1 Flower Garden

Flower GardenResource ID#: 51030 The students will determine which flowers are the best to plant in a flower garden. The students will receive data about the hardiness of each flower, the amount of sun and water each needs, and the number of flowers each plant will produce. Students may choose a plant that produces many flowers but may not be very hardy.

Subject(s): English Language Arts, ScienceGrade Level(s): 1Intended Audience: EducatorsSuggested Technology: Document Camera, LCD ProjectorInstructional Time: 2 Hour(s)Keywords: flowers, plantsInstructional Component Type(s): Lesson Plan,  Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) STEM LessonResource Collection: STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

LESSON CONTENT Lesson Plan Template: 

Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)

Formative AssessmentThe teacher will use the Readiness Questions and Comprehension Questions as a formative assessment.  These questions are asked after the first client letter is read by the teacher to the students. (Reading Passage 1)

Feedback to StudentsStudents will receive feedback throughout the lesson.  The teacher will introduce the lesson and the students will work in small groups to accomplish the first task.  While students are working in groups, the teacher will circulate among the groups and ask the reflective questions to each group.  The teacher will give specific feedback to each group regarding their process.

Summative Assessment

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The teacher will use the attached rubric to assess the students' learning using the second letter template..

Learning ObjectivesStudents will use a real-world scenario to solve a non-routine problem.  The students will be able to use prior knowledge, problem solving skills, and cooperative groups to create a model to explain their understanding.  Students will:

1. recall basic needs of plants 2. answer questions about the key details in text3. develop a procedure to rank flowers4. communicate their procedure and reasoning to peers5. collaborate with group to complete the MEA6. present their procedure and reasoning7. Group manipulatives (counting chips) to show repeated addition.

Prior Knowledge

o Students must know how to read the information in the data set.o Students must know the needs of plants.

Instructional Suggestions

The following steps are recommended when implementing this MEA in the classroom:

Day 1 and 2:

1. Optional: The teacher will read the book, How a Seed Grows, by Helene J. Jordan and ask students to recall the basic needs of plants. And/or read Jack’s Garden and discuss the needs of the plants in Jack’s Garden.

2. Teacher reads the first client letter to the students aloud and discusses unfamiliar words. To ensure understanding of the problem, ask the readiness/comprehension questions.

3. Present the first data set and discuss the information in the table. To ensure understanding, ask students about each heading: 

What are some of the needs and wants of plants? Sunlight needed - Ask students why is this important to know. 

(Students should say that all plants need sun.  They may add that some plants need more sunlight than others.

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Water needed - Ask students why is this important to know. (Students should say that all plants need water.  Some plants need to be watered more than other plants.)

Number of times each year the plant blooms - Ask students why is this important to know. (Students should say that will tell us how often plants will have flowers.)

Number of Flowers Per Plant - Ask students why is this important to know. (Some plants have more flowers than other plants.)

4. Before putting students in groups, allow a few minutes for students to think of ways to solve the client's problem.

5. Put students in groups of 3-4, according to their needs.  Give students 5 minutes to come up with a team name.  Have team names ready for groups unable to come up with their own.

6. In teams of three or four, students work on the problem and respond to the client with the requested deliverable, using Letter Template 1 to present their findings.

7. As students are working, the teacher circulates to each team to ask the first set of Guided/Reflective Questions and address any issues that may arise. Teachers can provide guidance using the reflective questions to help students determine the important factors and start thinking about how they can present their solution. 

Day 3

8. Students receive the client letter 2 and data set 2, and flower cost worksheet,  along with their work from part 1.

9. Teams test, evaluate, and revise their first procedure as necessary with the second data set and provide the requested deliverable, using the Letter Template 2 as specified in the second letter. 

10. Model for teams how to figure out how many of each plant can be purchased for $30. Use counting chips or flower dollars. Each group will need 30 chips of 30 Flower dollars.

11. As students are working, the teacher circulates to each team to ask the Reflective Questions 2(see Reflective Questions 2 below) and address any issues that may arise. Teachers may provide guidance using the questions to help students determine the important factors and start thinking about how they may need to change their procedure.

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As teams finish, have students use the self assessment rubric to assess their work.

12. After all of the teams have completed their second letters to the client, the teams will present their results to the rest of the class.

Guiding/reflective Questions

1. Are flowers goods or services? 2. The class has limited or scarce resources of money so they need to make choices

about flowers. 3. Which flower would be the best to plant in the garden?  4. Why do you think that?5. When you make a decision, your opportunity cost is the next best option you gave

up. Which flower was your next best option or opportunity cost?6. What are the most important things in considering your procedure? Why is this

factor most important?7. How do you know if you have an answer to the problem?8. Do you agree with your teammates' ideas?  Why or why not?

Reading Passage 1

Dear Students, Our class is planting a flower garden. We need your help in deciding which flowers to plant. Our garden is going to be in an area that gets lots of sun. We have enclosed data on 4 types of flowers. Please look at the data and make a plan to rank each flower from best to worst. In your letter to us, please include your plan and your ranking.Sincerely,

Mrs. Petunia’s Class

Readiness Questions

1. What is the problem?2. Who is the client?3. What is the client asking your team to do?4. What things do you need to include in your solution?5. Do you think there is more than one correct answer to what the client is asking? 

Why or Why not?

Reflection question 2

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1. Did you need to change your procedure to find which flower would be the best to plant?

2. If you changed your procedure, how did you change your procedure?3. Did you use more than one strategy or plan to help you determine which flower is

the best?

ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Accommodations:

Read the text of the letter to the students.For visual learners, project the text as you read it or provide a copy of the text to students to chorally read with you.Heterogeneously group students to support students who struggle with writing.

Extensions:

After completing this MEA, students could apply their learning to create their own class garden.  Students could find the area of the school, get permissions, choose the flowers and plant the garden. Using Jack’s Garden and other resources, students identify the goods and services they will require if they want to plant a garden. What tools or equipment will they need? What goods will they need?

Suggested Technology: Document Camera, LCD Projector

Further Recommendations:

http://www.schooltube.com/video/7ef63fe536015231930c/   Harry Kindergarten video about plant needs.

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Flower GardenStudent Name:     ________________________________________  CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Working with Others

Student was an engaged team member, listening to suggestions of others and working cooperatively throughout lesson.

Student was an engaged team member but had trouble listening to others and/or working cooperatively.

Student cooperated with others, but needed prompting to stay on-task.

Student did not work effectively with others.

Strategy/

Procedures

  

Typically, uses an efficient and effective strategy to solve the problem(s).

Typically, uses an effective strategy to solve the problem(s).

Sometimes uses an effective strategy to solve problems, but does not do it consistently.

Rarely uses an effective strategy to solve problems.

Explanation Explanation is detailed and clear.

Explanation is clear.

Explanation is a little difficult to understand, but includes critical components.

Explanation is difficult to understand and is missing several components OR was not included.

Considered Plant needs in Plan

Considered all of the basic needs of plants when making plan.

Considered most of the basic needs of plants when making plan.

Considered one of the basic needs of plants when making plan.

Considered no basic needs of plants when making plan.

Total points ____/16

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Dear Students,

Our class is planting a flower garden. We need your help in deciding which flowers to

plant. Our garden is going to be in an area that gets lots of sun. We have enclosed data

on 4 types of flowers. Please look at the data and make a plan to rank each flower

from best to worst. In your letter to us, please include your plan and your ranking.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Petunia’s Class

Flower Choices  

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Type of Flower

Amount of Sunlight Needed

Amount of Water Needed

Number of Times Plant

Blooms Each Year

Number of Flowers per

Plant

Zippies

 

every 3 days 2 20

Bloomers

   

every 4 days 4 10

Fuzzies

  

every 4 days 5 10

Dollups 

 

every 2 days 3 20

Dear Mrs. Petunia’s Class,

Our team, __________________, has decided the best way to rank the flowers is by:

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_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

The order that we ranked the flowers from best to worst is:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Sincerely,

______________________

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Dear Students,

Thank you for your hard work in figuring out which flowers would be the best to plant

in our garden. We were told by our principal that the most we can spend on flowering

plants is $30. I have added data to help with this problem. Please look at the new set

of data and make any changes needed to your plan so that we have a beautiful garden

full of flowers. Remember to explain your process for ordering the flowers. Thank

you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Petunia’s Class

Flower Choices  

Type of Flower

Amount of Sunlight Needed

Amount of Water

Needed

Number of Times

Plant Blooms Each

Number of Flowers per

Plant

Cost of each plant

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YearZippies

 

every 3 days 2 20 $3

Bloomers

   

every 4 days 4 10 $5

Fuzzies

  

every 4 days 5 10 $2

Dollups 

 

every 2 days 3 20 $3

 

Dear Mrs. Petunia’s Class,

Our team, __________________, has decided the best way to rank the flowers is by:

_______________________________________________

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_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Our procedure for ranking (did/ did not) change. (If it changed, explain how and why. If it did not change, explain why not).

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

The order that we ranked the flowers from best to worst is:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Sincerely,

How many of each flower can you buy with $30?

Zippies $2 each

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Bloomers $3 each

 

Fuzzies $5 each

 

Dollups $3 each

 

Total amount to spend on flowers is $30.

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