• Lead a short mindfulness moment outside: close eyes, breathe deeply, listen carefully to the sounds outdoors (“Can you hear the land speak?”).
• Simple stretch and movement inspired by plants growing and reaching to the sun.

5. Outdoor Exploration (20 minutes)

• Walk around the school grounds or local park in small groups.
• Children explore quietly, use magnifying glasses to look closely at plants.
• Encourage students to use their senses: “What do you see? Smell? Feel?”
• Teachers and assistants support ESL and dyslexic learners by prompting with simple questions and visuals.

Differentiation

• ESL: Use visuals, gestures, and repetition. Pair with bilingual peers during activities. Use key vocabulary cards with pictures.
• Dyslexic learners: Dyslexia-friendly text and read-aloud support; Allow oral responses or drawings instead of writing.
• Advanced learners: Challenge to compare 2 plants and guess which will grow taller or faster; encourage storytelling from the plants’ perspective.

Extension Activities

• Create a plant ‘talking stick’ and role-play conversations with plants in a future circle time.
• Start a class journal or class mural about what plants ‘say’ to us.

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Day 2: Listening and Learning From Plants

Learning Objectives

Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum Connections:

• Science & Technology: Understanding Life Systems – Explore growth needs of plants, materials from plants, and uses (Overall Expectation B1.1, B2.3)
• Language: Writing and Representing – Draw and label plant observations (Writing: 1.1, 1.3)
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) – Practice empathy and respect for living things and land
• Health and Phys Ed: Active Living – Participate in meaningful movement and outdoor experiences

"I Can" Statements

• I can draw and talk about plants I see around me.
• I can name ways plants help people and animals.
• I can care for plants and the land during outdoor time.
• I can be calm and listen to the sounds of nature.

Success Criteria

• I shared a drawing or a story about a plant.
• I remembered parts of plants and how they grow.
• I showed respect for plants outside by following rules.
• I used my body to move like a plant growing.

Resources

• Drawing paper and crayons
• Picture cards of plants and Indigenous plant uses (from Day 1)
• Large laminated plant parts cards (roots, stem, leaf, flower)
• Movement music or natural outdoor sounds

Lesson Outline [50 Minutes]

1. Welcome and Mindful Listening (10 minutes)

• Gather sitting outside or indoors close to nature.
• Start with mindful listening to natural sounds (“What do the plants say today?”).
• Share a brief Indigenous story related to plants and land respect.

2. Drawing and Sharing (15 minutes)

• Children draw a plant they saw yesterday or today. Provide sentence starters like “My plant has…” for children who want to write. ESL and dyslexic learners can draw and dictate stories to an adult.
• Share drawings in pairs or small groups to practice oral language.

3. Plant Parts Movement Game (10 minutes)

• Use large laminated cards to teach roots, stem, leaves, flower.
• Children move like parts of plants: “Be a root that grows down,” “Be leaves fluttering in the wind.”
• Link movements to plant growth concepts and SEL (patience, care).

4. Outdoor Exploration and Inquiry (20 minutes)

• Return outdoors with clipboards and drawing paper or “I notice” cards (simple sentence starters with images).
• Invite children to choose a plant and observe it quietly for 5 minutes.
• Ask guiding questions: “What do you see? Touch? Hear? How does the plant ‘talk’ to you?”
• Encourage respectful care of plants and land throughout.

Differentiation

• ESL: Use simple, direct instructions and visuals. Encourage paired sharing with a buddy. Provide vocabulary cards.
• Dyslexic learners: Allow oral descriptions instead of writing. Use drawing-heavy responses.
• Advanced learners: Invite them to make a simple, labelled diagram of the plant or describe its needs for growth.

Extension Activities

• Plant a small seed or cutting to observe growth over time.
• Create “thank you” notes to the plants or land in Indigenous art style (simple symbols and colours).

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Final Notes for Teachers

• Incorporate Indigenous perspectives sensitively and authentically; consider inviting a local Indigenous knowledge-keeper if possible.
• Revisit key plant vocabulary daily using pictures and actions to support all learners.
• Use a “plant listening journal” for ongoing observations and reflections linked to SEL.
• Celebrate curiosity and respect for nature throughout to foster lifelong land connection.