Science Unit Plan
** This lesson was made during science methods course and implemented in the field
placement I was in. The colors highlighted are revision to show growth and reflection.
Unit Title: Seed Dispersal and Pollination
Unit Driving Question: How do seeds move from one place to another?
Unit Puzzling/Anchoring Phenomenon: Process of Seed Dispersal
NGSS PE’s:
2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing
seeds or pollinating plants.
Potential Student Ideas: Planting in a garden, seeds grown from people planting, etc.
Lesson Modifications for students: Have individuals copies of the images and then have the image pulled up digitally.
Key for color codes:
Deleted ideas.
Revised ideas from professor feedback.
LESSON ONE: ENGAGE
Lesson Question Phenomena Instructional Sequence Student Sheets Materials
How do plants Seed dispersal Engage: Sticky notes
grow in unusual Ask students if they had seeds, and where and writing
places? they would plant them- students will each tools for
write their response on a sticky note. Then, students.
students will place their sticky notes on our
whiteboard. We will read all students'
answers to give every student a voice. Have
a conversation with students on why they
might choose their locations. Then show the
students an image of a tree growing out of a
sidewalk crack.
Questions
Have you ever seen a plant in an
unusual spot?
Where have been some unusual
spots where you have seen plants
grow?
What do you think happens when
seeds get put into unusual spots?
How do you think this tree got
there?
How did the seed get to the crack in
the sidewalk?
What happened to the seed that got
into the sidewalk's cracks?
Do you think this sidewalk would be
a good spot for a plant to grow? Why
or why not?
Lets take a look at this image:
Have students individually look at
the image and write down 1 notice
and 1 wonder on a sticky note.
Have students turn and talk about
what they noticed.
Come together as a whole group and
have all students come up and put
their notice sticky note on one side
of the board and their wonder sticky
notes on the other side of the board.
Go through and read them out loud
together as a class and sort them
based on similarities/duplicates.
Introduce the phenomena of seeds
dispersal and how might plants grow
in unusual places.
Experience: Modeling sheet: This is a Pre-made (T-chart)
Ask students to look at our picture of the back and front modeling sheet for students’
plant that grew in the crack of the sidewalk sheet for students on the labeled models ( 1st
again. front to draw their own half of paper, (initial
Have students look back to their initial model. The back is thinking))
image. for our class model. Writing tool
Ask students to draw a labeled Color pencils
model of initial thinking to show how or crayons
they think the plant that is growing
in the sidewalk might have come to
where it grew. Seed that grew, got
there.
Explain + Argue: Modeling sheet: This is a Pre-made (T-chart)
Ask students to come together and back and front modeling sheet for students’
share all findings and make a class sheet for students on the labeled model ( 2nd
model. We will draw a whole class front to draw their own half of paper, (whole
model on anchor chart paper and initial model. The back is class model)
include all students' ideas. Have for our class model.
students copy onto the second half Whiteboard
of the T-chart on the paper, for the Markers
class model. Discuss as we go the Sticky Notes
symbols, we are using to create Anchor chart
model and talk about the importance paper for
of a key. DQB.
Have a conversation about the
model and compare student’s
individual models. Show all models
have valued information. Find
similarities and differences and have
students write down their thinking.
Introducing the DQB (Driving
Question Board), explain to students
that we will be investigating this
topic more. Share with them the
driving question: How do seeds
move from one place to another?
Present the question “What do you
wonder about how the seed got
placed here?” Have them use their
thinking notes Have students use the
models, driving question and come
up with wonderings and write them
on a sticky note. Then ask students
to add these questions to our DQB.
LESSON TWO: EXPERIENCE
Lesson Question Phenomena Instructional Sequence Student Sheets Materials
Engage:
Experience:
Explain + Argue:
Revisit what we have gathered from
our experience, that data chart, and
the driving question board as a
whole group to wrap up this lesson.
LESSON THREE: EXPLAIN + ARGUE
Lesson Question Phenomena Instructional Sequence Student Sheets Materials
How do seeds Seed dispersal Engage: Data table Whitebo
move from one Open the lesson by sharing the unit anchor chart ard and
place to another? driving question “ How do seeds Models markers
move from one place to another?”
Revisit what we have gathered from
our previous lesson, that data chart.
Ask students what they notice about
the data we collected. What is
similar? What is something that is
repeated in all 4 investigations? Is
there something that we gathered
that might be good to add to our
models? Introduce the term pattern.
Why are patterns important?
Experience: Data chart Student
Let’s use a resource to check on Student and writing
some of these patterns we might class models tool
have noticed. Colored
pencils or
Read book: Seeds Move! by Robin crayons
Page. (Book marked a few pages that Seeds
relate to the investigation and data Move
we collected so I can ask students as Book
we read if they notice anything,
using this to build dialogue and
thinking to help get us to the next
step)
Ask students to take what we have
found, what we have read and talked
about and do some revising to their
individual models. Remind students
about using details, reference back
to the key and add to it.
Guide the students in their revisions
after reading the book. Some
students initially said that the seed
only got in the crack from a human
and there was not any other possible
way. After reading the book we can
ask students if they have different
ideas on how the seed got there. We
will let them know that they can
change their initial ideas after
reading the book.
Have class come back together and
pull up whole class model. Have
students share what they added to
their models and see if others had
similar revisions. Have student tell
how to add this to the class model.
Revise key to model as well together
as a class.
Explain + Argue: Copy for each Whitebo
Introduce CER to students, model an student: ard and
example of how to use this. Example: markers
I wear a jacket outside because the in various
temperature is low, I shiver due to colors
the low temperature. I will write this Sticky
on the board and color code it the Models notes
explanation of each letter of CER. Data chart Writing
tool
Talk through this as a class and
create the CER together, have
students share out claim, then
evidence and then reasoning. Write
this on the board in the colors that
match the modeling done above.
Examples:
A seed move from one place to
another because animals eat the
seeds and digest them. Then when
they poop them out, they are in a
new location.
Seed move from one place to
another because people take seeds
from food and plant them in their
garden now they have more food.
Seeds move from one place to
another because the wind knocks
them or blows them from their plant,
they are lightweight, so the wind
carries them easily and far.
Have students each take a post it
notes and write a new question they
may be wondering now that they
have answered the driving question.
Have students stick them to
whiteboard.
Lesson Question Phenomena Instructional Sequence Student Sheets Materials
Engage:
Experience:
Explain + Argue:
Lesson Question Phenomena Instructional Sequence Student Sheets Materials
Engage:
Experience:
Explain + Argue:
