California State University, Fullerton

Elementary and Bilingual Education

Lesson Plan

Name: Samantha Saxton, Katty Rodriguez, Nicole Soltis

Grade: 2nd grade Subject/Content: Science Time length of Lesson: (Day 1:

about 1 hour. 10-15 minutes each observation day. About 30 minutes-1 hour on the final day)

Home languages: English, Spanish

Needs: (IEPs, 504, SST, GATE etc.)

EL levels: (Emerging, Bridging, Expanding):

SUPPORT for ELs and diverse learners:

- Vocabulary cards with pictures and the definitions
- Support charts to develop ideas before writing
- Use of visuals throughout the lessons
- Connecting the information to the cultures present in the classroom
- Scaffolding and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students
- Provide necessary assistive technology
UDL Connections: Lesson goals will be posted for students to see, giving students options on
how to respond to the information, providing flexible work spaces, offering digital materials,
and allowing students to learn through exploration.

Materials, including Technology

- Seeds (enough for each student to have a couple)
- Paper cups (1 for each student)
- Soil
- Masking tape or premade labels with student names
- Rulers (1 for each student)
- Access to water
- A sunny area outside or in a windowsill
- Investigation Packet (1 for each student, attached below)
- Vocabulary cards (printed vocabulary with picture and definition to display for students)
- Projector with camera or document camera

Concept(s)
Do plants need water and sunlight to grow?

Alignment with Standards

NGSS Science:
2-LS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to
grow.
CCSS ELA:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic,
use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Language:
ELD.PI.2.1.Ex Exchanging information and ideas-contribute to class, group, and partner
discussions, including sustained dialogue, by listening attentively, following turn-taking rules,
asking relevant questions, affirming others, and adding relevant information.

ELD.PI.2.2.Ex Interacting via written english-Collaborate with peers on joint writing

projects of longer informational and literary texts, using technology when appropriate for
publishing, graphics, and the like.
Objectives
Content:
Students will be able to examine the benefits of sunlight and water for plants by planting their own
plants and continuously making measurements and observations as they grow over 3 weeks.

Language:
Students will be able to engage in a conversation with a partner or small group by answering
questions to respond to the data being collected.

Students will be able to develop a writing sample with some assistance to communicate the conclusions
of their data collection.
Assessment
Pre-assessment:
- assessing prior knowledge through discussion
- Group brainstorm
Formative Assessment:
- Observations
- Investigation packet
Summative Assessment:
-Self-assessment at the end of the lesson
-Writing sample at the end of the experiment

Vocabulary/Literacy Skills

Relevant Vocabulary:
Academic Language:
- Observation
- Investigation
- Variable
- Claim
- Diagram
- Evidence
Tied to the concepts being taught:
- Plant
- Roots
- Leaf
- Stem
- Soil
- Sunlight
- Water
 - Dirt
- grow
- nutrients
- potting soil
- rain
- sprinkler
- watering can
- window box
Listening: students will be encouraged to practice their listening skills when directions are
being given and when peers are sharing their findings to build their listening skills.
Speaking: students will be encouraged to participate in group discussions, whole group
discussions, and individual presentation of their investigation findings to build their speaking
skills.
Reading: students will be encouraged to read vocabulary terms, directions, resources, and
other content resources to help build their reading skills.
Writing: students will be given opportunities to respond to writing prompts and build their
writing skills by practicing writing complete sentences about informational texts and gathered
data.
Name of Instructional Model

Instructional Model: Inquiry-Based Instruction

Maintaining a positive learning environment: I will be promoting class discussion and peer
interaction by giving students the space to talk and share their responses to the lesson. I will keep
structure in the lesson by keeping the lesson on track with the pacing. However, I will allow the
students to guide the lesson based on their inquiries.
Room arrangement: Most of the lesson will take place at table groups.
Student groupings: Students are grouped into groups of 4 for this activity. Discussed in detail in the
procedure.
Classroom management techniques: I will positively reinforce good behavior, remind students of our
guidelines we came up with together for whole group instruction, and I will model the behavior I want
to see in our classroom.

Procedure
A. Focus/Motivation (Open) (Time estimate: 10-15 min-Day 1 )
● Review the parts of a plant with an interactive game in groups. Pass out a blank diagram of a
plant and have the students work together to label the diagram correctly.
● Next, begin as a whole group by writing the big idea question on the board and asking the
students “Do plants need water and sunlight to grow?”
● Begin a discussion with the students to see what previous knowledge they are bringing into the
lesson by asking follow up questions (How do you know they need these resources? Do they
need any other resources? etc.)
● “If we are all scientists here and I want to figure out for myself without reading about it if
plants truly need water and sunlight to grow, what should I do?” (Test it, do an experiment,
investigate, etc. )
○ Let this lead into a discussion about the vocabulary that is tied to an experiment
(Investigation, Observation, Variable, Claim, Diagram, evidence)
○ “We can test it or create an investigation to figure out the answer to our question. An
investigation is… Scientists use investigations to find the answers to the questions they
have and that is what we are going to do today!”
B. Development (Body) (Time estimate: 45 min-Day 1 )

● Brainstorm as a class what we might need to carry out an investigation (write student
ideas on the board)
● After having a brainstorming discussion, pass out the investigation packets to the
students.
○ The packet has directions for carrying out the investigation for the students.
The goal is for them to do as much of the investigation on their own with
teacher supervision/guidance.
○ Go over the packet as a class, walking through the directions of the packet.
○ Students are going to be put into groups of 4. Groups will be responsible for
planting 4 different plants (1 receiving sun but no water, 1 receiving water but
no sun, 1 receiving both water and sunlight, and 1 receiving nothing) to
compare the different conditions.
○ Have the students complete page 1 of the packet where they can make their
initial predictions/hypotheses and draw what they think their plant is going to
look like.
● After completing page 1 in their packets, students will begin planting their plants.
○ Pass out supplies (cups, soil, seeds, labels)
○ have students plant their seeds (model for students how you would like them to
plant them)
○ Have the students put their cups in their respective areas based on the
conditions they will receive.
● Once students have their plants settled, have them return to their desks
● Teacher will be observing students and their investigation skills during this activity.
● Students will fill out their investigation packet every other day while making sure they are
receiving the variables necessary for the group’s conditions.
○ Week 1: Fill out observations Monday, Wednesday, Friday
○ Week 2: Fill out observations Monday, Wednesday, Friday
○ Week 3: Fill out observations Monday, Wednesday. Conclude lesson Friday

C. Closure (Close) (Time estimate: 30 min-on final day of investigation)

● After the 3 weeks are over, have the students make final observations on the last page of the
investigation packet.
● Students will then share what they observed and what their data showed. Prompt students to
share if their initial hypotheses were proven correct or incorrect. Why?
● Students will then write a paragraph answering our big idea question “Do plants need water
and sunlight to grow?”. They will be prompted to use the data they collected to answer the
question in at least 4-5 sentences. (Assessing students with a writing prompt)
● Provide students with an exit ticket that is a self-assessment about their thoughts about how
plants grow after this lesson.