Parts of a Plant
Explain to children that a flower or any plant has different parts: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds. If possible hand out a plant to each child on a piece of newspaper. Help children identify and locate the different parts on their flower. Have children remove the different parts of the plant as you name and talk about them. Place the picture of the plant parts on the bulletin board and have children place the parts of the flower on their piece of newspaper. At the end have them line up all parts and have them count them. Can you name the parts?
Instruction: Show children a flower such as a daisy or carnation. Ask children, "Can anyone name the parts of a flower?" Point to the petals and ask, "What are these called?" Point to the leaves and say, "Leaves are the plant's food factory. The flower makes food from sunlight. It's called photosynthesis. The stem is the plant's drinking straw. With the roots the stem helps bring water to all parts of the plant." Point to the center of the flower and explain that flowers make the seeds that grow into new plants.
Extension:
Make a Part of a Plant Artwork.
Center Activity:
What’s Missing Game
Pollination:
Facts: To make seeds or fruits, the flower needs to be pollinated. This can happen in several ways. One way is that insects climb or fly to find the nectar on a plant. On the way, pollen (from the stamen) sticks to them. When they travel to other flowers, the pollen rubs of the (carpel) of the flower and the flower gets pollinated and is ready to grow seeds or fruits.
Activity:
Prepare two paper flowers (one blue and one red). Lay flowers on floor and sprinkle flour in center of the red flower. Place a yellow pom-pom in the middle for nectar on both flowers. Make bee puppet with holes for your fingers (see flower craft section). Explain to children that your fingers are the bee’s legs. Fly the bee to one flower and land on it, making sure to pick up some flour on your fingers. Fly bee to second flower and land on it, rubbing the flour off when you touch the flower. Explain that the bee spreads pollen as it flies from flower to flower.
Craft: Make a bee or butterfly
Label parts of a flower: petals, seed, stem, leaves, roots on felt board.
Parts of a Plant Puzzle
Have children put puzzles together as you talk about the parts of the plant.
Stem
Fact: The water moves up the stem into the leaves and petals. Stems support the leaves and flowers of the plant.
How the Stem of a Flower Works
Place a white daisy or a white carnation in a clear container filled with water. Put a few drops of blue food coloring into the water. Ask children to predict what will happen. (In several hours the tips of the flowers and leaves will become blue, demonstrating how the flower stem carries water to the leaves and petals.)
Flower measuring (see flower activities )
Print sunflower patterns and add stems with different lengths. Print the ladybug ruler patterns on heavy printing paper, cut out, and laminate for extra strength. Have children estimate and measure how many ladybugs high the sunflowers’ stems are. Younger children can order the sunflowers from largest to smallest or vice versa. Variation: Use artificial flowers.
Leaves:
Fact: Leaves grow on the stem of the plant. The leaves contain a green coloring called chlorophyll. With sunlight, chlorophyll helps change the water into food. The process is called photosynthesis. Leaves may change color during different seasons. People and animals eat the leaves of some plants (lettuce, spinach).
Leaves sensory table
Show children a variety of leaves that have different sizes, shapes, and textures. Have them feel and compare them. Have them sort the leaves by size, color, shape, and textures.
Leaf Matching Game
Leaf rubbing
Leaf Treasure Hunt
Give each child or group a bag and a piece of paper with a leaf taped on it. Instruct each group to find as many leaves of that shape as they can. Encourage children to help each other.
Science: Leave Study
(See flower activities section)
Seeds:
Facts: Seeds come from the flowers or fruits of plants and can grow into new plants. Seeds need water, warmth, and air to sprout. People and animals eat the seeds of some plants (pecans, rice, peas, popcorn, peanuts). People use the seeds to make other foods (wheat, oats, corn, and rice are used to make bread, pasta, and cereal)
Music and Movement
Sunflower Seed Sock Exercises
Pour a handful of sunflower seeds (still in shells) into a sock and secure with a rubber band. Make enough seed socks so that each child has one. Give each child a sock to use in the following exercises:
• Have children toss the sock out in front of them several feet. Have them bend to touch the ground and then walk hands out until they can grab the sock, trying not to move their feet.
• Have children stand with feet spread apart. Then have them bend at the waist and reach between their legs. How far can they place the sock behind them, to the left side, to the right side?
• Have children stretch arms out to their sides and reach up high. Have them pass the sock to other hand. Repeat.
• Have children stretch arms behind them and pass the sock back and forth. Have them stretch out arms in front and pass the sock back and forth.
• Have children balance the sock on top of their foot. How high can they raise their leg without the sock falling off? How about the other foot?
Have children form a circle with children about an arm’s length apart from each other. Toss a sock to a child and have that child pass or toss it to the person next to him or her. Have children continue passing the sock around the circle. Start a second sock in the opposite direction.
Seed Sorting:
Let children sort a variety of seeds and dried beans.
Flower Seed Collage
Print sunflower pattern and cut out. Trace onto craft paper. Have children glue a variety of seeds onto flower. Show them how to get different effects by using one kind of seed for the center of the flower and another kind of seed for the petals. Have children color the stem and leaves green.
Seed Card Number Matching
What you need:
Index cards
Sunflower seeds or beans
Glue
Black marker