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Rachel Pelletier
Example Unit Plan
Title: Investigating Plants
Grade: 1st grade
Justification: The purpose of this lesson is to get children thinking about something they see or
encounter every day; plants. Plants are vital to life on Earth and it is something the children will
all have some slight prior knowledge about and may be intrigued to learn more. Large concepts
being explored comprise what a plant is, what it needs to grow, and how they affect our lives.
This investigation will introduce the idea of how our society works, and show them they have a
role as a citizen despite being so young. They will learn how to inquire about what they see and
hear, and how to find answers for themselves. It will give the students an insight to other topics
such as sustainability that are very controversial in our society today. Almost all families have
experience with planting gardens or crops, and purchasing these plants as well. Therefore this
unit will encourage further conversations at home, because everyone possesses some prior
knowledge or opinion on plants. In order to engage parents, I will send home brief outlines of
what we focused on that day, as well as “Questions you can ask your child”. It is important
conversations are occurring between parent and child in their home language. For emergent
bilinguals especially, these conversations will help facilitate their learning if they can make sense
of our new found knowledge in their home language. I want my students to know the value of
knowledge. I want them to always be seeking for knowledge, and expand their horizons by
investigating topics and issues further than a surface level understanding. This is why I
specifically want to expand on how they find information and scaffold them so they can do
research on their own in the future. I want my students to stay informed, and know that it is their
job as a citizen to understand the issues and advocate for what they believe is right and just. I
want my students to be eager about learning, and want to come to school every day. They should
feel like their voices are being heard and their concerns are being met. I want them to know how
to work cooperatively with others; they should be able to hear other opinions and express their
own in a constructive way. All of these aspects will benefit their future within the school system
and throughout life. I have created these lesson plans strengthen these qualities and
understandings. I believe that my students can achieve all of the goals I have set for them and
that they will set for themselves.
Questions to Explore:
Essential questions:
 Why do plants matter?
 What is sustainability?
o What can we do to help our earth and make the world more sustainable?
Specific content-focused questions:
 What is considered a plant?
 Where do plants grow?
 What are the different types of plants?
o Flowers, vegetables, trees, ferns, grasses,
o May lead into “What plants do we eat?”
o Which may lead into “Who else eats plants?”
o Which may lead into a conversation about herbivores that could potentially be a
following unit depending on the student’s interest

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 What do plants need to stay healthy/alive?
 Who benefits from plants?/How do plants affect our lives?
 What are the parts of a plant?
Objectives:
a. Physical: Within this unit, children will get to challenge both their fine and gross motor
skills. On our field trip exploring the local forest they will practice running, climbing,
crouching and potentially crawling. They also may be challenged to balance on the
natural, uneven terrain. They will use their senses to describe how plants look, feel, and
smell. They will have to work on gentle touches when investigating plants. Although it is
not included in this outline, I would like to give them plastic knives and have them
practice cutting up vegetables, and using tweezers and a magnifying glass to help see the
seeds. This would be important for their hand-eye coordination and manipulating tools
with their fingers.
b. Social Emotional: While investigating plants I will be helping students develop an idea of
their role when it comes to taking care of the environment. They will learn more about
the chain of reaction our choices have on the world, and how others, such as animals, are
affected by our choices. This may lead to more discussion about empathy. They will learn
all they are capable of, such as taking care of a plant or growing a vegetable. They will
become more independent and take more responsibility for their own learning,
specifically when we go on the field trip and they are able to investigate what they want
and write down what they see as important. They will learn how to communicate with
others about their findings and compare and contrast the observations they had with those
of their peers.
c. Content:
Academic objectives:
Overall the students will learn a variety of attributes a plant possesses;
 A plant is a living, but not moving, thing
 A plant needs water, sunlight, and soil to grow
 A plant has roots, flowers,
 Some plants are edible (such as vegetables)
 Some plants are only edible by animals
How plants influence our lifestyles and the lifestyles of other living animals
 Plants helps keep our air clean
 We need to respect plants because they do so much for us (offer food,
shelter, and air)
 Some people who work with plants include gardeners, farmers, agricultural
scientists, etc.
Curricular goals:
Math tools they will use during our investigation
 How to use a ruler to measure a plant (What an inch is)
 How to compare sizes and the language that describes these comparisons
(taller, shorter, similar, equal)
 Learning what a bar graph is and use it to compare plants (Plants that have
flowers vs. plans that don’t have flowers)
Reading comprehension

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 Writing from a different perspective (perspective of a plant)
 What a persuasive letter/paper is and how to write one (to the government
about saving our environment)
 New vocabulary words; stem, roots, leaf,
Curriculum Plan Web: (please letme know if youhave trouble readingthesepictures,youmayhave
to expandthenmove themaroundalittle)
https://www.mindomo.com/mindmap/e365009f5f144b4fbf2e2cfce23c8a70
Top and right side of web
Bottom and left side of web
Capturing and Illuminating Prior Knowledge:
We will begin by making a huge web of with sub-topics regarding what we know. We will keep
the web up throughout the unit and add information as we go along including facts and
vocabulary. If I am working with students and they bring up information in an informal way or
through play, I will tell the child that is some background knowledge they have on plants, make a
note of it and put it up on the web as well. We may also do a writing prompt early in the unit

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about plants so students can start thinking about what they already know and what they are
curious about. These prompts and pictures will be saved so we can compare our growth when the
unit is complete.
Pre-teaching and building on common experiences:
Documentation
Lesson Types of
Documentation
What student learning will this documentation
highlight?
Equipment
needed
Materials Conversation How the use vocabulary they learned in class,
how they make sense of the concepts and
major themes in our learning such as what
plants need to grow and math concepts such as
prediction, and using “more” and “less”
Recorder,
computer, or
pencil and
paper
Children’s
Literature
Annotated
work sample
On their drawings, I will be able to see their
knowledge of specific vegetables and anything
they said during discussion to show their story
comprehension
Child’s work,
notes from
observing the
child doing the
work
Field Trip Learning
photographs
I can document their investigation through
photos and take notes about as they inquire and
use the scientific method to make sense of the
forest
Camera, pen
and paper for
note taking
Technology Annotated
work sample
The children will have their own video to
document the content knowledge they learned.
However by including notes I will be able to
describe their process in making the video,
their use of teamwork with their peers,
compromise, and collaboration
The children’s
video, pen and
paper for
observations
while they are
creating the
video
Expert Reflective
Notes
This will be an overarching analysis of the
child’s learning where I can get an
understanding of where they are
developmentally, and make plans to help
further the child in the future. Their ability to
raise questions and use the information
provided will also give me insight to what they
already know, what they are interested in, and
what they need help understanding
Pen and paper
to take notes
throughout the
interview with
the expert,
observations
from previous
days
Play Anecdotal
notes
Through anecdotal notes I will be able to
document a student-created scenario and pull
out information about the child as a learner and
what the child has learned
Pencil and
paper during a
time where the
child is playing
Field Trip Learning
videos
Will show a unique learning experience and
how they choose investigate a scene that is
extremely relatable to what we are doing in
class. A video can document moments where
A camera,
possibly a
parent helper
or another

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they relate the learning in class to the real
world
teacher who is
willing to take
videos
LessonOverviews (5):
1. Materials: Sheets and fabrics in Dramatic Play
a. This is an open-ended lesson. The purpose of this lesson is to give students
materials they can use in a representative way to further their learning about
plants and support their play within this area. Cloth can be used in so many ways
so it will be interesting to see what the children come up with. There will be many
other materials in dramatic play as well. I will include fake vegetables, the
children’s artwork of plants, shovels, gardening gloves, fake trimmers, pictures of
real farms that we have visited, pictures of plants to reference, and a felt wall
where the students can place various cut out vegetables and signs accordingly. I
will ask families if they have any pictures of their own plants or gardens they
would like to lend to the classroom. I will also ask families if they have any
potted plants they would be willing to lend for our play and observations. Based
on how they use the cloth, the objectives can change. If the children fold the cloth,
use it as a blanket, or shake it out like a rug it could be involving their gross motor
skills. If the children tie the cloth around their waist or make it into a sack they are
using their fine motor skills. We will be learning all kinds of things about plants
from the parts of the plants, how they help us, and how we can protect them. For
children who are not grasping the concepts through reading or listening, this will
be very useful for them to get a better understanding of our unit. Emergent
bilinguals will be able to communicate using actions and gestures to demonstrate
what they mean if they do not feel comfortable communicating orally. It will also
help them expand their vocabulary by having pictures and the words next to them.
Based on the child’s investigation, I will inquire about their use of the cloth to
further their knowledge and thought process.
i. How might you use this cloth to represent something in a garden?
ii. A child uses it as a blanket; Do you think plants have a blanket for when it
gets cold too? I wonder what happens to them if the temperature drops out
side.
iii. A child uses it as a sack for the fake vegetables; I wonder how farmers
collect their vegetables from the fields. What would you use if you had to
pick that many vegetables?
iv. A child uses it as dirt; What do you think is in dirt that helps the plants
grow? Do the animals in the dirt do anything for the plants? Is all the dirt
you see this color? Are there different kinds of dirt? Do all plants need dirt
to grow in, or can they live in other areas too?
v. A child uses it as a hat; We have hats so we don’t get sunburn. Do you
think a plant could get burned from the sun?

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vi. A child is practicing their counting; How many vegetables do you think
we can fit on this piece of cloth? Should we find out?
2. Children’s Literature: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
a. This is a teacher-guided lesson. This story is a great introduction into the idea of a
garden and planting while leaving room for the children to do some investigating
of their own. This book may encourage the children to be empathetic and think
thoroughly about their actions and the effects of their actions. Academically the
book addresses how gardens change throughout the season as well and depicts the
steps of taking care of a garden. It also introduces the concept of wild plants and
gardens. It will be read after we have opened the plant unit topic, and have some
background knowledge about what a plant is and the different types of plants. It
takes place in a city with almost no greenery around, opening a conversation
about where we see plants and if we see enough of them. It shows how the young
boy takes care of the plants, opening up the conversation about how children can
also be gardeners and what a plant needs to survive. It introduces different
seasons to help children see what weather a plant needs to grow. There are many
intriguing aspects that the students or teacher could inquire about and drive our
discussion. I will send a link of the book home as well as a synopsis with my daily
message so parents can engage in conversations about the book as well.
Following the story we will talk about creating our own garden like Liam did.
This will include what plants we would like to see, where we would like to put it,
and how we would take care of it. Then the children will get a chance to draw a
picture and label what they have drawn, write a small description of their garden,
and give it a name. Then they will get a chance to share out their gardens. This
activity promotes creativity and allows them to use their prior knowledge to
decide what plants they want to include in their garden. It will also support their
descriptive writing and use of new vocabulary words. In order to support my
emergent bilingual students, I will have them sit close to me so they can see the
pictures well and get an understanding of the story through the illustrations. I will
make sure to reconvene with them during work time to make sure they understand
what happened in the story and what we are doing. I will also try to pick up on my
own biases, and think about culturally relevant plants to see if that helps them
relate to our activity. For example some popular vegetables used in Mexican
cuisine include tomatoes, papaya, squash, avocados, and corn. I will try to be
aware of these small cultural relevancies throughout the unit. Sharing out is a
great opportunity to practice explaining their thought process, talking so other can
hear you, and forming and answering questions from the “audience” (their peers).
Here are some of the questions I may use during the story to further the children’s
understanding;
i. What do you notice about Liam’s city?
ii. Why did the plants begin to grow?
iii. What types of plants do you see in the picture?
iv. What stopped the beautiful garden from growing?
v. What tools did he bring to help him garden?

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vi. What were the tough plants and what were the more delicate plants?
vii. How did the garden begin to spread around the city?
viii. Who came to help Liam?
ix. If you had your own garden, what would you plant?
x. A video reading of the story: https://vimeo.com/53757320
3. Field Trip: A walk in the local forest
a. This is a teacher-guided lesson with some open-ended aspects. There are many
opportunities to explore plants outside of the classroom setting. Local forests are
great resources for this exploration. It will broaden their knowledge about wild
plants that grow without humans. They will be able to compare this new
knowledge with what we have previously learned about plants grown in pots or
on farms, where the seeds are put down by gardeners. This will further their
knowledge of wild plants so they can analyze these two very different types of
planting. The terrain will encourage large motor development such as climbing,
balancing, and running and walking on uneven surfaces. They will also use their
find motor skills to exhibit careful hands when interacting with fragile plants and
taking observations on how they feel. They will have to use their judgement about
being responsible and regulate their decisions by themselves to make sure they
being safe. Each child will get a pencil and clipboard with paper for drawing
space and some lines to write down observations. To prep them for this adventure
we will talk about safety (make sure to stay in the eyesight of the teacher) and
what an observation is. In order to guide my students, I will tell them to focus on
where the plants are growing and how they are growing. I will scaffold them my
verbalizing my own observations “I wonder how this plant grew even though the
tree is blocking all it’s sunlight. How did this plant grow up the tree trunk? How
did this moss grow on the rock?” In order to support my emerging bilinguals, I
will encourage them to draw what they see and introduce vocabulary as we see fit
on our adventure. Then when we head back to the classroom I will first have
students share their ideas with a buddy. At this time I will pair emergent
bilinguals with an outgoing native English speaker so they can encourage a
conversation and introduce vocabulary. EBs may feel more comfortable talking
when it is just one-on-one conversation. Then we will discuss everything we saw
and make a web as a class, having branches such as types of plants, weather,
landscape, etc. This is a great time to show students how they can sort their ideas
and bring in more vocabulary. It also demonstrates collaborative thinking and
how we all have different observations and perspectives, and they all can help
expand our knowledge. The children will also get the chance to share and describe
the pictures they drew. In my daily letter home to parents I will encourage them to
ask their students what they observed, and go on their own investigation with their
child, whether it be to a nearby park or the backyard to their apartment building.
4. Technology: A child-created video on the importance of a sustainable lifestyle
a. This is a teacher-guided lesson with some open-ended aspects. The students will
be creating videos in groups to tell their friends, family, and community. The
purpose of this lesson is to encourage the students to research and learn about the
environmental state of our Earth. In addition this lesson encourages cooperative
group work and language/presentation skills while allowing the children to

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express their creativity. Not all children will encounter physical objectives,
however the students will think of their physical appearance. We will think about
TV newscasters and what they wear when they report. If the children are
interested and want to portray a professional style, I will have dress clothes
available such as blouses, jackets, and ties. Putting on these clothes can work both
find and gross motor skills. When working in a group they will be expanding on
their social emotional learning. If there is a disagreement they will have to
regulate their emotions and behavior to sort through the problem together. They
will have to take other’s perspectives and be empathetic, both the people in the
group and about the issues they are learning about. For example, they will have to
empathize with the farmers whose growing season is inconsistent due to the
change in temperatures. Academically they will learn how plants support our
Ozone layer and fresh air, and how our actions such as deforestation and increase
in industry are diminishing these supports. In order to learn a bit more about
sustainability, I will introduce the website, Eekoworld,
(http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html?load=plants_animals). This website is
developmentally appropriate for my students because it offers videos with
dialogue along with text for them to follow along. The concepts are made clear
and divided up into categories. I will introduce this website to the class and show
them how they can navigate to different pages. I will also encourage them to
pause the videos so they can copy any vocabulary they find important or write
down notes they want to use in their video. This website is great for emergent
bilinguals because it offers information through visuals, text, and orally. For this
lesson the children will get in groups of three or four and be given an iPad with
the iMovie. I will run through basic tools of iMovie (communicating technology).
I will show them how to record a video clip of each other, how to delete a video
clip if they do not like it or want to redo it, and how to add additional clips. I am
not looking for them to include additional tools like transitions or pictures because
this may be their first time taking a video. They will be in charge of deciding who
will say what, and pull out information that they find important and inspirational
so others can live sustainable lives. It encourages EBs to practice their oral
language without the stress of doing so face to face. They can rehearse and
rerecord their clip if they want to. When everyone is complete we will show the
videos to the rest of the class. Depending on the thoughts of the students, this will
most likely be used as part of our final accumulation because it encourages
activism and supports a large portion of our learning targets, the essential
questions of “Why do plants matter?” and “What is sustainability?”.
5. Expert: An interview with a gardener from the local botanical gardens
a. This will primarily be led by the students but the teacher will do some scaffolding
before the expert comes so the children have a better sense of what questions to
ask and how to form them. Therefore part of this lesson is teacher-guided. I will
ask parents if they have any knowledge about plants or know someone who
knows a lot about planting to try and find an expert. The purpose of this lesson is
to teach students how to form a question and get a unique perspective to enhance
their knowledge on plants. This interview could be done in the middle of the unit
so the students are able to use prior knowledge to ask questions and then further

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their investigations based on what the expert has introduced. I would want the
expert to focus on how he or she plants all of the plants (may go into how some
plants are annuals and others are perennials) and how they take care of the plants
(watering system, where to plant plants that need some shade vs. all sunlight). I
may stop the expert at some point to encourage active engagement. On our
smartboard we could create a layout of our own “botanical garden”. Then as the
children come up with plants they want to include, the expert could help us sort
them in the garden, and let us know if that plant needs a lot of water or sunlight to
help determine a schedule of watering and where we should have trees for shade.
This activity will be extremely important for EBs because the interview may be
more difficult to follow. By offering this visual along with vocabulary, they will
get a better understanding for words they may not hear often like “shade”. After
the expert leaves and during our debrief, I will offer visuals to new vocabulary
that was introduced to help scaffold these students as well. In order to apply our
knowledge from the expert, we will add the gardens we created in our literature
lesson and see if we want to sort the plants differently, add trees or some type of
object for some shade, and add notes about how much to water the plants. We
could also write thank you notes to the expert and include some of the information
we took notes on to show all the students learned from him/her. We will have a
discussion after the expert leaves and share out new information they learned and
what they found was interesting and important. We will add some of this
information to our ongoing knowledge web during this discussion. After the
interview is complete I expect the students to know what a botanical garden is and
what a gardener does. They will be able to show their knowledge about what
specific plants need in regards to shade and water. They will use new vocabulary
such as perennials correctly in future discussions about planting. The students will
show the gardener respect by listening intently and not interrupting. They will
show their appreciation by thanking the gardener for taking the time to meet with
us. They will show patience by waiting their turn to ask a question.
Lesson Plan One: Play (Sensory Table)

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Overview: As my class begins our unit project about plants, I have decided to include soil in the
sensory table. I will include shovels, fake flowers and seeds, small pots, and small watering cans
for them to use as tools in the soil. They will get to play in this area during free choice time and
science time. There will only be enough room for four children at a time, so if it becomes a
problem, I will help them figure out a way so that all students get a chance to play in the area.
Sensory tables are often seen in preschools and some kindergartens. However I believe six and
seven year-olds also greatly benefit from and enjoy this type of play. They love working with
their hands and it offers learning opportunities you cannot simply lecture about (such as how to
pot a growing flower by supporting it with the soil).
Play
Rationale
The soil sensory table will give the children a chance to practice planting and make up
scenarios that revolve around our theme. They can take when they have learned and make
sense of it through play by themselves and with their friends. They will be working on hand-
eye coordination when potting and shoveling. They will learn how to share a space and tools,
and how to control their bodies and strength so soil does not end up on the ground. They will
get to apply all we are learning about such as planting a seed or flower and pretending to
water it. Sustainability is an important topic we encounter every day and is something these
children are capable of understanding. Instead of preaching my own opinions on the topic,
they will get to learn about it for themselves and I will aide their learning depending on the
direction they seem most interested in. However planting, whether you believe in global
warming or not, is a tool we can all use in the future and an important life skill.
What do
you know
about your
students?
The children have always enjoyed working in the sensory table. Previously the have seen dry
rice and noodles. They enjoyed scoping it all into piles and taking large handfuls and letting
it fall through their fingers. Some children have had difficulty keeping the containments
inside the sensory table. We will have to discuss the importance of keeping that area neat so
everyone can enjoy it. I will try to incorporate some of the students’ funds of knowledge by
making the plants relevant. For example, if many children know what a carrot is and looks
like, I may choose to bring in a fake carrot for the table and see if any child knows how they
grow in a garden, along with some unknown plants. I will also listen during discussion if any
children have gardens at home and try to include those plants as well.
Differentiation based on what you know about your learners

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I will challenge my students by encouraging
them to incorporate newly acquired skills
and concepts into their play. For example, if
I see a student planting a seed, I will ask
them to describe what they are doing and
why. Then I may ask them how are they
going to take care of that seed, what will that
seed grow into, what will that plant do for
people, animals, and our earth.
Emergent Bilinguals: I believe this is a great
way for emergent bilinguals to practice their
conversational speech while introducing
new academic speech in a low-stakes
environment. They will also be able to have
developed interactions with their peers
without having to say too much if they are
not comfortable with their oral language.
This will be a great time for me to see how
they are forming relationships with others in
the classroom, as well as seeing if they
know anything about planting if they have
not expressed it yet.
I anticipate that cooperation with others will
be an issue that arises at the sensory table.
Four children will be able to work at the table
at a time, and the problems will vary
depending if they are all collaborating or
working independently. The students will
have to share the materials, respect the dirt
(not throwing it around, handling it in a
careful, intentional matter) and possibly
compromise ideas if they are planting a
garden together. In order to scaffold these
children, I will model different methods to
help the deal with issues such as;
“Maybe we can assign each person a job to do
to help our garden”
If they are still struggling with this idea I may
add, “one person can be in charge of digging
the hole, another person can plant the seed,
another can cover it, and the last person can
water the garden”
If they are having trouble sharing I would say
something like, “It seems like you really want
the shovel but a friend is using it right now.
When you took it out of his hand, he seemed
very hurt. Maybe you could ask to use it after
he is done and pretend your hand is a shovel
while you wait”
Standard(s)
MMSD SEL Standards
 Students will recognize and label a variety of emotions and describe how they
physically respond to them.
 Students will engage in meaningful learning through attempting, repeating,
experimenting, refining and elaborating on experiences and activities.
 Students will participate in cooperative play with peers.
 Students will identify how others are feeling based on facial expressions and body
language.
Content
Objectives
Physical: Students will be able to use their large and fine motor skills to dig a hole and plant
a seed.
Social Emotional: Student will be able to talk through problems with peers, control their
emotions are seek help when they are frustrated or sad, compromise when working with
others, respect other people’s work (language that shows support such as “I like the way
you…” or actions that show respect such as allowing space for a friend to plant, and offering
a friend a shovel when they are all done using it)
Academic: Students will be able to demonstrate to me how to plant a seed by following a
procedure similar to digging a hole, putting one seed in, covering it up with dirt, and
watering it. They will also incorporate new vocabulary in their play correctly such as seed,

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shovel, stem, leaf, flowers, and buds/budding.
Play
Assessment
I will know students have grasped the idea of planting a garden when I see that they can line
up the seeds in a row, dig a whole, cover the seed up, and water the seed. I will also know the
sensory table was a success if students are interested, using it regularly, and is enjoyed by
most of the children in the class. I will know this play center is successful if children desire
to plant a real garden and if they show further interest in the planting process in other lessons.
Lesson Procedure – Open-Ended Exploration
Materials In order to create this table I will need a large sensory table, top soil, small shovels, fake flowers,
fake seeds (real ones may mold), small pots, small rakes, and small watering cans
Time Learning Task Rationale
This
depends on
the child’s
interest, it
could vary
from 2
minutes to
20 minutes.
Type of Play: Sensory Play
Environment:
Around the sensory table I will have photos of real gardens,
diagrams of plants, as well as pictures of the tools I provided and
their names. I will also have a whiteboard and dry erase markers
so the students can write any information they find important,
draw a diagram of what they planted, create signs to “sell” their
plants, practice writing the new vocabulary words, write a “how
to” for planting seeds, or whatever their minds can come up
with.
Hook:
“Many of my friends have been investigating how to create a
garden. Some of my friends have told me they have helped their
parents plant their own garden at home! I thought it would be
fun to practice planting our own garden here in the classroom so
we can think about what goes into making a garden”
Purpose:
“Many of you have shown interest in starting your own gardens
at home. If you plan to do this, we must learn the proper way to
plant the seeds and take care of them. We also learned how
important farmers and gardeners are to our world, and in order to
fully appreciate them, we have to think about all the work they
to. Can you imagine planting in a field that is 100,000 times
bigger than our sensory table?!
Procedure:
“I want to share with you a few of the tools I included in the
Environment: This will
encourage the children to
think about larger farms or
gardens and form play
scenarios around them. It will
also encourage them to
practice their writing skills
and document their learning
Purpose: This sensory table
makes sense for our unit, but I
want the children to know it
was because of them that I
decided to include it
Procedure: I want the students
to be aware of what they will

13. Pelletier13
table. Does anyone know what this is? (continue this procedure
of explaining each tool and scaffold them by saying “I wonder
what you could use it for” here a few ideas and then continue
without confirming one idea so the students can still try to figure
it out for themselves) You guys seem pretty excited to get to
work in the sensory table however there are a few things to keep
in mind. We don’t have a lot of dirt, so we have to try very hard
to make sure it all stays in the sensory table. In order to give
everyone enough space, there will only be four people allowed
in the table at a time. Be aware if you have been at the table a
long time and friends are waiting to play in there. I do not want
to set a time limit because I know you guys are smart caring
enough to give others a turn when you have been at the table a
while. I am excited to see what you guys come up with!”
FOR EXPLORATION:
Expectations:
My expectations were also listed in the procedure
 keep the dirt in the table
 monitor time
 four kids at a time
 share the materials
I will communicate these prior to opening the table and address
them again during morning or closing meeting if there are
reoccurring issues. If the children need a constant reminder I will
write out these expectations and post them at the sensory table.
Directions Play Might Go… (at least 3):
1. The students may pretend to be worms in the dirt. I could
scaffold this by asking “I wonder if the worms do
anything for the plants. Maybe they eat the plants or hurt
the plants. Do you guys know? How could we find that
out?”
2. Some children may be “grossed out” by playing in the
dirt. If this happens I could bring in gardening gloves so
they still benefit from the table
3. Dirt may be accumulating on the ground by accident. I
could provide a dust pan and broom and talk with the
children about checking their space before leaving the
table. If they see dirt, they can grab the dust pan and put
the dirt back in the table.
Teacher Role (for each of the 3):
1. Scaffolding the children’s scenarios so they can think
more deeply about a specific aspect of dirt. For example
if a child is planting a seed in a hole, I may ask “I wonder
see in the table and get them
thinking about the tools
provided. By explaining these
and the expectations of the
table, it prevents possible
chaos of everyone rushing to
the table right away
Expectations: I believe these
are reasonable expectations in
order for the children to stay
safe, respect our classroom,
and respect our friends. I will
also leave space for children
to offer any rules they feel are
necessary after they have had
some time at the table
Directions of play: Kids are
extremely creative and I
would never want to restrict
their play. However by
scaffolding them to think in
the direction of plants, they
still own that idea while
adding new information to our
unit. I accommodate students
because this is a valuable
learning experience that
shouldn’t be restricted if they
are “grossed out”. I encourage
the students to take
responsibility for their own
actions and help keep our
classroom clean without
punishing them because
accidents happen.
Teacher role: Through this
play students can go in a
number of directions. This is
there time to make sense of

14. Pelletier14
Lesson Plan Two: Field Trip (Local Organic Farm)
Field Trip Site: We are going to a local organic farm, Vitruvian Farms, located in McFarland,
WI right outside of Madison http://www.vitruvianfarms.com/concept
Site Justification:
 Curricular connections: The students are learning about the physical attributes of plants,
how to take care of them, and the planting process which can all be addressed on this
farm. This farm trip may also introduce a new concept/vocabulary word “organic” and
the benefit/importance of buying locally
 Hands on investigation: The children will get to walk around the farm, feel the plants if
they desire, then pick their own vegetables at the end of the trip
why you have to put the seed in the whole instead of
leaving it on top of the dirt. Why do you think?”
2. Ask questions about why they choose to use that tool and
how might it change if they needed to do that task on a
big farm. “I see you are raking the dirt. Can you imagine
if you had to rake the dirt on the big farm like this one
(point to a nearby picture of a 100 acre farm). How do
you think they rake all of that land?”
3. Observe the conversations going on in the table,
introduce vocabulary where it seems fit, and work off the
information they seem interested in in later lessons. For
example, if the children are asking each other “Why is
the dirt on the playground so hard but this dirt is so
soft?” I may bring that up during group discussion,
introduce some different types of dirt, and encourage
children to do further research during exploration time.
Perhaps we will collect dirt samples on our walk in the
local forest and compare the two. We may bring in new
vocabulary for the names of the different soils (silt soil
vs. sandy soil).
Closing:
“I have enjoyed seeing everyone plant their seeds and create
beautiful garden plans. You guys have learned so much about
why it is important for a seed to be given room from other seeds,
and why we put the seed inches beneath the dirt. What else did
you guys learn? (Room for discussion). I hope you can share this
information at home if you ever decide to start a garden or plant
something in a pot. Some of you have talked about how farmers
can possibly plant this many seeds on a field. Well, I thought
you might be interested in seeing just how they do that. (Next
week) we will go on a trip to a local farm and talk to the farmers
about how they plant their crops.”
what we have been talking
about, but also form new
inquiries to add to our
investigation. They are still
learning how to research and
investigate so it is my job to
model inquisitive self-talk and
work off of what the children
seem interested in. This is
also my time to see where the
children are at and how they
are applying the material we
have been thinking about. I
can learn whether or not my
methods are effective, and
adjust accordingly.
Closing: I have stated what I
have seen, and what the
children can do with all of the
information they learned. It is
important for the students to
reflect on their learning as
well, so they can see how far
they have come and how
capable they are. I have also
created a transition into a
future lesson and another way
to think about planting.

15. Pelletier15
 Concrete objects: They will observe concrete objects such as tools, greenhouses, plants,
chickens, and vegetable washers and dryers. They will get to see how some machinery
works and take part in some of the picking process. They will see the contrast from a
plant that is ready to be picked and from a plant that needs to grow a little more
 Experts: The three farmers will be available for questions at the end of the tour. Each
farmer specializes in a different aspect of farming (business, agriculture, and engineering)
but they all work together to get the job done.
 Artifacts: The children will get to bring home or eat on the spot a vegetable they pick
(lettuce, cucumber, or a carrot). I do not see any of these artifacts lasting in our
classroom, but I will be taking pictures and videos to represent our learning that I can
display in the classroom to reference in the future.
Standards:
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.A
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one
at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.C
Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas,
thoughts, and feelings.
Pre-visit Activities with Students:
 I will inform the parents of the trip and ask if anyone would like to come along
o I will send home information regarding proper attire for the students (casual, can
get dirty, tennis shoes)
o I will send home an itinerary of what the student will be doing and how the field
trip facilitates their learning
o I will send home a link and small paragraph about what Vitruvian Farms is
o I will send home questions the can ask their child before and after the field trip
 I will preteach this lesson by giving some history of the farm and the layout.
o Aspects of farming: Mechanics (such as the greenhouses, the mixers, the
washers), Growing (planting seasons, crop rotations), and the selling (Who do
they sell to, when do they sell, how does that change in the winter)
 I will talk about who we are meeting with
o Three men, friends, began business out of school
o Graduates of Madison
o All bring something to the table (business expert, engineering expert, agricultural
expert)
 I will discuss what we will be doing
o Tour of farm land, green houses, and the chicken coop
o Tour of the barn where they wash their vegetables
o Chance to practice planting and picking vegetables

16. Pelletier16
o Interviewing one of the farmers
 I will discuss my expectations for the trip
o We will bring our clipboards, paper, and pencils. We will also bring the questions
we have considered in class. You are welcome to think of more questions while
we are there
o Respect the land. Do not step on the plants, do not touch the tools, and do not
climb on machinery
o Do not pick any food unless you are authorized to
o Wear clothes that can get dirty and that are comfortable (That allow you to pick a
vegetable in), preferably tennis shoes
Day of Field Trip/Fieldwork:
 I will group the students randomly with one other person. This makes sense for the bus
trip and then makes role call easier if I ask the students to “find their buddy”. Depending
on the number of chaperones we have I may assign groups of children to one chaperone
for role call purposes as well. We will all be staying together so they students should not
need further groupings than this.
 I will inform my chaperones of the expectations I have shared with the students
previously,
 The students will decide what information they feel is important to their investigation.
They will do this throughout the field trip. This could include
o Sketching the plot of land,
o Drawing and labeling pictures of plants, tools, or structures
o Taking notes on the planting process
o Taking notes on the types of tools used
o Taking notes on the picking process
o Taking notes on the sales/delivery process
Back at School
 When we return to school we will have time on the carpet to share what we learned and
the sketches and drawings we created. We will talk about what we enjoyed about the field
trip and possibly what we didn’t like. We will also compare our planting in the sensory
table to how they plant on the farm. I will document the students’ responses on the smart
board to refer back too.
 The children will create an advertisement explaining why grocers and restaurants should
buy their greens from Vitruvian Farms or they can make an advertisement to buy locally,
or buy organic
Lesson Procedure – Teacher-Guided
Materials The children will be able to use their notes. I will provide various colors of construction paper,
markers, paints, glitter, crayons, and stencils.

17. Pelletier17
Time Learning Task Rationale
How many
minutes will
each part
take?
Environment: I will have the discussion notes from our carpet
time after we came back from the board. The children can use
these notes to as guiding tools for what they thought was good
about the farm. I will also pull up my photos from the trip on my
computer if the students want to reference them to draw a
particular part of the farm. If they want more information to
include the computers and iPads will also be available to use
Hook:
“One aspect we have not talked much about is how many farms
and gardens are indeed businesses. They must sell their plants to
make a living. If you were one of the owners of Vitruvian
Farms, what would you tell them to get them to buy your
vegetables?”
Purpose:
“There are advertisements all around us. We see them on buses,
in commercials, on street benches, on the internet, and in the
newspaper. That is how businesses get people to buy their
product. They have to get people interested in what they are
selling. Farmers have to do the same thing. What are some
important, positive aspects you saw today that would encourage
people to buy from Vitruvian Farms? What would you say to
encourage people to buy organically or from a local farm?
Procedure:
“Let’s think about advertisements. Maybe you saw an
advertisement for food or for a toy. What made you want to buy
that product? Was it because a popular figure was presenting it?
Did it look fun or delicious? Was there a catchy rhyme that goes
with it? If I sang “McDonalds!” do you know the response?”
“If I were making an advertisement, I think I would put a picture
of the large greenhouse (I do it). That will show people that they
can supply food all year round. Then I might add some sentences
or bullet points about why their greens are better than other
farms. Do you guys have any ideas? (They do not use any
harmful chemicals, They check on all of their produce every day,
They wash and dry their vegetables thoroughly, food is fresh
because it is grown locally; less travel time)(We do it). I might
finish it off with a catchy phrase, a rhyme, or alliteration. How
about “By from Vitruvian Farms, You won’t be alarmed” I will
then model a simple but incomplete poster to give the children
an idea of what they could do. I will reiterate that they can
choose to make an advertisement for the particular farm, for any
local farm, or for any organic foods.
Children may be
overwhelmed with the task. By
providing these concrete
resources it will help them
organize their thoughts so
they can have a starting point
for their advertisement.
Students have probably not
looked at this aspect of
farming before this field trip.
This will give them time to
reflect on trips to the grocery
store or the farmers market.
All children have seen
advertisements in one place
or another. This project gets
them thinking about
persuasive information,
forming concise points, and
thinking about the benefits of
organic and locally grown
food.
I am introducing the idea of
ads with a well-known
advertisement. After this I
create my own to give the
children time to think about
what they want to do, and see
an example of how they may
choose to arrange their
thoughts. Some students will
not need an example while
others may have trouble
coming up with an
advertisement layout on their
own. I do not want to limit
their creativity by having
them copy me, so I will not

18. Pelletier18
Representation of Learning
After the students seem satisfied with their new knowledge and prior to the topic becoming too
exhausted, we will conclude the unit with a final project. First we will debrief and bring out our
“ongoing project baskets” to see all the children have done throughout the unit. We will look all
the evidence of learning from their notes and sketches to the class’s ongoing web. Then as a class
we will discuss who we want to share this information with. For this particular unit, we are going
to say the students want to share the information with their friends and family through a take
home book. Together we will come up with overarching topics from our investigation and try to
organize our book into chapters or topic pages. Some of the ideas could be
i. What is a plant (living thing, parts of the plant)
ii. How do we take care of plants (How should they be planted, sun, some plants may need
some shade, water, some plants may need less water, soil, different types of soil and what
is good for many plants)
iii. Where can we finds plants (wild plants vs. gardens vs. farms)
iv. How do plants help us (gives us oxygen, provides food, shade, shelter)
After I am finished, I will ask the students to think about which
option they want to do. When they are ready they can come up
and let me know, and then gather supplies and work on their
own advertisement (You do it independently).
While they are working I will be circling to hear what they
children are planning and why they think that is an effective way
to advertise. If children are struggling to come up with ideas I
may ask them “What was your favorite part about visiting the
farm? Did any of the vegetables look particularly beautiful or
delicious to you?” I may encourage further thinking for some
children by asking “How do you think that farm helps the
environment?”
In order to scaffold emergent bilinguals, I will check to see if
they understand the purpose of an advertisement. I will ask them
to think about what they want to advertise. Depending on their
oral ability and writing ability, they may need further
scaffolding when writing their ideas down. Because the purpose
of this project is to identify positive qualities about local organic
farms, I will give them the choice if they only want to draw a
picture and orally communicate their points, or if they prefer
writing it. If they are nervous about both, I could write their
ideas down for them.
Closing:
We will all get the chance to present our work in front of the rest
of the class and get feedback from our peers. The advertisements
will be hung in the hallway to encourage others to think about
eating local, organically grown greens.
finish my advertisement, but
simply get the main ideas
down.
I do not want the students to
stress over what to write or
draw. I want them to reflect
on their time at the farm. In
order to help those who are
overwhelmed, I will have
them stop and tell me what
their experience was like. For
those who are capable of
thinking at a deeper level, I
will encourage them to think
about the sustainability aspect
of the farm.
Closing: I want the children
to get a chance to share their
ideas with others and have
pride in their work. I also
encourage other students to
comment on the piece to get
them thinking about what they
see and hear, and how to form
a response to a presentation.

19. Pelletier19
v. What can we do to be more sustainable and help plants in return (reduce, reuse, recycle)
vi. Vocabulary (seed, living, soil, roots, organic, sustainable, etc)
We will have the books in the classroom for peers to look at and then the children will be able to
take them home to share with others.
Then I would consider another topic that has emerged from this investigation, such as
animals that eat plants (herbivores), how a business works, global warming, or leading a healthy
lifestyle. Hopefully my students could help me narrow down those possibilities. I would reflect
on how the unit went, what I liked and what I could change for next time.
We are done for the semester! I am so excited I almost wet my plants!

20. Pelletier20
Works Cited
Bredekamp, S. (2011). Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation.
Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson.
 I considered the children’s developmental levels and scaffolded them so they could
expand their academic, social, and emotional learning.
Chung, S., & Walsh D. J. (2000). Unpacking child-centeredness: A history of meanings. Journal
of Curriculum Studies.
 I followed the key aspects of the progressive period on child-centeredness that focuses on
the child directing their own activities.
Derman-Sparks, L., Edwards (2010). Anti-bias curriculum for Young Children & Ourselves.
Washington, D.C: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
 I have included the use of students’ funds of knowledge and included various vegetables
that are culturally relevant to all students.
Denton, P (2009). Open ended questions: Stretching children’s academic and social learning.
Responsive Classroom.
 I used encouraging language and created a space where the children and I were equals.
We were all learning and supporting each other. By allowing time for all students to
speak and share their ideas, they feel respected and gain confidence in their abilities
Edwards, C. P., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. E. (1998). The hundred languages of children: The
Reggio Emilia approach--advanced reflections. Greenwich, Conn: Ablex Pub. Corp.
 I included representatives from our community, used pictures from the community, and
brought the children out into the community so students could relate to these topics on a
personal level
Goldstein, L. (2016). Using developmentally appropriate practices to teach the Common Core:
Grades preK-3. New York, NY: Routledge.
 I used Goldstein’s guiding words by focusing on literary standards while inspiring
inquiry in a developmentally appropriate way for their age, individually, and culturally.
Helm, J. H., & Katz, L. G. (2010). Young investigators: The project approach in the early years.
New York: Teachers College Press.
 I selected my field trip site thinking about the criteria offered such as; safety,
investigation opportunities, concrete objects, experts, and artifacts
Hynes-Berry, M. (2012). Don't leave the story in the book: Using literature to guide inquiry in
early childhood classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.
 I expanded on a rich story, encouraged the children to take on the perspective of the town
and the young boy, and demonstrated how one can inquire about a text by modeling my
thought process.
Jones, E., & Reynolds, G. (2011). The play's the thing: Teachers' roles in children's play. New
York: Teachers College Press.

21. Pelletier21
 I considered the type of play my first graders are taking on at their developmental stage
(Investigation: serous players, concrete operational, rational thinkers, enjoy hands on
experiences) and evaluated my lessons to ensure they met this developmental level
Whaley, Carrie, (2007). Emergent, Integrated Curriculum: Meeting Standards in Meaningful
Ways. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 35(2):3-10.
 Whaley explains the importance of the children taking part in meaningful projects and
how investigation teaches children not only about the topic but about brainstorming,
comparing, tallying, communicating, labeling, describing, and data collecting
Wolfe, J. 2002. Learning from the past: Historical voices in early childhood education. 2nd ed.
Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada: Piney Branch Press.
 As advised from Montessori and Froebel, I included natural materials as well and open
ended materials in my play lesson plans.