Children measure the tallest plant, build a cube tower to the same height, and predict how tall the plant will be the next time they measure it.
The plants are growing! Look at the stems, the roots, the leaves!
Let’s measure our plant. One unit equals one linking cube.
Materials
- Containers with plants that have emerged from the soil, both bean plants and other plants from the Class Garden
- Children’s bean plants growing in soil
- Drawing paper and crayons
- 8 copies of the Plant Measuring Strip (PDF)
- Paper (for printing)
- 8 thin dowels
- ¾″ linking cubes (such as Unifix® cubes)
- Sticky notes or other paper
- Pen
- Tape
- Box (for storing cube towers)
Preparation
- Print eight copies of the Plant Measuring Strip PDF. Cut out the two halves and tape together to form one long strip.
- Attach each measuring strip to a thin dowel, leaving a few inches of dowel at the bottom.
- Place a measuring strip into each container of bean plants and other Class Garden plants that have popped out of the soil.
- Identify a place to save each group’s linking cube measurement towers and written predictions.
Directions: Lesson 4
Circle Time: Introduction
- Display a container with one or more bean plants that have popped up from the soil. Possible discussion ideas:
- What observations can you make about our new bean plants? Turn to a classmate and tell them what you notice.
- Ask children to share their classmate’s observation with the group. Who would like to share what your friend observed?
- What shape are the little plants? Show me with your hands.
- What parts of the plant can we see? Help children identify the stem, leaves, flowers or fruit.
- Are these plants as tall as the carrot plant in the story The Carrot Seed?
- How tall do you think these plants will grow? Show me with your hands.
- Measure the tallest bean plant. Use the measuring strip that has been placed in the container (see Materials and Preparation) to measure the tallest plant in the container. Note that unlike a ruler, the numbers on the measuring strip refer to the spaces between the lines. Each unit on the measuring strip is the height of a linking cube.
- Point to the mark on the measuring strip that aligns with the top of the plant. How many units tall is this plant?
- Ask a volunteer to use that number of linking cubes to build a tower that is the same height as the plant. Carefully place the tower next to the bean plant to confirm that it is the same height.
- Measure another plant. Draw attention to a Class Garden container with a different type of plant that has emerged from the soil. Repeat the discussion and measuring steps above. (Always measure the tallest plant in the container.)
- Have children estimate the height of the Class Garden plant first before measuring. Do you think this (sunflower) plant is taller than the bean plant? Shorter than the bean plant? The same height? How many units tall do you think it is?
Guided Small Group
On the first day a bean plant emerges from the soil . . .
- Measure the tallest bean plant, using the measuring strip.
- Model keeping your eye level even with the top of the plant as you agree how high the plant comes on the measuring strip.
- Point to the height on the measuring strip. How many units tall is our plant?
- Write the number on a sticky note or piece of paper.
- Have children build a linking cube tower that is the same height as the plant. Carefully place the tower next to the bean plant to confirm that it is the same height.
- Tell children that you will keep the cube tower in a safe place as a record of how tall the plant was on this first day. Possible discussion ideas:
- How tall do you think the plant will be next time our group meets? Do you think it will be the same height? Taller? Shorter?
- How many units tall do you think it will be?
- Write children’s predictions on a sticky note and place in the box, along with the cube tower.
- Over the next two weeks, use the cube towers to compare the changes in plant height and growth over time. Each time the group meets . . .
- Line up the cube towers from each day’s measurement, talking about how the bean plant has grown taller and taller every day.
- Read children’s predictions for the height of the bean plant today.
- Measure the plant. Were any of the predictions correct?
- Have children build a new cube tower representing the height of the tallest bean plant today. Prompt children to compare what they notice about the measurements and plant growth over time. How many units tall do you think the plant will be next time our group meets? Why do you think that? Write children’s predictions on a sticky note and place in the box, along with the cube towers.
Directions: Lesson 6
Learning Center
- Invite children to review, in pairs or individually, the cube towers used to measure the plant’s growth. Encourage them to look at and compare the height of the towers.
- Use prompts such as those above to engage children in an active discussion about the growth of the plants.
- Model language to describe the plant’s changes over time that can be seen in the growing height of the cube towers.
- Then invite them to draw a picture of the plant that is the tallest or shortest.
Directions: Lessons 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Guided Small Group
On the first day a bean plant emerges from the soil . . .
- Measure the tallest bean plant, using the measuring strip.
- Model keeping your eye level even with the top of the plant as you agree how high the plant comes on the measuring strip.
- Point to the height on the measuring strip. How many units tall is our plant?
- Write the number on a sticky note or piece of paper.
- Have children build a cube tower that is the same height as the plant. Carefully place the tower next to the bean plant to confirm that it is the same height.
- Tell children that you will keep the cube tower in a safe place as a record of how tall the plant was on this first day. Possible discussion ideas:
- How tall do you think the plant will be next time our group meets? Do you think it will be the same height? Taller? Shorter?
- How many units tall do you think it will be?
- Write children’s predictions on a sticky note and place in the box, along with the cube tower. What things can we do to help our plants grow even taller?
- Each time the group meets over the next two weeks . . .
- Line up the cube towers from each day’s measurement, talking about how the bean plant has grown taller and taller every day.
- Read children’s predictions for the height of the bean plant today.
- Measure the plant. Were any of the predictions correct?
- Have children build a new cube tower representing the height of the tallest bean plant today. Prompt children to compare what they notice about the measurements and plant growth over time. How many units tall do you think the plant will be next time our group meets? Why do you think that? Write children’s predictions on a sticky note and place in the box, along with the cube towers.
- Review how children care for their plants. How can we help our plants grow taller?
