Tops & Bottoms

Designed by: Tonia Griffin      School: A. C. Moore Elem.

Grade Level: One      Subject: Science

Core Curriculum Objective(s): Classify edible plant parts as seeds, roots, etc. (State Standard)

Overview: The teacher will read story Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens. The teacher and students will discuss story and plants in story. The students will classify edible parts of the plants in the story as roots, seeds, stems, or leaves using real vegetables. For an assessment the students will sort the vegetables and place them into the correct category for edible parts roots, seeds, stems, or leaves.

Focus/Essential Question(s):

What part of plants do we eat?

What part of a carrot, radish, or beet do we eat?

What part of broccoli, lettuce, or celery do we eat?

What part of corn do we eat?

Time Frame: One 45 minute lesson.

Resources/Materials

Book Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens.

The following vegetables carrots, radishes, beets, broccoli, lettuce, celery, and ears of corn. Try to get carrots, radishes, and beets with leaves. You will need enough vegetables for students to work in groups of 3 or 4.

Paper pre-labeled with roots, seeds, stems, and leaves for each student. The labels should be separated by lines.

1 larger piece of paper pre-labeled with roots, seeds, stems, and leaves for each group.

Pencils and box of crayons for each student.

Assessment: Teacher will check students individual paper to see if students have correctly classified the edible parts of vegetables given them. Rubric: + Students correctly classify the 7 plants edible parts under the correct category, either roots, seeds, stems, or leaves.

^ Students correctly classify 5 out of 7 plants edible parts under the correct category, either roots, seeds, stems, or leaves.

* Students correctly classify 4 or less of the 7 plants edible parts under the correct category, either roots, seeds, stems, or leaves.

Instructional Activities:

1. Teacher will begin by telling students that today we are going to continue studying about plants. Teacher will briefly discuss with students what part of plants do they think we can eat.

2. Teacher will read book Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens. Teacher will ask students about vegetables in story. What part of the plant do we eat? Is it the root, seed, stem, or leaves?

3. After finishing the story the teacher will review with students the different parts of the plants that were edible in the story. Teacher will discuss with students that some vegetables have more than one edible part.

4. Teacher will group students in groups of 3 or 4. Teacher will instruct students that they are going to classify the vegetables from the story by the parts that are edible. Teacher will explain that classify means to sort and put in correct place. Then she will give each student their pre-labeled paper and each group their pre-labeled paper and vegetables.

5. Teacher will show students each vegetable and ask what part do we eat of this vegetable. Then the teacher will instruct students to work together to sort vegetables they have under the correct category. Students will be reminded that some vegetables may go under more than one category.

6. Teacher will instruct students that when their group has finished sorting and placing vegetables under correct category, they are to take their individual papers and draw a picture of the vegetables under the correct category.

7. If a child finishes early they can draw a picture of a vegetable that was not in the story under the category on their paper. They may also choose a book and read quietly.

8. After everyone is finished the teacher will have students discuss their findings and which vegetables went under roots, stems, seeds, or leaves, and did any of them go under more than one category.

9. Teacher will take up vegetables and student's individual papers to assess.