Botany Unit

 

This unit is ©Copyright 2004 by Cindy Downes. All rights reserved. Permission is given to homeschooling parents to use these units free of charge in their own homeschool only. These units may not be reprinted in any other form, for any other purpose (commercial or otherwise) without permission from Cindy Downes. Contact her at contact@oklahomahomeschool.com.

This unit is based on The Checklist and is designed to be completed in 18 weeks, completing two, 1 - 2 hour lessons per week; however, you can customize it to any length, depending upon how much material you cover and how long you take to cover it. It is appropriate for students in K-6th grade with supervision. Read over General Directions for Cindy's Unit Studies for information on how to teach the unit.

Index:

Book Recommendations:

1. (IWTHL) I Wonder Why Trees Have Leaves by Andrew Charman. Kingfisher. 1997. 32 pgs. ISBN 0753450941. Read aloud for K-6+

2. The World of Plants God's Design for Life by Debbie Lawrence. Information for parents and activities for all ages with supervision. ISBN 0972536507.

3. (SWLAP) Scienceworks for Kids: Learning About Plants . EMC 868, ISBN 1557997721. Reproducible worksheets for K-1+

4. (SWP) Scienceworks For Kids: Plants. EMC 858. ISBN 1557996873. Reproducible worksheets for 1-4+

5. (HOMOP) Hands On Minds On Science: Plants. TCM 625. Hands-on activities for the Kinesthetic Learner. ISBN 1557346259. K-6 with supervision.

6. (C&LP) Color & Learn Plants, EP 215. For children who like to color. ISBN 1564722155. (K-6)

7. Forms for Report Writing , EMC 288. Easy-to-use forms for simple reports. Excellent for child who has trouble with handwriting. ISBN 155799286X.(2-6)

8. Easy File Folder Reports, EMC 6001. Easy-to-use forms for reports. Excellent for child who has trouble with handwriting. ISBN 1557999635. (2-6)

9. Considering God's Creation Extra Student Book by Mortimer and Smith. Teacher’s manual optional. Worksheets. (2-6)

10.Take it to Your Seat Science Centers Grades 1-2, EMC 5002. Color activities that you cut and laminate. Great for Kinesthetic and Visual Learner. ISBN 1557999619. (K-4)

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I. What is a Plant? & Plant Classification (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1 IWTHL Pg. 4: What is a Plant? Where do Plants Grow?
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 5: Are plants really alive?
  • 3. IWTHL Pg. 21: Which are the oldest plants? (algae, mosses, ferns, 350 million years?)
  • 4. Read page 11, World of Plants, Carl Linnaeus, Father of Taxonomy.
  • 5. The Plant Kingdom : A Guide to Plant Classification and Biodiversity by Theresa Greenaway. Explains what life forms make up the plant kingdom, what characteristics they have in common, and how they are unique. 48 pgs, color. (2000) Check your library.

B. Videos Recommendations

  • 1. Tell me Why. Flowers, Plants and Trees. Penguin Productions. (Presents and answers questions about flowers, plants, and trees such as: What is a weed? What is a seed? What products come from trees? How do flowers grow? What is wood?) Check your library or rent.

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. SWLAP Pg. 5 - 8, Plants are Living Things.
  • 2. SWP Pg. 6 - 11, A plant is a living thing.
  • 3. World of Plants, Lesson 1, Is it Alive?
  • 4. World of Plants, Lesson 2, What is a Kingdom?
  • 5. World of Plants, Lesson 3, Classification System.
  • 6. Make a plant classification poster. Enlarge the free Plants chart (pdf document). Cut out pictures of various plants and paste them under the correct classification. (4-8)
  • 7. Create a plant terminology dictionary from terms encountered in this unit or from the list in the Botany portion of The Checklist.
  • 8. Make a flower collage. Cut pictures of flowers from a flower catalog. Have him sort by color and count. Paste on poster board. (PreK-1+)

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II. God’s Purpose for Plants or Practical Uses for Plants (2 weeks)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. From Wheat to Bread by Stacy Taus-Bolstad. 24 pgs, color, An introduction to the process of making bread, from the time the farmer plants wheat to the time someone eats a slice of toast. ISBN 0822506734. (2003).
  • 2. Read The Little Red Hen for fun. ISBN 0899193498.
  • 3. The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt. One of my favorite children's stories with a message! ISBN 0745917437.
  • 4. From Plant to Blue Jeans: A Photo Essay by Arthur John L'Hommedieu. Describes the process of making blue jeans from the harvesting of cotton through the weaving of cloth and sewing the finished product. ISBN 0516203665. PreK-6
  • 5. IWTHL Pg. 28: Which are the tastiest plants? (spices) Why do carrot plants grow carrots? (food for plant!)
  • 6. IWTHL Pg. 29: Do people ever eat grass? (wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats, rye)
  • 7. IWTHL Pg. 31 What are plants good for today? (food , oxygen, paper, clothes, medicine, perfumes, fuels, etc)
  • 8. IWTHL Pg. 30: What are 300 million year old plants good for? (pressed into coal?)
  • 9. America's Famous and Historic Trees by Jeffrey G. Meyer. Meyer tells the stories of seventeen historic trees, describes their role in America's history, and tell how their seeds were collected and their offspring propagated. 7th+ ISBN
  • 10. A Question of Yams: A Missionary Story Based on True Events by Gloria Repp. 3rd+
  • 11. Amazing World of Plants by Elizabeth Marcus (Answers questions about the different kinds of plants, their growth and reproduction, and the ways they are beneficial to mankind). ISBN 0893759686. Out of print. Buy used. 3rd+
  • 12. Plants and People by Sally Morgan. Plant uses. 32 pgs, color. (2002) ISBN 1931983135.

B. Videos Recommendations

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. SWLAP Pg. 78 - 80, Animals and people need plants.
  • 2. SWP Pg. 68 - 73, People need plants for food and oxygen.
  • 3. SWP Pg. 68 - 73, People need plants for food and oxygen.
  • 4. Take it to Your Seat, We Eat Plants, pgs. 117 - 128. (K-4th)
  • 5. HOMOP pgs 47 - 48, Grow, Gobble, Gulp (food chain)
  • 6. HOMOP pgs 49 - 50, Take Five (plant uses)
  • 7. HOMOP pgs 51 - 52, Breathing Buddies (human dependence on plants)
  • 8. HOMOP pgs 53 - 54, We’ve Got you Covered (clothing)
  • 9. HOMOP pgs 55 - 57, Time to Dye
  • 10. HOMOP pgs 58 - 59, Beauty and Pleasure
  • 11. HOMOP pgs 60- 61, Recycling Life
  • 12. HOMOP pgs 62 - 63, Sweet Treats (kelp)
  • 13. C&LP page 13, Helpful Plants
  • 14. C&LP page 14, Food Plants
  • 15. Go on a scavenger hunt for things made from plants. Make a list under each category: Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, and Bulbs/tubers.
  • 16. Create a large chart on banner paper with six columns, one for each part of the plant. Have students glue or draw pictures of plant parts we eat in each column. Discuss which parts are eaten the most and least.
  • 17. Cook recipes from plants.
  • 18. God Created the Plants & Trees by Earl Snellenberger. Coloring and stickers. ISBN 0890511500. PreK-4+

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III. Life Cycle of Plants & Reproduction (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

B. Videos Recommendations

  • 1. Plants: Green, Growing, Giving Life (1991) Presents an overview of plant life, covering photosynthesis, plant reproduction, plant characteristics and more. Featuring live-action footage and animated graphics, the program explores the different parts of a plant and the role each part plays in the plants survival. Library or rental.

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. World of Plants, Lesson 19, Pollination
  • 2. World of Plants, Lesson 27, Reproduction without Seeds
  • 3. SWP Pg. 74 - 80, Not all plants reproduce from seeds made by flowers.
  • 4. From Seed to Plant on pg. 102-109 in Easy File Folder Reports (3rd-6th)
  • 5. Life Cycle of a Plant, pgs. 101 - 116, in Take it to Your Seat. (K-4th)
  • 6. HOMOP pgs 24 -25, I’m different. (reproduction)

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IV. Plant Anatomy: Flowers (1 week)

A. Reading Suggestions

  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 14: Why do plants have flowers?
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 15: Which flower fools a bee? Which is the smelliest flower?
  • 3. Redoute: The Man Who Painted Flowers by Carolyn Croll. Most famous flower painter. ISBN 0399226060. 2-5+
  • Page 72 of World of Plants.

B. Internet Research/Activities

C. Projects/Activities

  • 1. World of Plants, Lesson 4, Plant and Animal Cells
  • 2. World of Plants, Lesson 5, Flowering Plants
  • 3. World of Plants, Lesson 6, Grasses
  • 4. World of Plants, Lesson 18, Flowers
  • 5. World of Plants, Lesson 20, Flower Dissection
  • 6. SWLAP Pg. 51 - 60, Some plants have flowers.
  • 7. SWLAP Pg. 20 - 28, Plants Have Many Parts, Tree is a Plant
  • 8. SWP Pg. 12 - 15, Plants have many parts. Trees.
  • 9. SWP Pg. 20 & 25, Flowers
  • 10. HOMOP pgs 12-13, Bag It
  • 11. C&LP page 3, Parts of a Plant
  • 12. Make a flower out of tissue paper.
  • 13. Prepare drawings of the flowers with colored pencils to include in the notebook. Students should write a simple sentence about each flower.
  • 15. Dry and press some flowers: http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/crafts/plants/pressedflowers/ and http://scienceforfamilies.allinfo-about.com/features/flowerpress.html
  • 16. Create a flower arrangement
  • 17. Serve a variety of flowers for a snack: artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, okra.

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V. Plant Anatomy: Fruit (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 16: Why is fruit so sweet and juicy? Which plant shoots from the hip? (squirting cucumber)
  • 3. 9 Fruits Alive How many kinds of fruit can you think of? Where does it comes from and how does it grow? This book describes the fruit that comes from God's Spirit. PreK/K

B. Music Recommendations

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. SWP Pg. 30 - 36, Fruits
  • 2. World of Plants, Lesson 21, Fruits
  • 3. Serve a variety of fruits for a snack: berries, oranges, lemons, tangerine, peach, kumquat, lime.
  • 4. Bible Scrambles Bible word games for kids ages 8 -12. Based on the biblical "fruit of the spirit," this book offers hours of good, clean entertainment - at home, in the car, anywhere! Packed with challenging word games, Bible verses and fun artwork.

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VI. Plant Anatomy: Leaves (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. Leaves by Gail Saunders-Smith. 24 pages. Describes the different sizes and shapes of leaves, the function of chlorophyll, and the process of photosynthesis using simple text and illustrations. ISBN 1560657707.

B. Internet Research/Activities

C. Projects/Activities

  • 1. World of Plants, Lesson 13, Leaves - Photosynthesis
  • 2. World of Plants, Lesson 14, Arrangement of Leaves
  • 3. World of Plants, Lesson 15, Leaves - Shape and Design
  • 4. World of Plants, Lesson 16, Leaves - Changing Color
  • 5. HOMOP pgs 20-21, Food for plants (leaves)
  • 6. C&LP page 5, Leaves
  • 7. SWLAP Pg. 43 - 50, Plants have leaves.
  • 8. SWP Pg. 19 & 24, Leaves
  • 9. Plant an avocado seed. It will make beautiful leaves!
  • 10. Leaf Collecting. Take a hike in the woods and collect leaves of all shapes and sizes. Place autumn-colored leaves between two layers of wax paper. Cover with an old towel or cloth rag. Press the fabric with a warm iron, sealing the wax paper together with the leaf in between. Cut your leaves out, leaving a narrow margin of wax paper around the leaf edge. If you have a leaf press, use it to preserve your leaves. After you preserve your leaves, have your children identify the leaves.
  • 11. Make leaf rubbings. Collect a variety of green leaves. Place under a sheet of paper. Color over the leaf with a crayon or pencil.
  • 12. Serve a variety of leaves for a snack: lettuce, cabbage, romaine, spinach, brussels sprout.

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VII. Plant Anatomy: Roots (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

B. Videos Recommendations

  • 1. Seeds and Plants DVD (2000) Colorful graphics, animated sequences and detailed diagrams. Covers the different parts of a plant, how nutrients and water move through a plant, the plant life cycle, pollination, fertilization and germination. Rental or check your library or http://www.aplusvideorentals.com/listing.asp?ID=2620.

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 11, Roots
  • 2. HOMOP pgs 16 - 17, Get to the root of it.
  • 3. HOMOP pgs 26 - 27, Hold on (roots)
  • 4. SWLAP Pg. 29 - 35, Plants have roots.
  • 5. SWP Pg. 16 - 17, 22, Roots
  • 6. C&LP page 4, Roots
  • 7. Collect small plants with root and leaf systems attached. Have them measure their length and width. Each student will draw their own root system.
  • 8. A really fast growing plant is a sweet potato. Set the potato root down into a glass or jar. Keep the lower one third covered with water. Then watch it grow!
  • 9. Write a biographical report on George W. Carver. For younger children, use Report on a Person from History, on page 58 in Forms for Report Writing, EMC 288.
  • 10. If possible, take a field trip to George Washington Carver’s memorial in Joplin, Missouri.
  • 11. Serve a variety of roots for a snacks: beets, carrots, radish, turnips, potatoes, jerusalem artichoke.

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VIII. Plant Anatomy: Stems (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 9: Why are stems so straight?

B. Videos Recommendations

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 12, Stems
  • 2. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 7, Trees
  • 3. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 17, Tree Identification
  • 4. HOMOP pgs 18 - 19, Rising water.
  • 5. SWLAP Pg. 36 - 42 Plants have stems.
  • 6. SWP Pg. 18 & 23, Stems
  • 7. C&LP page 30, Giant Sequoia
  • 8. C&LP page 31, Deciduous Trees
  • 9. Place a celery in a small cup containing water and food coloring (dark blue.) Discuss how plants absorb water and minerals. Leave in celery until later.
  • 10. Look up trees in the concordance and see what God says about trees. For starters, try: Deut 20:19; Job 14:7; Psalm 1:3; Ecclesiastes 11:3; Ezekiel 31:1-9. Use the online Bible concordance: http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible
  • 11. Discuss tree rings. Take a walk through the woods and look for a broken tree showing tree rings.
  • 12. Serve a variety of stems for a snack: asparagus, rhubarb, celery.
  • 12. Make Ants on a Log. Cut celery in 3 inch lengths. Spread peanut butter in ditch. Top with raisin “ants.” Enjoy!
  • 13. Plant a tree.

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IX. Plant Anatomy: Seeds (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. Oh Say Can You Seed, All About Flowering Plants by Bonnie Worth. 48 pgs., color illus. ISBN 0375810951.
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 17: Which seeds sail away? (coconut) Which fruit gets forgotten? (acorn)
  • 3. IWTHL Pg. 18: When does a seed begin to grow? Do all plants grow from seeds?
  • 4. How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan. (Let's Read & Find Out Science), ISBN 0064451070. PreK-3
  • 5. From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. A simple introduction to how plants reproduce, discussing pollination, seed dispersal, and growth from seed to plant. ISBN 0823410250. 2nd+

B. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 8, Seeds
  • 2. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 9, Seeds — Monocots and Dicots
  • 3. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 10, Seeds — Where are They?
  • 4. HOMOP pgs 14 - 15, Tiny secret inside.
  • 5. HOMOP pgs 22-23, Flower Power (seeds)
  • 6. HOMOP pgs 31 - 32, Away we go (seeds travel)
  • 7. SWLAP Pg. 61 - 66, Seeds grow into new plants.
  • 8. SWP Pg. 37 -49, Seeds
  • 9. Dissect a plant. Have students identify each plant part and it's uses.
  • 10. Create a mobile about the parts of a plant.
  • 11. Assign a plant part to research. Write a report.
  • 12. Complete Parts of a Plant, pgs. 89-100, in Take it to Your Seat. (K-4th)
  • 13. Bean Activity: Read children the folktale Jack and the Beanstalk. Show them some dried lima beans. Have them plant the beans two different ways — in a cup with soil and wrapped in paper in a plastic bag. To prepare the first experiment: provide children with a paper or plastic cup. Assist them in filling their cups halfway with soil. Place two lima beans in the soil. Cover with more soil. Add water. Place the cups in a saucer to prevent spilling and keep them in a sunny area of the room. For experiment #2, provide each child with a plastic sandwich bag, a damp paper towel, and two lima beans. Have children wrap their lima beans in the damp paper towel and then place them into the plastic bags. Find another sunny area in the classroom to place the bags. Have the children observe what happens as the beans grow.
  • 14. Make a pine cone feeder: http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/crafts/birdfeeders/pineconefeeder.shtml
  • 15. Complete World of Plants, Seeds Quiz, page 42.
  • 16. Collect a variety of seed packages. Give each child a blank map of the U.S. Have your child read the package and make a drawing on the map where each plant would grow best.
  • 17. Collect a variety of seeds. Have your child sort them by size, color, shape and count. (PreK-K)
  • 18. Serve a variety of flowers for a snack: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, lima beans, peas, soybeans.

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X. Plant Identification (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 10: Which plants grow in water? (water lilly) Which are the smallest plants? (algae)
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 11: Which forests grow in the sea? (kelp)
  • 3. IWTHL Pg. 19: Which plants grows the fastest? (bamboo)
  • 4. IWTHL Pg. 20: Are fungi plants? What puffs out of a puffball? (fungus)
  • 5. IWTHL Pg. 24: Which plants get a lift to the light? (Africa , epiphytes, grow on branches of trees) Which plant has a private pool? Bromeliads-collect water in leaves)
  • 6. The Secret Life of Trees by Chiara Chevallier. Eyewitness Reader, level 2. 32 pgs. ISBN.

B. Videos Recommendations

  • 1. Plants - Bill Nye the Science Guy. Science guy Bill Nye branches out and gets to the root of the matter to explain wild things about plants such as how they breathe, make food, defend themselves, and move their seeds around. Check your library or rent.

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 22, Annuals, Biennials, and Perennials
  • 2. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 28, Ferns
  • 3. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 29, Mosses
  • 4. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 30, Algae
  • 5. Complete World of Plants, Lesson 31, Fungi
  • 6. HOMOP pgs 42 - 43, the Search (field guide)
  • 7. SWLAP Pg. 9, 11 - 15, Plant Hunt
  • 8. C&LP page 25, Ferns; 26, Fungi; 11, Algae; 27, Moss Spores
  • 9. Go on a nature walk. Complete Flower Detective on page 55 and Tree Detective on page 67 of Considering God’s Creation for each plant found.
  • 10. Make sketches of plants.
  • 11. Tree Identification Game: Provide each student with a pencil and a card, which has a list of numbers corresponding to numbers on various trees in the area. Each student is to identify the tagged trees, placing the name of each tree opposite its number on the card. The student who first identifies their list correctly is the winner.
  • 12. Create a flower notebook.
  • 13. Plant collecting: http://www.howe.k12.ok.us/~jimaskew/botcolet.htm

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XI. Unusual plants and Endangered Plants (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. Carnivorous Plants by Kim T. Griswell. 48 pgs, color, maps, (J 583 G889c 2003)
  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 12: Which plant… traps a treat? (venus flytrap)
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 13: …fools a fly?(pitcher plants) … snares a snack? (sundew)
  • 3. IWTHL Pg. 22: Why do trees have thorns? (Africa's acacia)
  • 4. IWTHL Pg. 23: Why do stinging nettles sting? (protection, stinging nettle) Which plants look like pebbles? (camouflage, pebble plant, Africa)
  • 5. IWTHL Pg. 25: Which plants strangle and squeeze? (strangler fig-starves host tree)
  • 6. Some Plants Have Funny Names by Diana Cross. Learn about plants who have funny names such as Jack-in-the-pulpit and pitcher plant. Out of print - Check library.
  • 7. Plants Bite Back! by Richard Platt (poisonous plants). 32 pages. ISBN 0789447541.

B. Videos Recommendations

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. World of Plants, Lesson 23, Meat Eating Plants
  • 2. C&LP page 16, Venus Fly Trap
  • 3. C&LP page 17, Meat Eating Plants
  • 4. Plan a field trip to a nearby Botanical Garden. Look for a Venus Fly trap and other unusual plants.
  • 5. Do research on poisonous plants and write a report or illustrate a booklet about poisonous plants.
  • 6. Make a list of endangered plants.

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XII. Plant Habitats & Biomes (1 week)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. IWTHL Pg. 26: Can plants grow in a desert? (cacti)
  • 2. IWTHL Pg. 27: Can you pick fruit in the desert? Can you find flowers in the desert?
  • 3. Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule by Harriette Gillem Robinet. A 12-year-old orphaned slave leaves South Carolina in search of a Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction to claim the "40 acres and a mule" promised by General Sherman. ISBN 0689833172. Read aloud for 1-6.
  • 4. What is a Biome? by Bobbie Kalman. 32 pgs, color, Introduces biomes, showing and describing the main kinds and discussing their location, climate, and plant and animal life, as well as those developed by humans. (J 577 K126w 1998)

B. Videos Recommendations

  • 1. Plants of the Rainforest. Extraordinary visuals introduce children to some of the many flowers, vines, fungi and trees found from the forest floor to the forest canopy. Library or http://www.aplusvideorentals.com/listing.asp?ID=1375

C. Internet Research/Activities

D. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Take a walk in a swamp or woodland. Look for moss and ferns.
  • 2. HOMOP pgs 28 - 30, Just the Facts (plant environments)
  • 3. HOMOP pgs 44 - 45, What I need (water plants)
  • 4. SWLAP Pg. 10, 16 - 19, Different Plants in Different Places
  • 5. C&LP page 23, Succulent
  • 6. C&LP page 10, Water Plants
  • 7. Make a Habitat Booklet. Label the following habitats: Bog, Lakes/Ponds, Swamp, Rivers/Streams, Beach, Marsh, Forest. Paste under the correct habitat. Collect pictures of plants and paste on the correct page. List some other plants that would be found in each habitat.

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XIII. Gardening & Occupations in Botany (2 weeks and continue through summer)

A. Recommended Reading

  • 1. Garden Fun! Indoors & Out; In Pots & Small Spots , (Quick Starts for Kids) by Vicky Congdon. This book has lots of ideas for those of you with green thumbs and those, like me, who don't. Includes activities for windowsill gardening, creating a gardening journal, harvesting worms, making a rain gauge, growing plants in containers such as terrariums and strawberry jars, and much much more. ISBN 1885593694.
  • 2. The Christian Kids' Gardening Guide: Cool Stuff for You to Make and Grow by Rebecca Totilo. Blending Bible truths with gardening know-how, this fun and informative how-to book helps plant the seeds for a lifelong love of God's creation. From tips on creating compost to the plantable flower-seed bookmark, a patch of potted perennials to a backyard garden of eatin', it offers everything your children need to get growing. Ages 8 and up. 167 pages. ISBN 1584110341.
  • 3. Career Ideas For Kids Who Like Science by Diane Reeves. Read the section on career opportunities for kids who like to study plants (Horticulturist) and have your child write a report on a career of interest. For younger children, use A Report on an Occupation found on pgs 55 & 56 in Forms for Report Writing by Evan-Moor #288.

B. Internet Research/Activities

C. Projects/Activities

  • 1. Plan a simple garden, plant, and harvest. Use containers if desired. (Complete Guide to Container Gardening) Take photos for portfolio.
  • 2. World of Plants, Lesson 25, Tropism
  • 3. World of Plants, Lesson 26, Other Survival Techniques
  • 4. HOMOP pgs 33 - 35, I call this home. (soil samples)
  • 5. HOMOP pgs 36 - 37 , Run to the sun.
  • 6. HOMOP pgs 38 - 39, Just a sip please. (water)
  • 7. HOMOP pgs 40 - 41, Help, I can’t breathe.
  • 8. SWLAP Pg. 67 - 72, Plants change as they grow.
  • 9. SWP Pg. 50 - 56, Plants change as they grow.
  • 10. SWLAP Pg. 73 - 77, Plants need air, water, food, and light.
  • 11. SWP Pg. 57 - 67, Plants need food, water, and light to grow.
  • 12. Grow plants. Discuss the needs of plants in order to grow. Conduct experiments showing the effect of light, water, and food.
  • 13. Visit a local nursery or greenhouse.
  • 14. Write a biography of Luther Burbank.
  • 15. Play The Garden Game . Learn about gardening using the Gardener's Almanac cards while feeding the soil, planting seeds, nurturing the plants, enjoying harvest festivals, and dealing with natural disasters! Plant the largest garden and save the most seeds and you are the winner. 2nd+

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XIV. Review and Extension Activities (1 weeks)

A. Recommended Reading

B. Internet Research/Activities

C. Projects/Activities

E. Additional Resources:

  • 1. Life Science - Grades 4 to 6, Science Homework Booklet has drawings illustrating a variety of systems, cycles, and orders in the five kingdoms of living things. Other areas that are covered are flowers, trees, and vertebrates. ISBN 1568220731.
  • 2. Botany Unit Study by Kym Wright. Learn all about plants from the roots up. Life cycles, needs, usages, differences, uniqueness, and comparisons. Microscopic to hands-on labs with plenty of Lab Sheets and flashcards provided. Appropriate for 6th grade through high school.
  • 3. Exploring Creation with Botany by Jeannie Fulbright. Uses the classical and Charlotte Mason methodology to give elementary school students an introduction to God’s incredible world of plants. Apologia. Available 8/04.
  • 4. How it Works, The World of Plant Life by Gerald Legg. ISBN 089976240X. Currently out of print. If you can find a copy, this works really well with this unit
  • .

    Be sure to enter these topics on your copy of The Checklist.

    Please let me know if any of these links do not work. Email: contact@oklahomahomeschool.com.

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