Knowledge and Skills Statement
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.
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.