Luljeta Selimaj

April 4th 2022

Unit Rationale

One of the principles I favor from the 9 principles of Child Development and Learning, is

principle 6 that states, “Children’s motivation to learn is increased when their learning

environment fosters their sense of belonging, purpose, and agency. Curriculum and teaching

methods build on each child’s assets by connecting their experiences in the school or learning

environment to their home and community setting.” It is a principle that connects with the unit I

am choosing which is planting. The planting curriculum is based on real life experiences and it

happens all around. Growing plants together, discussing and observing the process, is a large

educational opportunity in which the children gain valuable skills through their environments

and class activities.

Indeed, the study of plants meets the needs regarding the NYS standards because there

are several important learning goals in the planting unit in which the children will learn through

the classroom environments that they prefer and through engaging class activities. As stated in

the, ‘Got Standards’ article by Judy Harris Helm in 2008, “Engagement and integration increase

when children have an opportunity to investigate something of great interest to them and have a

say in what they want to learn about the topic.” This happens when the children explore the

environments of the classroom and choose what they’d like to investigate and learn more. For

example, I currently have plastic flowers in mason jars on all of my large tables as decorations

and the children have been constantly asking if the plants are real or fake and when they can

plant their own plants so they can show off their ‘real’ flowers. They have shown interest in
plants and they will be able to further explore their interests and curiosity as the classroom

environments depict the planting unit. I want to be able to let them observe the environments and

choose what they think is fun and appropriate and teach through their interests whether it’s

through STEM, art, language, or dramatic play.

In the, ‘Advanced Child Development Theorist Study Guide,’ Maria Montessori’s

education theory stated, “This system of education is both a philosophy of child development

and rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on two important developmental needs of

children: 1. The need for freedom within limits 2. A carefully prepared environment which

guarantees exposure to materials and experiences.” I admire this philosophy and would

incorporate it in my classroom. When the classroom has a clear setup, organized environments,

children have a better ability to learn through their play. Children should have the freedom to

learn through their classrooms independently, with friends, and with their teachers. They should

be able to play with what they choose, freely.

When teaching planting, I will teach through aMontessori approach, as I will transform

my classroom to reflect this topic because the teachers role is to construct the environments for

the children.The environments will thrive and be enriched with planting equipment and materials

for the children to explore, learn from, and enjoy. For instance, the library will be full of

planting books, the sensory/science area has mason jars, pots, soil, seeds, and child friendly

planting tools;the art area has various pictures of plants that the children can use as references

when drawing and painting, flower stencils, colorful painted seeds and materials to create their

own 3D flowers; the math area will have a scale to weigh seeds, and rulers to measure the

growth of their plants and various sized seeds; the dramatic area will have gardener clothing
which consists of hats, gloves, tool belts, and the sand table will consist of soil and dirt instead of

sand. We would take the children outside to a park and observe nature.

There are many skills that the children learn and gain during the plant unit. Whether it’s

following directions, sensory skills, fine motor skills, math and science skills, learning to work in

a group and communicate the steps being taken, taking turns, sharing, and making observations,

children will gain important skills. Within this unit, the children are learning through hands on

activities. They will touch and feel soil, water and seeds. They will create life and watch it go

through different stages. They will make observations as they watch their plants grow and

sharing them with the class and even write them down in their journals. The learning

opportunities are endless when discussing plants.

In addition, the children will also learn about patience and responsibility which are life

long lessons. These are skills that are important to inquire because they will be used through all

stages of life. We all know that plants can’t grow within a day, and there are many variables to

help the plant grow such as the amount of water and sunlight a plant receives, the way it is

positioned, the weather, which connects to their responsibilities as well. The children will have to

tend to their own plants daily and record their observations and realize why it takes time for the

plants to grow and maybe the older children can make connections to other aspects of life. Much

of this speaks to many parts of the NYS Early learning standards focusing on each

developmental domain.

Planting is an important theme to explore and understand. Plants are part of the ecosystem. It

provides resources to human living. When we consider how it can be taught is endless and with

spring approaching and interests peaking, I think it is the best time of year to teach this unit.
Citations Page

Iruka , I. U. (2022). Chapter 2, The Principles in Practice . In Developmentally appropriate

practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (4th , p.
39). essay, National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Searcy. (n.d.). Mrs. Searcy`s theorists` cheat sheet. studylib.net. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from
https://studylib.net/doc/6834790/mrs.-searcy-s-theorists--cheat-sheet

Helm, J. (2008). Got Standards? Don’t Give Up on Engaged Learning! [Review of Got
Standards? Don’t Give Up on Engaged Learning!]. Young Children, 14–20.