This unit plan is for a science unit on plants integrated with language arts for a first grade class. The unit will cover the needs of plants, plant variety, and the plant life cycle over 3 weeks. It outlines the essential question as "What do plants need to grow and live?", lists relevant NCSCOS science and language arts goals and objectives, provides a detailed content outline of topics to be covered, defines key vocabulary, and describes a pre/posttest to assess student learning.

1. Integrated Instructional Unit of Study:Science integrated with Language Arts ELEM 4525

3. What is your unit (topic)? Exactly what you will teach about?

4. How do I choose a topic for my unit? Consult your clinical teacher Get a unit topic to teach during Senior 2 Example: I am assigned to first grade. My teacher would like me to do a unit on PLANTS. MY TOPIC:PLANTS

5. After you have a topic… With your clinical teacher Decide how in-depth you want to study the topic. Decide how much time you want to spend on the unit.

6. THEN… Gather your on-hand resources. Check your library for additional resources and ideas.

7. (continued) With the gathered resources in front of you, lay out a plan of what you will cover and projects you want to do. Begin your unit study with enthusiasm. End your unit with something exciting (a party, a presentation, field trip).

8. (con’t) Check out local field trip possibilities. Plan hands-on activities that relate to your topic (cooking, experiments, crafts, etc.). Search the internet for online resources, games and virtual field trips.

10. What is the main question you want students to be able to answer?

11. What is being taught?

12. Why are you studying this topic? Be sure this question helps relate the topic to their everyday lives.

13. (continued) Ask yourself: What should the children know when you have concluded your unit? Consider your identified goal(s) and objective(s)… DEVELOP YOUR ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: Examples: 1. What do plants need to grow and live? 2. Can some plants survive with little water or sun?

14. IntegrateSCIENCE Unit with Language Arts

15. Consult your clinical teacher and NCSCOS for appropriate goal(s) and objective(s)…for science for grade level Example: COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations and make observations to build an understanding of the needs of living organisms. Objectives 1.01 Investigate the needs of a variety of different plants: Air…Water…Light…Space. Science

16. Example: Language Arts (integration) Competency Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings).

18. Example: Paragraph 1 and 2 Who are you teaching unit to and what is the environment? This unit of study on plants will be taught to Mrs. Jones’ class at ALPHA Elementary School in the Spring 2006. My plans are to teach it during my all days for Senior 2. It will be taught over a three-week period to approximately 20 first graders. Why should students be involved in study? First grade students need to develop an understanding of the important role of plants to human life and of the needs of plants in order to grow and thrive. This is important since plants are necessary for food, production of oxygen and support of human and animal life. Plants represent common experiences in the daily lives of most children. It is also important for students to understand the needs of agriculture and supporting the ecosystem.

19. Paragraph 3-Be sure to include science and language arts goals and objectives How related to NCSCOS? Science and Language Arts This unit will address the following NCSCOS COMPETENCY GOALS and OBJECTIVES for first grade in science: SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations and make observations to build an understanding of the needs of living organisms. Objective 1.01 Investigate the needs of a variety of different plants: Air, Water, Light, and Space. This unit will include a series of inquiry based lessons relating to the growth of and the life cycle of plants. Students will learn what it takes to make plants grow.

20. continued This unit will also address English Language Arts competency goals and objectives for first grade as follows: LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. Objective 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). . Objective 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings). Language arts objectives will be met through development of related vocabulary as well as journaling activities. This will be done by providing continual opportunities to develop appropriate vocabulary and create journal entries regarding observations of plant growth.

21. Rationale (example) This unit of study on plants will be taught to Mrs. Jones’ class at ALPHA Elementary School in the Spring 2006. My plans are to teach it during my all days for Senior 2. It will be taught over a three-week period to first graders. First grade students need to develop an understanding of the important role of plants to human life and of the needs of plants in order to grow and thrive. This is important since plants are necessary for food, production of oxygen and support of human and animal life. Plants represent common experiences in the daily lives of most children. It is also important for students to understand the needs of agriculture and supporting the ecosystem. Significant language arts objectives will be met through development of related vocabulary as well as journaling activities. This unit will address the following NCSCOS COMPETENCY GOALS and OBJECTIVES for first grade in science: SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations and make observations to build an understanding of the needs of living organisms. Objective 1.01 Investigate the needs of a variety of different plants: Air. Water. Light. and Space This unit will include a series of inquiry based lessons relating to the growth of and the life cycle of plants. Students will learn what it takes to make plants grow. This unit will also address English Language Arts competency goals and objectives for first grade as follows: LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. Objective 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). . Objective 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings). Language arts objectives will be met through development of related vocabulary as well as journaling activities. This will be done by providing continual opportunities to develop appropriate vocabulary and create journal entries regarding observations of plant growth.

23. NCSCOS-First Grade Science goals and objectives SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations and make observations to build an understanding of the needs of living organisms. Objective 1.01 Investigate the needs of a variety of different plants: Air. Water. Light. and. Space

24. NCSCOS-First GradeLanguage Arts goals and objectives LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. Objective 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). . Objective 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings).

25. Example: Science and language arts goals and objectives-First Grade Unit on Plants SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations and make observations to build an understanding of the needs of living organisms. Objective 1.01 Investigate the needs of a variety of different plants: Air. Water. Light. and Space LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. Objective 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). . Objective 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings).

27. Standard Outline Format I. The main ideas take Roman numerals. A. Sub-points under each main idea take capital letters and are indented. 1. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take italic numbers and are further indented.

28. continued I. MAIN IDEAA. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to IB. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I 1. Subsidiary idea to B 2. Subsidiary idea to B a. Subsidiary idea to 2 b. Subsidiary idea to 2 II. MAIN IDEA A. Subsidiary or supporting idea to II B. Subsidiary idea to II C. Subsidiary idea to II III. MAIN IDEA It is up to you to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately describe the subject. However, if there is a I in the outline, there has to be a II; if there is an A, there has to be a B; if there is a 1, there has to be a 2, and so forth.

29. Content Outline (example) I. Plants are living things. II. Plants have requirements in order to live and thrive. A. Plants need water B. Plants need light C. Plants need air D. Plants need space III. Plant variety A. Some plants can live on little water 1. Shrubs 2. Evergreens B. Some plants can live on little sun 1. Mushrooms 2. Lettuce IV. Plants have a life cycle. A. Plants grow from seeds B. Seeds germinate C. Plants grow and flower D. Plants die when the cycle is complete.

31. Vocabulary list Life Cycle: the history of a plant from its beginning as a seed, through its growth and flowering period ending with its death Seed: The small unit from which a plant grows Germination: The process by which a seed opens and a plant grows when the seed is exposed to water Flower: …and so on.

33. PRETEST/POSTTEST Example: Collect data using pictures and oral directions from the teacher which can be converted to scores… Plants Name:_________ Date: _________ Directions: I will read the directions orally to the students. 1. Look at the pictures on the front of your paper. Draw a circle around the pictures which shows something plants need to grow.” 2. Look at the pictures on the back of your paper. Circle the one which shows how a plant begins its life cycle.”