Kindergarten
First Grade
STEM Day Lesson Plans May 3, 2017
Standard: S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals.
8:30-9:00 Prime student’s background knowledge about trees by reading aloud an informational book of your choice. You may also choose to project a variety of Google images of trees on an interactive whiteboard and discuss the needs for each one. (I will have a PowerPoint created for you) The students will also watch a BrainPop jr video on plants. (There are many)
9:00-9:20 Hold a class discussion, allowing students to share what they already know about trees and what questions they have about how trees survive and protect themselves. Record their ideas on an anchor chart and have the students record their idea in their individual booklets.
9:20-9:25 Restroom Break
9:25-9:55 Introduce permitted materials and share the challenge. Allow students to share ideas for how the materials work and might fit together in different ways to create the roots and branches for a tree. Have students plan their tree on paper. Make sure that each child is ready for the next phase of the lesson.
9:55-10:40 Allow students at least 45 minutes to create and test a variety of designs, as well as record them in their STEM journals. (You may want to have the students work individually, with a partner, or in a group)
10:40-11:20 Lunch
11:20-11:30 Restroom
11:30-12:00 Hold a whole class closing discussion and reflection, allowing students to share what they created and what they learned about trees and their roots. Record their ideas on an anchor chart and allow them to finish their individual booklets.
12:00-12:30 The students will go outside and they will investigate real plants. The students will draw a diagram of a real tree and record their observations of its roots.
STEM Day Lesson Plans May 3, 2017
Standard: S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals.
- Identifies the basic needs of plants.
- Identifies the parts of plants.
Challenge Description: Students will design a model of a tree using straws for the “roots” and pipe cleaners for the “branches”. They will discover that the straw “roots” give the tree strength and stability to allow it to grow bigger and survive. The straws also symbolize that the roots need to “drink” water and nutrients from the soil in order for the tree to survive.
Materials: informational books about trees or plants, plastic cups filled with dirt, straws, pipe cleaners
8:30-9:00 Prime student’s background knowledge about trees by reading aloud an informational book of your choice. You may also choose to project a variety of Google images of trees on an interactive whiteboard and discuss the needs for each one. (I will have a PowerPoint created for you) The students will also watch a BrainPop jr video on plants. (There are many)
9:00-9:20 Hold a class discussion, allowing students to share what they already know about trees and what questions they have about how trees survive and protect themselves. Record their ideas on an anchor chart and have the students record their idea in their individual booklets.
9:20-9:25 Restroom Break
9:25-9:55 Introduce permitted materials and share the challenge. Allow students to share ideas for how the materials work and might fit together in different ways to create the roots and branches for a tree. Have students plan their tree on paper. Make sure that each child is ready for the next phase of the lesson.
9:55-10:40 Allow students at least 45 minutes to create and test a variety of designs, as well as record them in their STEM journals. (You may want to have the students work individually, with a partner, or in a group)
10:40-11:20 Lunch
11:20-11:30 Restroom
11:30-12:00 Hold a whole class closing discussion and reflection, allowing students to share what they created and what they learned about trees and their roots. Record their ideas on an anchor chart and allow them to finish their individual booklets.
12:00-12:30 The students will go outside and they will investigate real plants. The students will draw a diagram of a real tree and record their observations of its roots.
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade