A guide for using our resources

Children will identify how different animals use flowers.

Vocabulary: nectar, petals

Science Focus: plant parts

  1. Watch a Video:
    Parts of a Plant

     

  2. Read the Issue:

    If You Give a Mouse a Flower

     

  3. Play a Game:

    Build a Plant

    Skill: vocabulary

     

  4. Complete Skill Sheets 

    Reading Checkpoint

    Skill: key details

     

    Label the Plant Parts

    Skill: digrams / plant science

     

    Color by Blends

    Skill: consonant blends

     

  5. Lesson Boosters 

  • Paired Text Suggestion: Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray

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    Phonics Focus: Consonant Blends

     

  • Hands-on Activity: Rainbow Carnation Experiment

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RL.1.1 key details; RF.1.3 decode words; RF.1.2 consonant blends; W.1.2 writing; W.1.7 participate in research; RI.1.10 read and discuss first-grade texts; SL.1.2 ask and answer questions

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text Suggestion: Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray

  • Part storybook and part reference guide, the beautifully illustrated rhyming text will have you discovering which animals greeting flowers in the forest are pollinators.

Phonics Focus: Consonant Blends

  • Write the word flower for all students to see. Underline fl in the word and have students practice making the sound. Remind students that this is a consonant blend.
  • Tell students that at least one word with a consonant blend is hiding in each box in the issue. Have students underline the blends as they find them. Do any of the boxes have more than one word with a consonant blend? Words include: flower, crawl, pretty, frogs, and broccoli.

Hands-on Activity: Rainbow Carnation Experiment

Skills: collaborating, predictions, observations, analysis

Materials: Rainbow Carnation Experiment skill sheets, white carnations, food

coloring, cups of water

  • Students experiment with a real flower to discover how plant stems work!
  • Trim the stems on the carnations diagonally. Then divide the class into small groups.
  • Give each group a set of materials: a carnation, a container of water, one color of food coloring, and the Predictions, Observations, and Analysis printables.
  • Have children color the water using 30-40 drops of coloring per cup. Place the carnation in the colored water. Students should do the Predictions printable and the top of the Observations printable. Now the kids can clean up. They will use the printables again later.
  • Have the kids check the carnations after a few hours. They flowers will have started to change color. They will be very colorful by the next day. Now kids can complete the Observations printable.
  • Discuss the questions on the Analysis printable.