Exploring Plant Parts

Accessing Prior Knowledge Due to the nature of this activity, there is not a digitized page for students to submit their answers online.

Description In this activity, students choose a response about the parts of a plant and how those parts support the plant.

Materials Printed Material 1 Parts of Plants (per student or class)

Preparation You may choose to either print out the Parts of Plants for each student or project the page on the board. Procedure and Facilitation Points Instruct students to read or listen to each student response and decide which student they agree with the most. Put students in groups or pairs, and have them justify why they agree with the student they chose. Give students time to share their justifications. Allow students to come back together as a whole group, explain their decisions, and explain why the others are not right. Options Arrange the students into groups. Assign each group one part of a plant. Give students 5 minutes to draw their part of the plant and discuss how it supports the plant. Have each group share their paper. Post the papers in the shape of the plant when they are finished. Preconceptions These preconceptions can be addressed as students move through the scope and do not need to be clarified at this point. Be sure to keep the preconceptions uncovered during this APK in mind as you move through the scope.

Students may be able to name the parts of the plant but may not understand the function of each part. Leaves, stems, flowers, and roots all have specific functions that all help the plant make its own food and survive.

Students may not think that certain things are considered plants or are parts of plants. Plants are organisms that make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Trees, grasses, and shrubs are plants. All fruits and vegetables either are plants themselves or a part of a plant. For example, celery is a stem of a plant, pumpkins are a fruit of a plant that holds the seeds, cabbage is the leaves of a plant, and carrots are the roots of a plant.

Students may have a difficult time grasping why the same plant part looks so different on different plants. The leaves on a cactus look much different than the leaves on an oak tree. Each plant part has a specific purpose, even though it looks different from what we commonly see.

Students often think water is taken into the plant through the leaves. Roots anchor the plant into the ground. Water enters a plant through its roots. Groundwater travels from the roots, through the stem, and to the leaves.

Overview

This 25-minute lesson engages 1st grade students in understanding the parts of plants and how each part supports the plant’s survival. By interacting with peer responses, drawing, group discussions, and sharing, students deepen their knowledge aligned with Common Core State Standards in Science and Literacy.

Common Core Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with peers about grade 1 topics and texts.
NGSS 1-LS1-1: Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. (Next Generation Science Standards aligned with Common Core literacy)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

Identify the four main parts of a plant: roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
Explain how each part helps the plant survive and grow.
Collaborate and justify their reasoning through conversation and drawing activities.
Demonstrate understanding by participating in group sharing and discussion.

Materials

Printed "Parts of Plants" worksheet (one per student or group)
Whiteboard/projector for displaying the worksheet
Crayons or colored pencils
Large chart paper or butcher paper to create a plant diagram on the wall
Markers

Lesson Procedure

1. Engaging Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Project or distribute the “Parts of Plants” worksheet with short student responses describing the functions of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
Read aloud each response with the class.
In pairs or small groups (2-3 students), ask students to discuss which student’s explanation they agree with most and why.
Encourage them to use full sentences, e.g., “I agree with ___ because…”

Facilitation Tip: Circulate and listen for misconceptions mentioned in the instructions. For example, some may say water enters through leaves. Take note for closing discussion.

2. Group Justification and Sharing (7 minutes)

Invite groups to share which student they agreed with and their reasoning with the entire class.
Prompt other groups to explain if they disagreed and why.
Guide the conversation to highlight correct understanding of plant parts and their functions.
Reinforce how roots absorb water, stems transport nutrients, leaves make food via photosynthesis, and flowers help the plant reproduce.

3. Assigning Plant Parts for Drawing (8 minutes)

Divide students into four groups; assign each group a specific plant part (roots, stems, leaves, flowers).
Each group draws their assigned part on large paper and writes one or two sentences describing how that part supports the plant.
Encourage creativity (e.g., different leaf shapes, colorful flowers).
Circulate to assist with spelling and ideas.

4. Sharing and Plant Assembly (5 minutes)

Groups present their drawings and explanations to the class.
As each group presents, place their drawing on a large wall poster shaped like a plant, assembling it as the class watches—roots at the bottom, stems connecting, leaves on stems, flowers at the top.
Review the full plant as a class, summarizing the function of each part.

Assessment and Reflection

Formative assessment through observation of group discussions and sharing.
Informally check for understanding by asking questions like: “What part of the plant takes water from the soil?” or “Why do leaves look different on various plants?”
Encourage students to use evidence from their drawings and discussions.
Collect drawings and note student explanations to tailor follow-up lessons.

Differentiation & Extensions

For learners who need support: Provide sentence starters during group discussions, e.g., “The roots help the plant by…”
For advanced learners: Challenge them to think about unusual plant parts (like cactus spines or fruit) and share how those parts help.
Home connection: Send a simple drawing prompt for students to identify and label plant parts at home using a flower or vegetable they see.

Teacher Notes

Be attentive during discussions for the misconceptions identified such as mixing up plant part functions or misunderstanding plant types like fruits and vegetables.
Use this lesson to build a foundation for future inquiry into plant growth, photosynthesis, and ecosystems.
Reinforce oral language skills alongside scientific understanding through structured turns in conversation.

This lesson plan uses multimodal learning activities — listening, speaking, drawing, and collaboration — designed to engage first graders and anchor foundational science concepts in an age-appropriate and standards-aligned way.

Teaching Instructions