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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms have structures and undergo processes that help them interact and survive within their environments.

Give each student a unique plant to draw in their notebooks. Have the students label the plant's structures on the left side of the drawing. On the right side, have students explain the function of each structure and how the plant uses it to meet its needs. Once complete, have students pair up and compare their plants' structures. Regardless of the plant the student is working with, they should indicate that the roots help the plant get water and minerals; the stems help move food, water, and waste through the plant; the leaves help the plant make food; and the flowers, fruits, and seeds help the plant reproduce.
 

requirements for life, such as air, water, food, protection, and space

the circumstances, objects, or conditions that surround an organism including abiotic (climate and soil) and biotic (living organisms) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival

the product of a ripe ovary of a plant, containing seeds, sometimes edible by humans

an individual form of life; a body made up of organs, organelles, or other parts that work together to carry on the various processes of life

a classification of organisms whose cells are eukaryotic (have a nucleus and organelles), have a cell wall, and which uses chlorophyll to make their own food through photosynthesis from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide

a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result; a continuing natural or biological activity or function

something arranged in a definite pattern of organization; the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body; the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other

Research

Ashbrook, Peggy. “The Early Years: Discovering Through Deconstruction.” Science and Children 53, no. 9 (2016): 22–23. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24721771. 

Summary: Deconstructing objects can help young students to understand how they work and the functions of their parts. In this article, students can start exploring plants in their area and examine their different parts and how they use them. Teachers can connect to how the human body uses its parts to function, similar to plant parts (humans using arms to climb a ladder). As students use their senses to explore and describe the plants, teachers should ask students what they think each part might do. Students can draw and explain their findings.