Brandman University 

Department of Early Childhood Education 

Lesson Plan Template 
 
Overview of the Theme  Nature All Around Us  
Name of theme, why it was chosen, how it is  Week 1 How Do Plants Grow? 
relevant to children and a description of the 
We are doing this week out of the curriculum 
activities or projects for the week. 
order because our school is doing a whole 
school Ag STEM challenge. It is also the 
correct time to start plants for the school 
garden.   
Target Age Range  Our TK Class students range in age from 4 
the age range of the children  years 11 months and 5 years 4 months.  
Our school accepts children with a special 
need who are out of the TK age guidelines 
because of special need. These students 
might not be successful in Kindergarten 
without the extra support of this year in TK. 
Learning Foundations –   1. 
● List two (not more) ​Foundations or Standards 
you are planning to address during the lesson. 
Domain: Language and Literacy 
● List the domain, strand, sub-strand and  Strand: Listening and Speaking 
foundation from the ​California Preschool  Substrand: Vocabulary 
Learning Foundations, Vol 1, Vol 2, or Vol 3,  Foundation: 2.2 (60 months) Understand and 
 
(CDE, 2008, 2010, 2012)  
use accepted words for categories of objects 
Write the foundations like this example (but do not  encountered in everyday life.  
use this one):  (CDC Vol. 1 2008, p60) 
Domain:​ Language and Literacy    
Strand:​ Listening and Speaking  
Substrand:​ 1.0 Language Use and Conventions:  2. 
Children understand and use language to communicate  Domain: Science 
with others effectively  Strand: Life Science 
Foundation:​ 1.1 (48 months) Use language to 
communicate with others in familiar social situations  Substrand: 2.0 Changes in Living Things 
for a variety of basic purposes, including describing,  Foundation:  
requesting, commenting, acknowledging, greeting, and 
rejecting. (CDE, 2008, p. 56) 
 
(CDC Vol. 1 2013, p206) 

Objectives​–   Objective 1. 

State two objectives in terms of what the  The children will identify, name and 
children will learn in ​measurable​ terms. 
categorize the vegetables by name and if 
Objectives should be aligned and connected 
to chosen foundations or standards  they grow above ground or below ground. 
For example:  On another day will identify plants by if we 
The children will identify the characters in the  eat the root, stem, leaf, fruit, or seed. 
story.  Objective 2. 
The child will retell the story in sequence.  The children will watch and record our plants’ 
 
growth.   
 

Assessment – ​How will you know whether  Assessment of Objective 1: The students will 
the children have learned the objectives you  demonstrate their knowledge of category of 
set out to achieve and whether they are 
plants by sorting them by sorting a group of 
moving toward the foundations or standards?   
  photos then recording their work on ​Seesaw​. 
Describe in specific detail, how you will   
assess the children’s progression towards  Assessment of Objective 2: The record book 
your stated objectives for the week. For  of the plant growth.  
example, while retelling the story with   
puppets, the child will use the character   
names and retell the story in sequence. 
 
 
 
Strategies and Interactions – ​The ​California  2.Domain: Science 
Preschool Curriculum Frameworks ​ ​Vol. 1, Vol. 2,  Strand: Life Science 
Vol. 3​ (CDE, 2010, 2011, 2013) and the 
Substrand: 2.0 Changes in Living Things 
California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Frameworks 
(CDE, 2012) l​ ist teaching strategies and  Strategy: 
interactions within each Sub Strand section.  ★ Encourage children to notice changes in 
Include at least two strategies from the  their plants growth. 
appropriate age range and appropriate  ★ Invite children to record the growth of 
domains. Write them like this example: 
plants. 
  ★ Engage children in reflective 
Domain  Language and Literacy  conversations in small or large groups. 
Development  (CDC Vol. 1 2013, p206-209) 
Strand   Listening and Speaking   
Substrand 1.0 Language Use and 
Conventions  Implementation: We will plant pea seeds. 
Strategy:​ Engage in “getting to know  One in a plastic bag and one in a peat pod. 
you” conversations. 
We will watch the seeds grow and record the 
 
Implementation: ​ ​Describe how you will use  progress.  
this strategy specifically in your 
activity.  1. Domain: Language and Literacy 
Strand: Listening and Speaking 
Substrand: Vocabulary 
Foundation: 2.2 (60 months) Understand and 
use accepted words for categories of objects 
encountered in everyday life.  
(CDC Vol. 1 2008, p60) 
Strategy: Detective Work: Same and 
different. Show three, two that are 
exactly the same and one that is different. 
 When the children understand same and 
different, make the game a little harder by 
categories. Frameworks Vol 1 page 121  
Implementation: The first rounds of the 
game need 2 of a variety of root and leaf 
plants. (This round is also to help students 
identify the vegetables by name.) The 
students will identify and name which plant is 
the same or different and why. 
The next version of the game is to sort the 
plants that we eat that grow above the 
ground and below the ground.  
Materials Needed –​ a list of all materials  Materials List 
needed to do the activity, (and where to  Tops and Bottoms Vocabulary 
obtain them if they are unusual.) Write this in 
1. Two copies of Photographs of 
a numbered list format. 
vegetables. Make sure there is a 
   selection of vegetables that grow below 
and above the ground. I have them 
Preparation/Set-up: Briefly describe what 
materials will need to be ready, where and  from a nutrition program that I used in 
how they will be set up.  the past.  
2. Smaller set of vegetable illustrations 
   for the students to sort for the 
assessment. I got these from TpT. 
3. iPad with Seesaw installed to record 
the student sorts. 
4. Large and small cards that say; 
Top, Root, Leaf, Seed 
5.  
The two copies of the vegetable photos will 
be in a basket at our group meeting area. 
They will be left there with the books for 
further exploration and sorting.   
The small set will be at a small table for 
sorting then taking a photo.  
Growing a pea. Pea in a Bag. 
1. Edible pea pod seeds. 
2. Damp paper towel inside a small ziplock 
bag.  
 3. Black Sharpie to mark bags. 
4. Quarter page record book for the 
students to record the changes.  
We will work at our group meeting table. I 
will preset up the table with a pea seed, 
paper towel, and already labeled ziplock bag. 
We will hang the bags on a core board so 
that the students can readily observe the 
changes in the seed.   
We will keep record books in a basket next 
to the seeds.  

Preparation/Set Up 
Tops and Bottoms Vocabulary 
★ Have the cards ready in the meeting 
area. 
★ Set up the small table for the small 
vegetable sort. 
★ Cards with labels: Top, Root, Leaf, 
Seed 
Pea in a Bag. 
★ Set-up the meeting table for planting 
the seeds. 
★ Prepare the quarter page record book 
★ Core board to hang seed plants. 

Lesson Procedures  Anticipatory Set.  

1. ​Anticipatory Set – how you will  We will read the book Tops and Bottom by 
introduce and engage the children in the  Janet Stevens. 
activity.   
2​. Step-by-step description of how to 
execute all the procedures that are part of  Step by Step Description 
your activity, how to interact with the 
children during the activity, and any  Tops and Bottoms Book 
instructions for ending the activity. Be sure 
to include what the teacher does and what  1. Read Tops and Bottoms by Janet 
Stevens. As we read we notice and 
 the teacher does. Write this in a numbered  name of the vegetables and where they 
format 
grow.  
  2. I will set out sets of three vegetables 
   two that are the same and one 
different. We will also be identifying 
the name of each vegetable and how it 
grows.  
3. New sort. We will sort by Top, Root, 
Leaf, Seed 

Pea in a Bag  

1. I will set up table so after circle time 

we will move to the table to put the 
seeds in the bag then tape the bags to 
the coreboard.   
2. Everyday after recess we will look to 
see if we should record the changes. I 
expect to record about every 3-4 days. 

Every few days  

3. We will take the bags off the 

coreboard and take them to the table 
to draw the changes. The table is 
supplied with pencils and crayons.  

Literature –   The books will be in the basket of theme 

In order to practice integrating literature into 
books that are kept on the front carpet 
all areas of the room, choose at least two 
where we gather to read together and where 
children’s books to include in one interest 
students can choose to go as a choice to 
area. Explain where the books will be. Write 
the book references in APA format. 
read 
  1. Tops and Bottoms ​- by Janet Stevens 
When the books arrive add the  This book is a trickster tale. One 
date and publisher of both  character used the fact some plants we 
books.    eat grow above the ground and some 
grow below the ground.   
 Stevens, J.( )Tops and Bottoms. Harper 
Collins 
2. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle 
Carle, E.(date) ​The Tiny Seed. ​Publisher 
Family Engagement/Cultural Integration   
– 
Give two suggestions on how you would  ★ Ask parents to sort their vegetables 
extend your theme to the home and integrate  with their child then draw a picture of 
the families’ backgrounds and cultures. (Tip:  the vegetables and bring them back to 
Family engagement strategies are listed in 
each subsection of the sub-strand section of 
school. 
California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks​,  ★ Ask parents what is their favorite 
Volumes 1, 2, and 3)  vegetable. 
  ★ Ask families if they grow a garden or 
Be very specific, thoughtful and detailed. ​ T​ ry  do they work in agriculture.  
to truly engage the families in your work for  ★ Send home the potted plant which will 
the week. 
be a sunflower. They grow well as a 
 
solo plant on the edge of a yard.   
 
Here is the link if you are interested in the printables from ​ ​Teachers Pay Teachers 

The other activity that I did with my students (that came with the printable was to sort what 
grew in the garden and what did not grow in the garden. 

Tops & Bottoms Companion Pack & Other Fun Plant Ideas
By ​Julie Lee

Lee, J, Tops & Bottoms Companion Pack retrieved 2/28/2019from  

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tops-Bottoms-Companion-Pack-Other-Fun-Plant-Ideas-644970